Who is this choice relevant to?

Consumers who want to check Fairtrade claims

You want to know whether the claim applies to the cocoa or chocolate in your breakfast cake, rather than to another product or a supermarket’s general statement.

Consumers putting together a sweet sharing board

You’re considering breakfast cake as a small sweet addition alongside something like cheese. The cake’s role on the board and any Fairtrade claim for chocolate are two separate choices.

Consumers serving food to others

Before buying, you want to check the ingredients and allergens in your chosen breakfast cake and any chocolate, so you can take the people sharing the food into account.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether Fairtrade cocoa in the breakfast cake itself is essential. If it is, only a claim for the exact variety will give you certainty; serving separate Fairtrade chocolate is another way to put together your sharing board.

Breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate

Choose this if: the current packaging or product page explicitly links Fairtrade to the cocoa or chocolate in that breakfast cake.

Bear in mind: a general claim from a retailer or brand doesn’t confirm the claim for that particular variety.

Breakfast cake as a sweet addition to your board

Choose this if: you’re mainly looking for a sweet addition to serve with something like cheese, and Fairtrade cocoa in the cake isn’t essential.

Bear in mind: don’t describe the breakfast cake as Fairtrade unless there’s a claim for the product you’ve chosen.

Breakfast cake with separate Fairtrade chocolate

Choose this if: you want to serve both products separately and the chocolate itself carries an explicit Fairtrade label.

Bear in mind: the chocolate’s Fairtrade status doesn’t automatically apply to the breakfast cake.

What to consider What should you check? Who is this important to?
Fairtrade claim Look on the current packaging or product page for a statement linking the cocoa or chocolate to this exact breakfast cake. I want to be able to identify what the claim applies to for the cake I’ve chosen, rather than it referring only to the retailer’s range. For around 42% of consumers, this product-specific check is their main concern.
Its place on the sharing board Decide whether you want to serve small slices of breakfast cake or add separate chocolate; if you’re choosing breakfast cake, check whether that variety comes sliced. I’m looking for a sweet addition to serve with cheese that I can divide into suitable portions. This serving purpose is the priority for around 25% of consumers.
Ingredients and allergens Read the ingredients list and allergen information for every variety you choose, as well as any warnings about cross-contamination. When others are sharing the food, I want to know whether the products I’ve chosen are suitable for them. Around 33% of consumers give this label check the highest priority.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a retailer’s claim applies to every breakfast cake

    PLUS says the cocoa in its own-brand products has been Fairtrade-certified since 2020. That alone doesn’t tell you whether a particular breakfast cake contains cocoa or what claim appears on the packaging for that variety.

    Check the ingredients and Fairtrade statement on the breakfast cake you actually want to buy.

  • Relying on an old product page as a current buying option

    Albert Heijn says AH Bio Ontbijtkoek Chocolade was filled with fair trade chocolate, but also marks that variety as no longer available in its range.

    Use the wording as an example of how specific a claim can be; for a different variety, check both the current product information and its availability.

  • Assuming every breakfast cake contains baker’s salt

    The term baker’s salt doesn’t tell you whether it’s used in a particular breakfast cake, or how much iodine that cake contains.

    Base your decision about the ingredients on information for the exact product, not on a general description of baker’s salt.

  • Skipping the allergen check for small portions

    Even a small piece of breakfast cake calls for an allergen check. For example, a Dutch breakfast cake described by Albert Heijn lists rye and cereals containing gluten; that doesn’t tell you what’s in every other variety.

    Before serving, read the labels on your chosen breakfast cake and chocolate, and check for any warnings about cross-contamination.

Brands and retailers to consider

These examples can help you distinguish a claim for one product from information about a wider range. They don’t confirm that every breakfast cake mentioned contains Fairtrade cocoa.

Albert Heijn

The product page for AH Bio Ontbijtkoek Chocolade mentions fair trade chocolate in that specific variety.

  • The wording links the claim directly to the chocolate in the cake.
  • Albert Heijn also says this variety is no longer in its range.

PLUS

PLUS lists breakfast cakes and has a separate statement about Fairtrade cocoa in its own-brand products.

  • PLUS says the cocoa in its own-brand products has been Fairtrade-certified since 2020.
  • Check whether each breakfast cake contains cocoa and what information appears on the product itself.

Jumbo

Jumbo has separate categories for breakfast cake and Fairtrade products for breakfast and bread toppings.

  • You can check the product information for a breakfast cake separately.
  • A Fairtrade product in another category doesn’t make your chosen breakfast cake Fairtrade.

ALDI

ALDI lists both breakfast cake and separate Fairtrade chocolate products.

  • ALDI describes its Moser Roth dark chocolate with 85% cocoa, in a 125 g pack, as Fairtrade-certified.
  • That statement applies to the chocolate, not to breakfast cake served separately.

Peijnenburg

Peijnenburg breakfast cakes feature in the breakfast cake range shown by PLUS.

  • You can check the ingredients and product information for the variety you choose.
  • Appearing in a breakfast cake range doesn’t confirm a Fairtrade claim for that variety.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does organic also mean Fairtrade for breakfast cake?

No, they’re separate labels. For AH Bio Ontbijtkoek Chocolade, Albert Heijn described both organic ingredients and fair trade chocolate; for any other cake, check for yourself whether there’s a Fairtrade statement for the cocoa or chocolate.

Is every PLUS breakfast cake Fairtrade because PLUS mentions Fairtrade cocoa?

You can’t tell from that general statement. PLUS says the cocoa in its own-brand products has been Fairtrade-certified since 2020, but check whether your chosen breakfast cake contains cocoa and what product information is provided.

What can I serve if I can’t find breakfast cake with a clear Fairtrade claim?

You can serve breakfast cake alongside separate chocolate, provided the chocolate itself is explicitly labelled Fairtrade if that matters to you. In that case, apply the claim only to the chocolate, not to the combination as a whole.

What allergen information should I check for a sharing board?

Read the ingredients list and allergen information for both the breakfast cake and any chocolate. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly stated on prepacked foods; also look out for cross-contamination warnings if they’re relevant to your guests.

Can I assume every breakfast cake contains iodised baker’s salt?

No, the general meaning of baker’s salt tells you nothing about the ingredients or iodine content of a specific breakfast cake. Check the information for the product you’ve chosen.