Who this choice matters to

Shoppers who put Fairtrade first

You want to serve a chocolate biscuit with your coffee that carries a Fairtrade designation for that specific product or its cocoa. A general sustainability claim from a brand or shop isn’t enough for you.

Guests who like to share

You’re looking for biscuits that suit the number of guests and are easy to serve. At the same time, you want to be able to check which ingredients and allergens you’re putting on the table.

Shoppers checking labels for guests

If a guest needs to avoid gluten or a particular allergen, you’ll need the current ingredients list, allergen information and any dietary claim for that exact biscuit.

What should you look for?

Start with the Fairtrade designation on the biscuit itself. If you’re taking a food allergy or dietary preference into account, check the full label too before deciding which shape will be easiest to serve.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Fairtrade designation Look for a Fairtrade designation on the current pack that applies to this product or the cocoa used in it. Also read the explanation for any label with an arrow. I want to serve a biscuit as Fairtrade without relying on a general brand claim. Around 46% of shoppers put a product-specific designation first.
Shape and ease of sharing Check the shape of the biscuits, the number in the pack and whether they’re individually wrapped. When I’m having coffee with friends, I want to be able to pass around biscuits in a shape that suits our group. For around 27% of shoppers, ease of serving matters most.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current ingredients and allergen information; check any gluten-free claim separately from other allergens. If a guest needs to avoid something, I want to know what’s in the biscuit I’ve chosen. For around 18% of shoppers, this is the first condition they consider when buying.
Range and packaging Compare the available biscuit shapes and packaging, but always assess the Fairtrade designation for each product individually. I want to find a suitable pack at the shop where I do my grocery shopping. Around 9% of shoppers give this practical choice the highest priority.

Common mistakes

  • Taking a general cocoa claim to mean a Fairtrade product claim

    Lidl and ALDI mention several certification standards for their own-brand cocoa. That doesn’t tell you which designation appears on a particular chocolate biscuit.

    Check the current packaging for an explicit Fairtrade designation before serving the biscuit as Fairtrade.

  • Assuming Fairtrade cocoa is always kept physically separate

    Fairtrade International allows mass balance for cocoa. This means a Fairtrade designation doesn’t automatically guarantee that the cocoa in every individual biscuit has been kept physically separate.

    Read the explanation on the packaging, especially if physical traceability is a condition of your purchase.

  • Relying only on a gluten-free claim

    A gluten-free claim on its own tells you nothing about the presence of ingredients such as milk or soya. Other ingredients and allergens still matter to your guests.

    Compare the full, current ingredients and allergen information with what your guest needs to avoid.

  • Trusting an old product description more than the label

    For the biscuit you’re actually serving, the designations and warnings on the current packaging are what you need to check.

    When you buy it, check the Fairtrade designation, ingredients, allergens and best-before date on the pack again.

Brands and shops to consider

A brand or shop name doesn’t confirm that every chocolate biscuit in its range contains Fairtrade cocoa. Check the designation for the variant you’ve chosen.

Verkade

A brand to consider if you’re looking for a product-specific Fairtrade designation.

  • Albert Heijn lists the designation ‘FairTrade COCOA’ for Verkade Chocorondjes melkchocolade. Joybuy describes Verkade Nobo Sprits Melkchocolade as a biscuit made with Fairtrade milk chocolate.
  • These details apply to the products mentioned, not automatically to all Verkade biscuits. Check the current ingredients and allergens for each variant too.

Lotus

Lotus Biscoff is a biscuit range you may come across when putting together a coffee spread.

  • Albert Heijn has a product listing for Lotus Biscoff.
  • Don’t assume that this brand listing confirms Fairtrade status for a chocolate biscuit; you’ll need a designation on the specific product.

Albert Heijn

A shop where you can check the product information for a specific chocolate biscuit.

  • The product information for Verkade Chocorondjes melkchocolade lists ‘FairTrade COCOA’, ingredients and allergens.
  • A Fairtrade listing for a branded product sold there says nothing about the status of other biscuits or own-brand variants.

Jumbo

A shop where you can compare different types of chocolate biscuits.

  • Jumbo has a separate category for chocolate biscuits.
  • A category listing doesn’t confirm the Fairtrade status of an individual biscuit. Check the product information and packaging for the one you choose.

Lidl

A shop where it’s worth distinguishing between a general cocoa claim and a product-specific claim.

  • Lidl Netherlands lists Fairtrade as one of the standards for certified own-brand cocoa.
  • Lidl also lists other standards. So check which designation actually applies to the chocolate biscuit you’ve chosen.

ALDI

A shop where you’ll need to check the certification and packaging for each biscuit.

  • ALDI Netherlands lists Fairtrade alongside other standards for cocoa in its own-brand products. The Biscotto chocolate biscuits are described as a pack of 20, individually wrapped in pairs.
  • The general approach to cocoa doesn’t confirm that these Biscotto biscuits carry a Fairtrade designation.

Joybuy products for this choice

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does Fairtrade cocoa mean those exact cocoa beans are in my biscuit?

No, that isn’t automatically the case just because of the designation. Fairtrade International allows mass balance for cocoa, which means the cocoa doesn’t have to be physically separated throughout the supply chain. If physical traceability matters to you, read the explanation of the certification on the pack.

Is ‘certified sustainable cocoa’ the same as Fairtrade?

No, that description on its own doesn’t confirm the biscuit’s Fairtrade status. Lidl and ALDI list other standards alongside Fairtrade for their own-brand cocoa. So look for an explicit Fairtrade designation for the product you’re buying.

What should I check if a guest has a food allergy?

Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact biscuit you want to serve. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes the mandatory labelling of 14 allergens; also pay attention to any warnings on the pack you’ve chosen.

Is a gluten-free chocolate biscuit also free from other allergens?

No, a gluten-free claim says nothing about other allergens. Joybuy describes Verkade GV Oaties Melkchocolade as gluten-free; if you’re serving it to a guest, also check the full, current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.