For coffee with friends, choose chocolate Dutch breakfast cake only if the current packaging clearly states that the cocoa or chocolate used is Fairtrade. Albert Heijn lists Fairtrade chocolate in its AH Bio Chocolate Breakfast Cake, but marks this variant as discontinued. Plain or wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate chosen separately is therefore a more practical option if you can check the label on both products.
You want to know whether the cocoa or chocolate you serve actually carries a Fairtrade label. A general statement about a shop or brand is no substitute for checking the packaging of the product you choose.
You want to make it easy to share Dutch breakfast cake. Serve it sliced, with chocolate on the side, so guests can choose whether to have both.
Before serving a group, you check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens in both the Dutch breakfast cake and any chocolate served separately.
For chocolate Dutch breakfast cake, the Fairtrade label must apply to the cocoa or chocolate in that particular cake. If you serve chocolate separately, you can check the label on the bar itself; this does not make the Dutch breakfast cake Fairtrade-certified.
Choose this when: the current packaging confirms the Fairtrade status of the cocoa or chocolate used.
Bear in mind: Albert Heijn lists Fairtrade chocolate in its AH Bio Chocolate Breakfast Cake, but marks this variant as discontinued.
Choose this when: you want to check the Fairtrade label on the chocolate separately and let guests decide how to combine them.
Bear in mind: the label on the chocolate does not automatically apply to the Dutch breakfast cake.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade label | Check the current packaging to see which product and ingredient the label applies to. | I want to be sure that the cocoa or chocolate served with coffee is labelled Fairtrade. This check is the top priority for around 50% of consumers facing this choice. |
| Easy to share | Check whether the Dutch breakfast cake is sliced and whether you want to serve the chocolate separately. | When I have friends over, I want to be able to serve the cake straight away and offer the chocolate separately. This is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional details for both products; for products containing sweeteners, check any warnings too. | When serving a mixed group, I want to be able to check what is in the cake and the chocolate. Around 25% of consumers put this product information first. |
PLUS describes its own-brand products as containing Fairtrade cocoa, but that alone does not confirm what is stated on the packaging of a specific Dutch breakfast cake.
Check the packaging of the cake you choose. If you want to serve chocolate separately, check the Fairtrade label on that packaging too.
The page for AH Bio Chocolate Breakfast Cake lists Fairtrade chocolate and also says the product has been discontinued.
For another variant, check the current product information again; do not assume the details for the AH Bio variant apply to a replacement.
A Fairtrade label does not tell you which allergens or sweeteners are in the Dutch breakfast cake and chocolate. For Peijnenburg Zero Cacao, Albert Heijn warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Read the ingredients, allergen information and any warnings on both packages before serving them to friends.
Peijnenburg offers sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake, among other products, as well as a cocoa variant.
The product page for AH Bio Chocolate Breakfast Cake says it is filled with Fairtrade chocolate.
PLUS describes its Fairtrade cocoa policy for own-brand products and sells a separate chocolate bar labelled as containing Fairtrade cocoa.
This sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake is a good option to serve with coffee when friends come round, with chocolate chosen separately if you like. Check the Fairtrade label on the chocolate itself; it does not automatically apply to the Dutch breakfast cake.
Image unavailable
Serve this sliced cake straight away with coffee. If you are serving chocolate separately, check its packaging for the Fairtrade label, and read the allergen information for both products.
Check the current packaging of the exact chocolate or chocolate Dutch breakfast cake you want to serve. Make sure the Fairtrade label applies to the cocoa or chocolate in that product, rather than just to a wider own-brand range.
Not based on Albert Heijn's product page: although it lists Fairtrade chocolate, it also marks the variant as discontinued. If you choose an alternative, check the Fairtrade label on its own packaging.
You cannot tell from that description alone. For Peijnenburg Zero Cacao, Albert Heijn lists xylitol and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect; also check the allergens and other ingredients in the products you choose.
Read the ingredients list on the specific pack. If the type of salt matters to your choice and the label is unclear, ask the manufacturer for product information rather than trying to infer it from the product category.
