Choose Dutch egg cakes if you want to serve a cake with coffee and Fairtrade chocolate isn’t a firm purchasing requirement. If you specifically need verifiably Fairtrade-certified chocolate, choose a separate chocolate product and check the certification mark on the exact packaging; an egg cake and a chocolate bar meet different needs. Before serving, check the latest ingredients and allergen information too.
If Fairtrade-certified chocolate is a purchasing requirement, what matters is the claim on the specific product. Verkade describes its chocolate bars and chocolate letters as containing Fairtrade cocoa; this says nothing about the certification of a particular egg cake.
For a coffee or tea break, the type of cake may matter more than a chocolate requirement. Bolletje describes a crisp cinnamon egg cake with a milk coating, while Jumbo lists, among other options, packs of four egg cakes.
If you’re putting snacks out for colleagues or guests, you need to be able to check the information for the exact product supplied. Albert Heijn points out that ingredients and allergen information can change, and advises customers to check the packaging.
Choose these if: serving a cake with coffee or tea is your priority.
Consider: don’t make a Fairtrade chocolate claim about an egg cake unless you have evidence for the exact product.
Choose this if: verifiably Fairtrade-certified chocolate is a purchasing requirement.
Consider: a chocolate bar won’t replace the egg cake you’re looking for; check the Fairtrade claim on the product you choose.
| Point to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade status | Check the certification mark and claim on the exact chocolate product. Fairtrade Netherlands explains what the FAIRTRADE mark on a product means. | If Fairtrade chocolate is a firm purchasing requirement, I want to be able to check the claim on the packaging. For around 45% of consumers, verifiable status comes first. |
| Type of cake and pack size | Compare the number of items and storage advice. Jumbo, for example, lists egg cakes in packs of four and advises storing them in a cool, dry place away from light. | For a coffee or tea break, I mainly want to know whether the number of egg cakes will suit the number of people attending. For around 33% of consumers, this practical snack choice matters most. |
| Allergen information | Read the label on the product supplied and keep the information accessible if you take the snacks out of their packaging. | If colleagues ask about ingredients, I want to be able to check the answer on the current packaging. Around 22% of consumers give this check top priority. |
A statement about the cocoa used across a range doesn’t prove which certification a specific egg cake carries. Albert Heijn, for example, talks about certified cocoa in its own-brand products, but that doesn’t establish the status of AH Egg Cakes.
If Fairtrade is a requirement, check the exact product and the certification mark on the packaging before describing the snack that way.
Verkade says the cocoa in its chocolate bars and chocolate letters is Fairtrade. That product information doesn’t make an egg cake a Fairtrade-certified chocolate snack.
Decide whether the office wants to serve a cake or buy chocolate with a verifiable Fairtrade claim. If you offer both, check the claims for each product separately.
The information on an online product page may not match the information on the packaging delivered. That’s why Albert Heijn advises customers to check the packaging of its egg cakes.
When your order arrives, check the label on the exact product. Keep the allergen information with the snacks if you serve them without their packaging.
Bolletje describes its Brosse Eierkoek Kaneel as a cake made with free-range eggs, with a milk coating and cinnamon.
Jumbo lists regular egg cakes in packs of four and a 300 g wholemeal version.
Albert Heijn sells own-brand egg cakes and separately talks about certified cocoa in its own-brand products.
Verkade is relevant here as a separate chocolate snack, not as an egg cake option.
ALDI Netherlands lists Heerlijck Banket barn-egg cakes in packs of twelve.
This chocolate bar is suited to choosing a separate chocolate snack instead of egg cakes. If Fairtrade certification is a firm purchasing requirement, check the certification mark on the packaging actually delivered.
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A separate chocolate snack for the office, not an egg cake.
The bar weighs 180 g. Consider whether you want to share it for the occasion, and check the certification mark and allergen information on the packaging supplied before serving.
Check the certification mark on the packaging of the exact product you’re buying. Fairtrade Netherlands explains what the FAIRTRADE mark means; a general statement about a brand’s or range’s cocoa doesn’t replace checking the specific product.
Only if the exact egg cake and the claim on its packaging support that description. An egg cake from Bolletje, Jumbo, Albert Heijn or Heerlijck Banket doesn’t automatically have the Fairtrade status of a separate chocolate product.
Read the allergen information on the packaging actually supplied. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergen information for prepacked foods appears on the label; Albert Heijn also points out that product information can change.
Keep the information from the packaging supplied accessible alongside any snacks served without their packaging. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, businesses serving unpackaged food must inform consumers about allergens present; check which requirements apply to your specific occasion.
