For a Christmas party, choose a biscuit whose specific variant is listed as containing Fairtrade cocoa or Fairtrade chocolate. Albert Heijn’s product information states this for Verkade Chocorondjes and Lange Nekken; which one you choose also depends on how you want to serve the biscuits. Before buying, check the current pack for ingredients and allergens: a Fairtrade statement does not mean a product is suitable for guests with allergies.
You want to be able to point to exactly what the Fairtrade statement applies to, rather than relying on a general sustainability claim. Fairtrade International allows mass balance for cocoa, so a certification does not automatically mean the cocoa has been physically segregated at every stage of production.
You’re choosing between filled Chocorondjes to put on a platter and Lange Nekken, which the product information says are individually wrapped in pairs. That difference matters when guests are helping themselves or you’re handing out portions.
You need to be able to check which ingredients and allergens apply to each platter. The Verkade variants we looked at contain milk and cereals containing gluten; also check the may-contain warnings on the pack you buy.
Start by checking the Fairtrade statement for the specific biscuit. Then consider how you’ll serve it, the allergen information and whether you can get enough suitable packs.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade status of the specific biscuit | Look for the FAIRTRADE mark or an explicit statement that the product contains Fairtrade cocoa or chocolate on the current pack. If you have questions about traceability, also read the information about the certification. | If Fairtrade is why I’m buying treats for my party, I want to know that the statement applies to this variant. For around 31% of consumers, this check comes first. |
| How it’s served | Compare the pack size and the number of portions you can serve; consider whether you’ll put individual biscuits on a platter or hand out wrapped portions. | Anyone who wants to hand out portions quickly during a party has different needs from someone putting out a platter. For around 25% of consumers, how the biscuits are served is the deciding factor. |
| Guests’ allergens | Read the ingredients, allergens and may-contain warnings on the specific pack. Keep the packaging clearly associated with the biscuits it belongs to. | When guests need to check ingredients, I don’t want any doubt about what’s on the platter. For around 25% of consumers, this information is their first concern. |
| Availability and quantity | Check shortly before the party which variant you can buy and how many packs you’ll need for the portions you’re planning. | If I’m buying for a group, I don’t want to discover when serving that I haven’t got enough suitable biscuits. For around 19% of consumers, being able to buy what they need is the biggest consideration. |
Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade are different certifications. Words such as ‘organic’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘Fair’ in a name also don’t confirm which certification applies to a particular biscuit.
If Fairtrade is a firm requirement, only choose a variant once you’ve checked the statement for that product on the packaging.
The Verkade variants mentioned contain milk and cereals containing gluten. The ingredients and may-contain warnings still matter when you take biscuits out of their packaging and put them on platters.
Keep the current pack by the platter and make sure guests can see which information applies to each biscuit. Where needed, provide a suitable alternative separately.
Jumbo’s product page listed Fairtrade requirements for the chocolate and cane sugar in Bio+ Fair Chocolade Koekjes, but also said the product was no longer in its online range.
Check that your chosen variant is available shortly before you shop, and have a second biscuit with a verified Fairtrade statement as a back-up.
If your chosen variant is unavailable to order, finding a suitable alternative takes extra time.
Chocorondjes and Lange Nekken, which are wrapped in pairs, are served differently. Counting packs alone won’t tell you how many portions you can hand out.
Check the pack size and how the portions are divided for your chosen variant before deciding how many packs to buy.
Albert Heijn’s product information lists Fairtrade cocoa or Fairtrade milk chocolate for the Chocorondjes and Lange Nekken variants we looked at.
Lotus Bakeries says the cocoa and chocolate in its Lotus Biscoff chocolate bars are Rainforest Alliance certified.
The retailer provides product information for the Verkade biscuits mentioned above. Albert Heijn’s own cocoa policy also refers to both Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade.
The Bio+ Fair Chocolade Koekjes product page listed Fairtrade requirements for dark chocolate and cane sugar.
Lidl Netherlands and ALDI Netherlands mention Fairtrade-certified seasonal chocolate around Christmas in their own policies.
Check the current packaging for the specific variant for the FAIRTRADE mark or an explicit statement that it contains Fairtrade cocoa or chocolate. Fairtrade International allows mass balance for cocoa; read the information about the certification if you want to understand what the statement says about traceability.
A Fairtrade statement tells you nothing about allergens. The Verkade Chocorondjes and Lange Nekken mentioned contain milk and cereals containing gluten; check the ingredients and may-contain warnings on the pack you buy for every variant you choose.
No. The certification Lotus Bakeries mentions for its Lotus Biscoff chocolate bars is Rainforest Alliance, not Fairtrade. If you’re considering a Biscoff biscuit to meet a Fairtrade requirement, check whether that specific biscuit variant carries a Fairtrade statement.
Their policies on Fairtrade seasonal chocolate don’t confirm that a specific Christmas biscuit is Fairtrade. Lidl Netherlands and ALDI Netherlands refer to seasonal chocolate; for biscuits, check the specific product and its current packaging separately.
