Who is this choice relevant to?

Shoppers who look for a certification mark

You want to be able to see whether the Fairtrade claim applies to the chocolate in the snack you’re actually buying. A statement about the brand or retailer isn’t enough.

Gym-bag users looking for a snack

You want to choose a snack and portion that are practical to take with you. The nutritional information on the packaging helps you consider your choice alongside the rest of what you eat.

Shoppers who need to check allergens

Before buying, check the current ingredients and allergen information for the variant you’ve chosen. The egg cakes described here contain ingredients including wheat and egg; some variants also list milk and soya.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you want both an egg cake and Fairtrade chocolate. If the product format or the certification mark takes priority, that will affect which snacks you might consider.

Plain egg cake

When: Consider this option if you want to take an egg cake with you and chocolate isn’t essential.

Trade-off: A plain egg cake won’t automatically meet your requirement for Fairtrade chocolate.

Chocolate egg cake

When: Consider this option only if you can check the claim on the current, specific variant.

Trade-off: According to Jumbo, the Jumbo variant described carried the UTZ Certified Cacao label, not Fairtrade, and is no longer in its online range.

Separate Fairtrade chocolate

When: This is an option if Fairtrade chocolate matters more to you than having an egg cake as your snack.

Trade-off: A chocolate snack isn’t an egg cake, so assess its portion size and nutritional information as a separate product.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Fairtrade claim Read the certification mark and the precise claim on the packaging of the variant you’ve chosen. Fairtrade Netherlands distinguishes between certification marks and claims for ingredients and composite products. If Fairtrade chocolate is a must for me, I don’t want to rely on a brand’s general promise. For around 50% of consumers, checking the certification mark is the top priority.
Taking it with you and portioning Compare the weight per cake, number of cakes, best-before date and storage instructions. For a snack in my gym bag, I want to know how much I’m taking and how to store the product. For around 30% of consumers, this practical consideration comes first.
Nutritional information and allergens Compare sugars, fibre and protein per 100 g and per portion. Also read the current ingredients and allergen information. I want to assess whether the portion fits my eating habits and whether the ingredients are suitable for me. Around 20% of consumers put this nutritional or allergen check first.

Common mistakes

  • Mistaking another cocoa label for Fairtrade

    A sustainability claim isn’t automatically a Fairtrade claim. For example, the chocolate egg cake described by Jumbo carried the UTZ Certified Cacao label.

    If Fairtrade is a condition of your purchase, check which certification mark or claim appears on the packaging of the exact variant you’re buying.

  • Assuming an old product page shows what’s currently available

    Jumbo says that its Chocolate Egg Cakes are no longer in its online range. So an earlier product listing doesn’t tell you whether you can buy that variant now.

    Before buying, check the current product variant and the information on its packaging.

  • Assuming an egg cake is automatically a good sports snack

    The name or a small portion doesn’t tell you how much sugar, fibre and protein your chosen cake contains. These figures can also vary by variant and portion size.

    Read the nutritional information per portion alongside the figures per 100 g, and decide what you want from this snack.

  • Guessing allergens from the product name

    The egg cakes described here have different ingredients. Albert Heijn lists ingredients including wheat, egg and milk for its plain egg cakes; another variant may have a different recipe.

    Check the allergen information on the current packaging every time you buy, even if you’ve bought the product before.

Brands to compare

These brands offer examples of egg cakes or separate chocolate products. A Fairtrade statement about a range of chocolate doesn’t automatically apply to an egg cake.

Jumbo

Jumbo’s egg cake category includes plain and wholemeal varieties, among other options.

  • The category shows different product formats, so you can compare them variant by variant.
  • According to Jumbo, the previously described Chocolate Egg Cakes are no longer in its online range and carried the UTZ Certified Cacao label, not Fairtrade.

Albert Heijn

AH Plain Egg Cakes are an example of a product whose ingredients and portion information you can compare.

  • Albert Heijn lists ingredients for this specific egg cake, including wheat, egg and milk.
  • The plain variant contains no chocolate, so it doesn’t support a choice based on Fairtrade chocolate. Check the packaging, as product information can change.

ALDI / Heerlijck Banket

ALDI describes Heerlijck Banket Free-Range Egg Cakes, as well as Choceur Dark Chocolate with a Fairtrade label as a separate product.

  • The separate product listings make it clear which claim applies to which snack.
  • The Fairtrade label on the Choceur chocolate mentioned by ALDI therefore doesn’t apply to Heerlijck Banket egg cakes.

Bolletje

Bolletje describes a cinnamon-flavoured Brosse Egg Cake made with free-range eggs and topped with a layer of milk.

  • The product information lists ingredients and allergens that you can check for this variant.
  • A layer of milk isn’t the same as chocolate, and this product description makes no Fairtrade cocoa claim.

Verkade

Verkade is worth considering if you’re thinking about a chocolate snack instead of an egg cake.

  • Verkade says all the cocoa in its chocolate bars and chocolate letters is Fairtrade.
  • That statement applies to the chocolate ranges mentioned, not to a Verkade egg cake or another type of cake.

Lidl

Lidl describes Way To Go chocolate as a separate snack option.

  • According to Lidl, Way To Go products are fully Fairtrade-certified.
  • A Way To Go chocolate bar isn’t an egg cake. Check the packaging to see which claim applies to the variant you choose.

Joybuy products related to this topic

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check whether the chocolate in a snack is Fairtrade?

Look for the Fairtrade certification mark and the claim that goes with it on the packaging of the specific variant. Fairtrade Netherlands distinguishes between claims for ingredients and composite products, so a general statement from a retailer or brand isn’t a substitute for checking the product itself.

Is the Jumbo Chocolate Egg Cake a Fairtrade choice?

The variant described by Jumbo doesn’t support that choice: the product listing mentions UTZ Certified Cacao, not Fairtrade. Jumbo also says that this variant is no longer in its online range.

Is an egg cake automatically suitable as a post-workout snack?

No. The product name alone doesn’t tell you whether a portion fits what you want to eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 28,6 g of sugars, among other figures, for one extra-large 75 g egg cake. Compare the nutritional information for your chosen variant per portion and per 100 g.

Which allergens should I check in an egg cake?

Check the allergen information on the current packaging of the variant you’ve chosen. The AH Plain Egg Cakes described here contain ingredients including wheat, egg and milk; don’t assume that another egg cake has the same ingredients.

What label information can help me choose a snack to take with me?

Check the ingredients, allergens, quantity, best-before date, nutritional information and any storage instructions for the specific snack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes these as part of the information provided on prepacked foods; the storage instructions help you decide how to take the product with you.