When doing your weekly shop, let the packaging in front of you guide your choice: look for a FAIRTRADE mark or an explicit Fairtrade claim for the cocoa or chocolate, and read the explanation on the back if the mark has an arrow. Then compare the pack size, ingredients, allergens and nutritional information of suitable chocolate biscuits. A retailer’s general claim about certified cocoa doesn’t confirm that every pack is Fairtrade.
Fairtrade cocoa or chocolate is a must for you. For a FAIRTRADE mark with an arrow, Fairtrade International also recommends reading the information on the back. For a biscuit made with several ingredients, this explanation makes it clearer what the mark applies to.
You buy biscuits for several occasions throughout the week and want to know how many are in a pack. Compare the contents of similar packs and, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises, use the values per 100 g when comparing nutritional information.
You want to know in advance whether a particular variety suits the ingredients your household does or doesn’t use. Check the ingredients and allergen information on that pack, then compare sugars and saturated fat per 100 g. After that, consider what a typical portion means for you.
Start with the Fairtrade information on the pack you’re thinking of buying. Once the cocoa or chocolate claim meets your requirements, you can compare the other differences between similar chocolate biscuits.
| What to consider | What to check when shopping | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa or chocolate | Look for the FAIRTRADE mark or an explicit Fairtrade ingredient claim. If the mark has an arrow, read the explanation on the back. | If I want Fairtrade cocoa, I need to be able to see what the claim applies to on the pack I choose. This demonstrable Fairtrade status is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Pack size for the week | Compare the total contents and number of biscuits in similar products. | Anyone stocking up on biscuits for several occasions will want a pack size that suits how they’re used at home. This stocking-up need is the main consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and allergen information for each specific variety. | I want to know before stocking up whether everyone the pack is for can eat its ingredients. Around 21% of consumers give suitability top priority. |
| Nutritional information and portion size | Compare sugars, saturated fat, fibre and salt per 100 g, then check the portion size. | When choosing between suitable biscuits, I want to compare the nutritional information on the same basis and know how much I usually eat. This matters most to around 14% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn and Lidl mention several certification schemes for their own-brand cocoa. That doesn’t mean an individual chocolate biscuit carries a Fairtrade claim.
Check the mark or explicit claim for cocoa or chocolate on the pack you choose.
Fairtrade International allows mass balance for cocoa: Fairtrade and non-Fairtrade volumes can be mixed during processing, while the Fairtrade volumes are tracked. So the mark alone doesn’t mean that all the cocoa in the finished product has remained physically separate.
If the traceability method is a deciding factor for you, read the explanation for a mark with an arrow.
Two packs can differ in total contents, number of biscuits and portion size. So a comparison per portion doesn’t always tell you the same thing as a comparison per 100 g.
Compare the contents of similar packs and check their nutritional information per 100 g.
Fairtrade relates to conditions in the supply chain; it doesn’t tell you how much sugar or saturated fat a biscuit contains.
To compare these, use the nutrition tables for varieties that meet your Fairtrade requirement.
A claim from a brand or retailer can help you decide which packs to look at, but check the Fairtrade information for the specific biscuit variety before adding it to your weekly shop.
Verkade says that all the cocoa in its products is Fairtrade.
Albert Heijn says cocoa in its own-brand products is certified by Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade.
For its Bio+ Fair Chocolate Cookies, Jumbo states that the dark chocolate and cane sugar were traded under Fairtrade conditions.
Lidl lists Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and organic as schemes used when sourcing own-brand cocoa.
In communications from May 2023 about Fairtrade products, including chocolate, Fairtrade Nederland mentioned Aldi.
Lotus Biscoff with chocolate is a specific biscuit variety to assess by checking its ingredients and nutritional information.
No. A retailer may use several certification schemes for its own-brand cocoa. If Fairtrade is a requirement for you, look for the FAIRTRADE mark or an explicit Fairtrade claim for cocoa or chocolate on the pack you choose.
For a product made with several ingredients, the arrow points to additional information on the packaging. Check which ingredients were sourced under Fairtrade conditions and which traceability method applies. Fairtrade International also allows mass balance for cocoa.
First check that both chocolate biscuits meet your Fairtrade requirement. Then, for similar products, compare the nutritional information per 100 g, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises, followed by the pack size, ingredients, allergens and portion size.
No. Fairtrade relates to conditions in the supply chain, not the amount of sugars, saturated fat or fibre in a biscuit. For this information, check the nutritional details for the specific variety and compare similar products per 100 g.
