Fairtrade Chocolate Biscuits for New Year's Eve

Who is this choice relevant to?

Shoppers who prioritise Fairtrade

You want to be able to see that the cocoa or chocolate in your chosen biscuit has an explicit Fairtrade claim for New Year’s Eve. A general sustainability claim is not the same thing.

Hosts looking to share biscuits

You’re filling a plate for guests and comparing the stated number of portions or biscuits. Then you can choose the type of biscuit that suits your gathering, such as a coconut biscuit, an oat biscuit or a filled biscuit.

Shoppers mindful of allergens

You want to know which ingredients and potential traces may be relevant to your guests before serving. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for pre-packed foods appears on the label.

What should you look for when choosing?

Start by checking the Fairtrade claim for the specific biscuit. Then compare how easy the biscuits are to share at your festive gathering, and always read the packaging if anyone has allergies.

What to look for	What to check when buying	Who it matters to
Fairtrade claim	Look for a Fairtrade claim relating to the cocoa or chocolate on the current packaging or product page. Don’t confuse it with a claim that refers only to organic certification or Rainforest Alliance.	If I want to serve Fairtrade chocolate biscuits for New Year’s Eve, I want to be able to find the claim on the product I’ve chosen. This would be the top buying priority for around 40% of consumers.
Sharing	Compare the stated number of portions or biscuits with the pack size, and choose a type of biscuit you’d like to serve.	When putting together a plate for guests, I want to know how many biscuits I can hand out, rather than basing my choice on pack weight alone. Sharing would be the top priority for around 40% of consumers.
Allergens	Read the ingredients and any warnings, such as ‘may contain’, on the current packaging.	If a guest has a food allergy, I want to be able to check the information on the pack before serving. Allergens would be the top buying priority for around 20% of consumers.

Common mistakes

Assuming a general cocoa claim means Fairtrade

Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and organic are not interchangeable. A general statement about a brand’s or retailer’s cocoa doesn’t tell you which claim appears on your biscuit.

Check the Fairtrade claim on the current product page or packaging for the variety you’ve chosen.
Comparing pack weight alone

The weight doesn’t tell you how many individual biscuits or stated portions you can put on a plate. Albert Heijn’s product pages list different numbers of portions for the three Verkade packs mentioned.

Compare the pack size and the number of portions or biscuits, then work out how many packs you’ll need for your gathering.
Skipping the allergen information

The biscuits mentioned have different ingredients and warnings about potential traces. A Fairtrade claim doesn’t change the allergen information.

Read the label on the pack you buy, and keep the information handy in case your guests ask about it.

Brands and retailers to explore

Verkade

Albert Heijn’s product pages for Verkade Nizza Kokos, Crunchy Haverkoek and Chocorondjes state that they contain Fairtrade cocoa or Fairtrade chocolate.

The three varieties mentioned offer a choice of coconut biscuit, oat biscuit or filled biscuit.
Check the current Fairtrade claim and allergen information for each variety; the brand name alone doesn’t tell you enough about a different biscuit.

Lotus

Lotus Bakeries describes a speculoos biscuit with chocolate for anyone who’d like to serve that type of biscuit.

Chocolate speculoos is a different type of biscuit from the Verkade varieties mentioned.
Only consider this variety as a Fairtrade option if its current packaging displays an applicable claim.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn says that the cocoa in its own-brand products is Rainforest Alliance- or Fairtrade-certified. It also provides product pages for the Verkade biscuits mentioned.

You can compare the biscuit types and stated portions on the product pages for the Verkade varieties.
The general cocoa policy doesn’t confirm that every own-brand chocolate biscuit is Fairtrade.

Jumbo

Jumbo has separate categories for Fairtrade products and chocolate biscuits.

These categories are a starting point for finding a suitable biscuit.
A retailer having both categories doesn’t confirm a Fairtrade claim for a specific chocolate biscuit.

Lidl

Lidl Netherlands lists Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and organic certification as different options for cocoa in its own-brand products.

Its cocoa policy makes it clear which claims you might find on a product.
Check the individual biscuit to see whether it specifically carries a Fairtrade claim.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Fairtrade cocoa mean the whole biscuit is Fairtrade?

No, a claim about the cocoa doesn’t automatically mean that. Fairtrade has certification labels for single-ingredient products and products with multiple ingredients. For a biscuit made with several ingredients, check the packaging to see what the claim applies to.

Which of the biscuits mentioned has the most stated portions?

Of the three Verkade varieties mentioned, Albert Heijn’s product page lists 15 portions for Nizza Kokos, compared with 14 for Crunchy Haverkoek and 9 for Chocorondjes. Use these figures to compare packs for your gathering; the type of biscuit and allergen information are separate considerations.

Should I read the allergen label on packaged chocolate biscuits?

Yes, especially if you’re expecting guests with a food allergy. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for pre-packed foods appears on the label. Check the pack you’re serving for any ‘may contain’ warnings, too.

How should I store chocolate biscuits until New Year’s Eve?

Follow the storage instructions and date on the packaging. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends checking the label. The Verkade product pages mentioned advise storing the biscuits in a cool, dry place, and the Nizza Kokos page recommends keeping them in a sealed container after opening.