Who is this choice relevant to?

Biscuits bakers looking for Fairtrade cocoa

Your recipe calls for cocoa or chocolate, and you want to check the Fairtrade claim for the ingredient you’re actually buying. The product name or a general impression of the packaging isn’t enough.

Shoppers looking to use Dutch breakfast cake in a recipe

You’re looking for Dutch breakfast cake to use in a recipe. First check whether the recipe specifically calls for this ready-to-eat bakery product, then check any Fairtrade claim on the particular product you’ve chosen.

Bakers who read labels carefully

Ingredients, allergens or the type of salt used matter to your choice. For example, Jumbo lists rye and wheat in its Ontbijtkoek Naturel; always check the label on the product you intend to buy.

What should you look for when buying?

First, check whether your biscuit recipe calls for powder, chocolate or specifically for Dutch breakfast cake. Then check the Fairtrade claim and the ingredients of the product you’ve chosen.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Fairtrade claim Read the certification mark and accompanying wording on the current packaging. For a product made with several ingredients, check which ingredients and conditions the claim applies to. I want to know whether the cocoa or chocolate I use in my biscuits was sourced under the stated Fairtrade conditions. For around 50% of consumers, an independently verifiable claim is the priority.
Product form Match the recipe instructions to the form you’re buying: cocoa powder, chocolate to chop or melt, or ready-to-eat Dutch breakfast cake. If my recipe calls for chocolate chunks, I don’t want to unknowingly replace them with powder or breakfast cake. For around 30% of consumers, choosing the right form comes first.
Label Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product; check the salt details if they’re relevant to your choice. When a recipe calls for Dutch breakfast cake or chocolate, I want to know in advance which ingredients and allergens are listed on the packaging. For around 20% of consumers, checking the label matters most.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a product is Fairtrade based on its flavour or category

    A chocolate product or its placement among baking products doesn’t automatically tell you which ingredients were sourced under Fairtrade conditions. For products made with several ingredients, the claim may also apply to specific ingredients or use a mass balance approach.

    Read the certification mark and exact claim on the current packaging or in the official product information.

  • Assuming an old breakfast cake listing is still available to buy

    Albert Heijn lists its breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate filling as discontinued. That listing doesn’t confirm that you can buy this product now.

    For any breakfast cake you’re considering, check both the current product listing and the Fairtrade claim on that specific product.

  • Swapping Dutch breakfast cake, cocoa powder and chocolate

    Dutch breakfast cake is already baked and contains different ingredients from cocoa powder or a chocolate bar. Using it as a substitute may therefore give you a different result from the one your biscuit recipe calls for.

    Only use Dutch breakfast cake when the recipe specifically asks for it; otherwise, stick to the stated form of cocoa or chocolate.

  • Assuming the type of salt from the product category

    The term Dutch breakfast cake doesn’t tell you which type of salt is used in a particular product. Don’t automatically assume it contains iodised baker’s salt either.

    Read the ingredients list on the product you’ve chosen if the type of salt matters to your purchase.

Brands to consider

Fairtrade Original

Jumbo lists Fairtrade Original cocoa powder 125 g in its category for Fairtrade breakfast, sandwich fillings and baking products. It’s worth considering if your biscuit recipe calls for cocoa powder.

  • The product form suits recipes that call for cocoa powder.
  • Check the claim on the packaging you choose, and don’t assume it can replace chocolate without adapting the recipe.

AH Biologisch

For its organic extra-dark chocolate bar, Albert Heijn states that it contains at least 72% cocoa and that the amount needed for the product was traded and verified as Fairtrade.

  • A chocolate bar is a different recipe option from cocoa powder when chocolate is required.
  • Fairtrade trading under a mass balance approach doesn’t prove that every batch was physically separated. Check the bar’s allergen information too.

Verkade

Albert Heijn’s product information states that Verkade Dark contains 52% cocoa and Fairtrade cocoa.

  • The stated cocoa and Fairtrade information gives you specific points to compare with your recipe and the packaging.
  • The bar isn’t specifically marketed as baking chocolate. Check that it suits your recipe and review the allergen information for this product.

Products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check whether the cocoa or chocolate I use for biscuits is Fairtrade?

Read the FAIRTRADE mark and accompanying claim on the current packaging. Fairtrade International’s guidelines allow a mark with an arrow to be used on products with several ingredients. So check which ingredients the claim covers and whether mass balance is mentioned.

Can Dutch breakfast cake replace cocoa powder or chocolate in biscuits?

Not as a direct substitute: use Dutch breakfast cake when the recipe specifically calls for it. It’s a ready-to-eat bakery product, whereas powder and chocolate are used differently in a recipe.

Is breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate still available to buy?

Albert Heijn lists its breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate filling as discontinued. If you want to buy a different breakfast cake, check the current product listing and make sure the Fairtrade claim applies to that exact product.

How should I store chocolate or Dutch breakfast cake for a later baking session?

Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for the product you’ve chosen. Albert Heijn recommends storing its organic extra-dark chocolate bar in a cool, dark and dry place; Jumbo advises keeping its Ontbijtkoek Naturel in a cool, dry place.