Choose chocolate biscuits for festival camping by checking the pack currently on sale: look for a FAIRTRADE mark or an explicit Fairtrade cocoa claim, rather than relying on a retailer’s general sustainability policy. Then check whether you can protect the biscuits from heat and moisture, and whether the ingredients and allergens are suitable for everyone who’ll be eating them. Fairtrade cocoa doesn’t automatically mean that all the ingredients are Fairtrade.
You want to be able to see on the pack whether the cocoa or other ingredients were sourced under Fairtrade terms. Fairtrade International distinguishes between marks for a composite product and marks for a specific Fairtrade ingredient.
You’re looking for biscuits you can protect from heat and moisture, and a pack you can reseal once opened. So, check the packaging and storage advice for your chosen product before you set off.
Before buying and sharing, you want to check the ingredients and any warnings about possible cross-contamination on the current pack. This is especially important if not everyone in your group can eat the same things.
First, check exactly what the Fairtrade claim applies to. Then consider whether the packaging and ingredients are right for your festival supplies.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade status of the cocoa | Look for the FAIRTRADE mark or an explicit Fairtrade cocoa claim on the pack, and check which ingredients it applies to. | I want to know what the Fairtrade claim means for this particular pack before I set off; an estimated 40% of consumers put this check first. |
| Packaging and storage | Read the storage advice and check whether you can reseal the pack after opening or take individual portions with you. | I want my biscuits to stay protected from moisture and damage after the first snack break. Around 30% of consumers give this practical shelf-life the highest priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and any warnings about possible cross-contamination on the current packaging. | If I’m sharing biscuits, I want to know first whether everyone can eat the product I’ve chosen; an estimated 30% of consumers put this check ahead of other buying criteria. |
Albert Heijn says its own-brand cocoa is Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified; Lidl also lists organic certification as a possible option. Neither of these retailer-wide statements automatically makes a particular chocolate biscuit Fairtrade.
Check the Fairtrade mark or Fairtrade cocoa claim on the packaging of the product you want to take with you.
Fairtrade International explains that a mark on a composite product may apply to a specific ingredient. Mass balance is also permitted for cocoa: Fairtrade volumes are tracked, while the cocoa may be physically mixed during processing.
Read the explanation alongside the mark to find out which ingredients were sourced under Fairtrade terms and what kind of traceability is meant.
Ingredients and allergens vary between products. Without the packaging, it can be harder to check later what’s inside or whether a warning about possible cross-contamination applies.
Read the current label before buying, and keep the ingredients and allergen information available while you’re sharing the biscuits.
Heat and moisture can affect the quality and crunch of chocolate biscuits. An opened pack is also harder to protect from moisture and damage.
Follow the storage advice on the pack, keep the biscuits out of the sun and seal the packaging securely after use.
Worth considering if you’re looking for a biscuit or wafer with chocolate and want to check the Fairtrade cocoa claim for each product.
A product example for anyone looking to combine an organic label with Fairtrade terms for certain ingredients.
A retailer where you can compare the specific cocoa claims on own-brand products.
A retailer where you can check the cocoa certification used for own-brand products on each pack.
A retailer to explore if you’re looking for a chocolate product with an explicit Fairtrade label.
Read the FAIRTRADE mark and its explanation on the current packaging, or look for an explicit Fairtrade cocoa claim. Fairtrade International distinguishes between marks for composite products and for ingredients specifically sourced under Fairtrade terms. So a claim about cocoa doesn’t automatically tell you anything about the other ingredients.
No. Albert Heijn and Lidl list other certification options for own-brand cocoa alongside Fairtrade. Check the pack to see which claim applies to that particular chocolate biscuit.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging and protect the biscuits from heat and moisture. Seal an opened pack securely. If you can’t store them somewhere cool, check the storage instructions for the products you’re taking with you especially carefully.
Read the ingredients list and any warnings about possible cross-contamination on the current pack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergens from the group of 14 mandatory allergens must be listed on the label. Which of these are relevant varies from one biscuit product to another.
