Person in charge of a shared biscuit tin
Looking for a familiar digestive to enjoy with tea or coffee, and wants to know how many biscuits are in a pack and how to store them after opening.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Buyer taking allergens into account
Needs to distinguish ordinary wheat digestives from a product explicitly labelled gluten-free, without overlooking any other allergens on the label.
Office looking for a chocolate option too
Considering a chocolate biscuit alongside the plain variety, and comparing the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the exact product.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether your shared biscuit tin needs a plain staple or whether you also need a separate gluten-free option. Then compare the pack size, nutritional information and any chocolate varieties.
Plain digestive
When to choose it: When a familiar biscuit for the shared tea and coffee tin is all you need, and no one requires a gluten-free option.
Trade-off: The standard varieties reviewed contain wheat or gluten, so a plain digestive will not suit everyone.
Gluten-free digestive
When to choose it: When someone using the office supplies needs a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten-free.
Trade-off: Gluten-free does not mean allergen-free: the Schär Digestive Landtaler reviewed contains soya and may contain lupin and eggs. Keep this option clearly separate.
Chocolate digestive
When to choose it: When the office would like to offer a distinctly different flavour alongside a plain biscuit.
Trade-off: The McVitie's chocolate varieties shown also contain milk and soya. Compare their nutritional information separately with that of the plain variety.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and storage | Check the pack size, any portion information and storage instructions for after opening. | If I regularly top up the tin, I want to be able to plan what to buy and seal any leftovers properly. For around 36% of consumers, practical stock management comes first. |
| Allergens | Check the label on the exact pack for ingredients, allergens and warnings; keep any required gluten-free option separate. | If a colleague needs to avoid gluten, I don't want to rely on the word ‘digestive’ alone. Around 29% of consumers give suitability for allergies or dietary requirements top priority. |
| Nutritional information | Compare sugars, saturated fat, fibre and salt per 100 g and, where listed, per portion. | If biscuits are always available at the office, I want to know how the varieties differ nutritionally. Nutritional value is the biggest consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Flavour variety | Decide whether a chocolate variety would complement your plain biscuits, and check its label too. | I want to be able to offer a chocolate biscuit now and then without replacing the staple. This is the main priority for around 14% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming every digestive is suitable for everyone
The ordinary digestives reviewed contain wheat or gluten. Even gluten-free digestives may list other allergens on the label.
Read the packaging for the exact product, keep allergen information with your supplies and store any required gluten-free option separately from ordinary biscuits.
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Looking only at ‘wholemeal’ or fibre
A wholemeal ingredient or fibre claim on its own does not give you the full picture; sugar, fat and salt levels also vary between products.
Compare the nutritional information using the same measure, ideally per 100 g and also per portion if one is listed.
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Assuming a chocolate variety has the same ingredients
A coating changes the ingredients and may add different allergens and nutritional values. Both the milk and dark chocolate varieties shown contain milk and soya.
Check the label and compare the nutritional information for your chosen chocolate variety with that of the plain one.
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Leaving opened biscuits uncovered in the tin
The digestives reviewed should be stored in a dry place and sealed properly after opening.
Top up a clean, dry tin with smaller quantities and seal the remaining biscuits in their packaging straight away.
Brands to consider
McVitie's
The Digestive Original reviewed is a plain wheat biscuit in a 400 g pack, which could work as a staple for a shared biscuit tin.
- According to the product information listed by Jumbo, this Original contains wheat and may contain milk.
- Check the label on other McVitie's varieties; the ingredients in Original do not automatically apply to the chocolate varieties.
Albert Heijn
AH Digestive is a 400 g own-brand variety. Albert Heijn lists a portion size of 15 g and 27 portions per pack.
- Albert Heijn describes the variety reviewed as vegan and lactose-free.
- It contains wheat and may contain barley, oats and rye; check the current label when buying.
Jumbo
Jumbo Krokante Digestive is a 400 g own-brand variety. Jumbo also provides storage instructions for after opening.
- According to Jumbo, the variety reviewed contains 15.2% wholemeal wheat flour and 3.1 g of fibre per 100 g.
- It contains wheat and gluten, and may contain barley, oats and rye.
Schär
Schär Digestive Landtaler is worth considering when you need a separate biscuit labelled gluten-free.
- The pack listed by Jumbo contains 3 portions of 50 g and identifies the product as gluten-free.
- The variety reviewed contains soya and may contain lupin and eggs; check all allergen information even for a gluten-free product.
Digestive biscuits on Joybuy
These products include a plain digestive as a staple for the office biscuit tin and two chocolate varieties for anyone looking to add some flavour variety. If you need a gluten-free option, check separately whether a suitable product is available.
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McVitie's Digestive Original 400 g
A plain digestive for a shared tea or coffee tin when you don't need a gluten-free variety.
- 400 g pack.
- Contains wheat and gluten; may contain milk.
- Store in a cool, dry place and seal properly after opening.
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McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate 266 g
A milk chocolate digestive to add a different flavour to the office biscuit tin.
- 266 g pack.
- Contains milk, soya, wheat and gluten.
- The product information lists 28.5 g of sugars and 12.4 g of saturated fat per 100 g.
- After opening, seal and store in a cool, dry place.
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McVitie's Digestives with Dark Chocolate 266 g
A dark chocolate digestive for anyone wanting to offer a different flavour alongside a plain variety.
- 266 g pack.
- Contains wheat, gluten, milk and soya.
- The product information lists 26.6 g of sugars and 12.9 g of saturated fat per 100 g.
- After opening, seal and store in a cool, dry place.
Frequently asked questions
How can I make allergen information easy to access with an office biscuit tin?
Keep the original packaging or store the ingredients and allergen information with the biscuits, so colleagues can check it before eating. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergens must be listed on the labels of prepacked foods. If you have different biscuits, check the information on each individual pack.
Can an ordinary digestive go in the gluten-free supply?
No, not unless the specific product is explicitly labelled gluten-free. The standard digestives reviewed from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and McVitie's contain wheat or gluten; the Schär Digestive Landtaler labelled gluten-free also contains soya and may contain lupin and eggs.
How should I store digestives after opening?
Seal the pack properly and store the biscuits in a dry place, following the instructions on the packaging. Jumbo also recommends storing its Krokante Digestive in a dark place. Top up the office biscuit tin with clean, dry hands or suitable utensils, and keep biscuits separate if required for allergen reasons.
What should I look for when adding chocolate digestives?
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the specific chocolate variety rather than assuming it is the same as a plain digestive. Both the McVitie's milk and dark chocolate varieties shown here contain milk and soya. Compare sugars and saturated fat per 100 g if these figures matter for your office supplies.