If you want to describe the breakfast cake itself as Fairtrade, choose a pack that carries the Fairtrade mark or an explicit Fairtrade statement for that cake. For easy sharing, you can also serve sliced breakfast cake with separately certified Fairtrade chocolate. This doesn’t automatically make the cake itself Fairtrade.
If you want to describe the breakfast cake itself as Fairtrade, check that the mark or statement applies to the exact product. A shop’s Fairtrade range doesn’t mean that every pack of breakfast cake is Fairtrade.
Sliced pieces or individually wrapped portions are practical when guests are helping themselves to the sharing board. If you’d also like to offer Fairtrade chocolate, check the statement on that chocolate separately.
For ingredients, sugars and allergens, check the label on the specific variety you choose. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses that allergens must be clearly listed on pre-packed foods.
Choose this: if you need to verify that the breakfast cake itself is Fairtrade.
Bear in mind: a supermarket’s Fairtrade range doesn’t prove that an individual pack is certified.
Choose this: if you’d like to serve Fairtrade chocolate without suggesting that the cake is Fairtrade.
Bear in mind: the Fairtrade statement then applies only to the chocolate, which you can check separately.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade statement | Check the exact pack to see whether the statement applies to the breakfast cake or just one ingredient. Check any separately served chocolate on its own. | If I want to call the cake Fairtrade, the statement must apply to that product; verifiable Fairtrade status is the top priority for around 46% of consumers. |
| Ease of serving | Check whether the cake is sliced, unsliced or individually portioned, and read the storage instructions on the pack. | I want to be able to serve the cake without cutting it and store any leftover slices as instructed on the pack; ease of serving is the deciding factor for around 27% of consumers. |
| Nutrition information and allergens | Check the ingredients, allergens and sugar content per 100 g or per portion on the packaging you choose. | If guests have allergies or want to avoid added sugars, I want to check the label first; this is the top priority for around 27% of consumers. |
PLUS lists Fairtrade products in its own-brand range. That doesn’t automatically make an individual breakfast cake Fairtrade.
Check the statement on the exact pack. If only the separately bought chocolate has a verifiable Fairtrade statement, use that description for the chocolate only.
A statement about added sugars doesn’t, by itself, tell you anything about Fairtrade status or the product’s total sugar content.
Check the ingredients and nutrition information for the variety you choose, and verify the Fairtrade statement separately.
Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutrition information and allergen details can change. This is particularly important if a guest needs to avoid an allergen.
Read the label on the pack you’re actually serving, including any warnings about cross-contamination.
A breakfast cake brand with plain, wholemeal and individually wrapped varieties, among others.
A supermarket that sells, among other things, organic breakfast cake with chocolate.
A supermarket with a range of breakfast cake varieties and a separate Fairtrade category.
A supermarket that lists, among other products, 485 g ontbijtkoek zero.
A supermarket that sells plain varieties and pre-sliced ontbijtkoek zero, among other options.
A supermarket with an own-brand Fairtrade programme and a separate breakfast cake range.
This sliced breakfast cake is a good fit for a sharing board when you want to serve it without cutting. If you’d like to offer Fairtrade chocolate alongside it, check the statement on that chocolate separately.
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For a sharing board where you want to serve the breakfast cake without cutting it. The pack contains 485 g of sliced breakfast cake.
Only describe the cake as Fairtrade if the statement for this exact product appears on the packaging. Before serving, also check the current ingredients and allergen information.
No. A supermarket’s range doesn’t determine the status of every individual product. Check whether the mark or an explicit Fairtrade statement applies to the exact breakfast cake; otherwise, you can only describe separately certified chocolate as Fairtrade.
Read the current label on the pack you intend to serve, including any warnings about cross-contamination. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly listed on pre-packed foods.
No. The statement refers to added sugars and doesn’t mean that the product contains no sugars at all. Check the nutrition information for your chosen variety to see the sugar content per 100 g and per portion. The statement also says nothing about Fairtrade status.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for the variety you’ve chosen. Jumbo says that Jumbo Ontbijtkoek Naturel should be stored in a cool, dry place. For another product, check its own label, especially if you want to keep any leftovers.
