Who is this choice relevant to?

Consumers who prioritise Fairtrade cocoa

You want to see on the specific pack that the cocoa is Fairtrade certified. A general sustainability statement from a brand or retailer isn’t a substitute.

Snacks for a longer gaming session

You want to decide in advance how many biscuits to have or share. The number of biscuits, portion size and nutritional information can help you compare packs.

Consumers who check ingredients

If certain ingredients or allergens matter to you, read the information for the exact variant, including any warnings about cross-contamination.

What should you look for when choosing?

If Fairtrade is a condition of your purchase, start by checking for a Fairtrade statement. Then compare portions and nutritional information, and read the ingredients and allergen information for your chosen variant before buying.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Fairtrade cocoa Look for an explicit Fairtrade cocoa statement on the exact product. If there’s a certification mark, check which ingredient is certified. If Fairtrade cocoa is my main requirement, I want to be able to check that statement on the biscuit itself. This would be the top purchase priority for around 42% of consumers.
Ingredients and allergens Read the ingredients, declared allergens and any cross-contamination warnings on the current packaging. If I need to avoid certain ingredients, information for the exact variant takes priority over flavour or pack size. This would be the main consideration for around 33% of consumers.
Portion and nutritional value Compare the number of biscuits and portion size; check sugars, saturated fat, salt and fibre per 100 g and, where listed, per portion. For a longer gaming session, I want to know in advance how many biscuits I’ll have or share, and what’s in a portion. This would be the most important consideration for around 25% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a general cocoa policy means Fairtrade

    Albert Heijn, Lidl and ALDI mention several types of certification in their own-brand policies. That doesn’t tell you which certification applies to an individual chocolate biscuit.

    Check the current product page or packaging to see whether that particular biscuit states that it contains Fairtrade cocoa.

  • Assuming Fairtrade cocoa means the whole biscuit is certified

    Milieu Centraal explains that, on a composite product, a Fairtrade logo with a white background may apply only to a certified ingredient.

    Read the explanation accompanying the certification mark and distinguish between a biscuit made with Fairtrade cocoa and a fully Fairtrade-certified product.

  • Looking only at oats or fibre

    A mention of oats or fibre doesn’t tell you the full nutritional value. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that packaged snacks can also contain a lot of sugar or saturated fat.

    Compare the nutritional information for the exact variants per 100 g and per portion, rather than looking only at the front of the pack.

  • Checking allergens only after you’ve chosen

    Ingredients and warnings can vary between chocolate biscuits. For example, Albert Heijn’s product information for Verkade Choco s'mores lists egg and hazelnut, and states that the product may contain peanuts, pistachios and sesame.

    Before buying, check the ingredients, allergens and any warnings on the packaging for the exact variant.

Brands and retailers to consider

Verkade

For some Verkade chocolate biscuits, Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s product pages explicitly state that they contain Fairtrade cocoa. These include Crunchy haverkoek melkchocolade, Nizza Kokos melkchocolade and Choco s'mores.

  • For these specific variants, you can compare the cocoa statement with the ingredients and nutritional information.
  • The cocoa statement doesn’t automatically certify the whole biscuit. Check the allergens for each variant; they aren’t the same for all three.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn says the cocoa in its own-brand products is Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade certified.

  • Its own-brand policy gives you a starting point for checking a product’s cocoa statement.
  • The policy doesn’t prove that a specific biscuit contains Fairtrade cocoa, and it doesn’t automatically apply to other brands sold in the shop.

Jumbo

Jumbo sells chocolate biscuits and specifically states that Verkade Nizza Kokos melkchocolade contains Fairtrade cocoa.

  • The individual product page is useful for checking the statement and ingredients for this variant.
  • A Fairtrade statement for one biscuit doesn’t apply to the entire range of chocolate biscuits.

Lotus Biscoff

Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as a crunchy biscuit with a caramelised flavour.

  • The product description is useful if flavour and texture are what matter most to you.
  • Lotus Bakeries’ Rainforest Alliance statement for Biscoff chocolate bars doesn’t support a Fairtrade cocoa claim for regular Biscoff biscuits.

Lidl

Lidl Netherlands says the cocoa in its own-brand products comes from farming with certifications including Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance or organic certification.

  • Its cocoa policy is a reason to check the specific certification on an own-brand product.
  • Lidl’s Fairtrade information about Way To Go products doesn’t prove that any given Lidl biscuit contains Fairtrade cocoa.

ALDI

ALDI Netherlands says the cocoa in its products is certified under Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance or the EU organic certification scheme.

  • The policy shows you which different certifications you might see on an individual product.
  • The product information for Biscotto chocolate biscuits doesn’t confirm that those specific biscuits are Fairtrade certified.

Related products at Joybuy

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does Fairtrade cocoa mean the whole chocolate biscuit is Fairtrade?

No, not automatically. Milieu Centraal says that a Fairtrade logo with a white background may apply only to a certified ingredient. So check what the statement applies to on the specific biscuit.

Are chocolate biscuits from Albert Heijn, Lidl or ALDI automatically Fairtrade?

No. These retailers mention various certifications in their cocoa policies for own-brand products, including Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance. Check the certification mark or cocoa statement on the individual biscuit’s packaging; an own-brand policy doesn’t necessarily apply to other brands.

Which allergens should I check in chocolate biscuits?

Always read the allergen information for the exact variant, including details of possible cross-contamination. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the mandatory labelling of allergens. The Verkade variants mentioned contain, among other things, milk, cereals containing gluten and soya, while product information for Verkade Choco s'mores also lists egg and hazelnut.

How do I compare chocolate biscuits for a longer gaming session?

Compare the number of biscuits and portion size, and read the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion. A Fairtrade cocoa statement says nothing about the amount of sugar or saturated fat, so assess those details separately for the variants you’re considering.