Families who value Fairtrade
You want a clear Fairtrade label on the cocoa or chocolate you use, and you also check how the ingredients have been sourced.
Who is this relevant to?
Parents baking taaitaai together
You want to choose in advance between a traditional recipe and a chocolate version. Children can help weigh and mix the ingredients, while an adult supervises any work involving hot syrup, the oven or melted chocolate.
Bakers checking allergens
You compare the ingredients and allergen information for every part of the recipe, including your chosen cocoa or chocolate. Precautionary allergen warnings can vary from product to product.
What should you look for?
First decide whether you want to make traditional taaitaai or deliberately add cocoa or chocolate. Then consider how you’ll use it to work out which product and packaging to check.
Traditional taaitaai
When: You want to follow a recipe using honey, flour, sugar and spices, without adding chocolate.
Consider: A Fairtrade choice of chocolate isn’t relevant here; check any other ingredients separately.
Taaitaai with cocoa powder
When: You want to measure out cocoa as an ingredient for an adapted chocolate version.
Consider: Powder won’t give you chocolate chunks or a hard coating, and you’ll need a recipe designed for cocoa.
Adding a chocolate bar
When: You want to add chocolate chunks or decoration to your taaitaai.
Consider: Chopping or melting the chocolate needs adult supervision, and allergen information varies from bar to bar.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade label | Read the certification label and the explanation of how the cocoa is sourced. Fairtrade Netherlands distinguishes between mass balance sourcing and physical segregation for cocoa. | I want to know what the Fairtrade label on my cocoa or chocolate means before choosing it. For around 40% of consumers, this check would be the main reason for their choice. |
| How you’ll use it in the recipe | Decide whether you want to add powder to an adapted dough or need a bar for chunks or decoration. | When we bake together, I want to choose an addition that suits what we’re actually making. For around 40% of consumers, this practical use would come first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the allergen labelling and any precautionary warnings on the current packaging. | If a child needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to be able to check both the taaitaai ingredients and the chocolate separately. For around 20% of consumers, this would be their main purchasing concern. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming taaitaai contains chocolate
The traditional recipes from Albert Heijn Allerhande and Jumbo don’t list chocolate as a basic ingredient. So there’s no need to buy a bar or cocoa powder unless you’re deliberately planning a variation or some decoration.
First decide what you’re going to bake, then choose the right cocoa or chocolate product.
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Confusing Fairtrade with physically segregated cocoa
According to Fairtrade Netherlands, under mass balance, cocoa can be physically mixed with non-certified cocoa, while purchases are tracked in accordance with Fairtrade terms.
If it matters to you how the cocoa moves through the supply chain, read the explanation accompanying the certification label.
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Assuming a certification label guarantees a product is allergy-safe
A Fairtrade label doesn’t tell you whether a product is suitable for a specific allergy. Ingredients and precautionary allergen warnings vary from product to product.
Check the packaging of every ingredient you use, even if you’ve already read the product information online.
Brands to consider
Fairtrade Original
Worth considering if you’re looking for cocoa powder for an adapted taaitaai recipe. Jumbo lists Fairtrade Original Cocoa Powder 125 g as a baking product.
- Jumbo’s product information lists cocoa powder and Fairtrade sourcing under mass balance.
- Cocoa powder won’t replace chocolate chunks. And mass balance doesn’t mean all the cocoa has remained physically separate.
Delicata / AH Biologisch
Worth considering if you’re looking for a chocolate bar to use in chunks or as decoration. Fairtrade Netherlands reported that Albert Heijn’s Delicata range has been Fairtrade-certified since 4 May 2026; the separate AH Biologisch extra-dark bar also carries a Fairtrade label.
- Albert Heijn’s product information states that the AH Biologisch extra-dark bar contains at least 72% cocoa.
- Check the ingredients and any precautionary allergen warnings on the specific bar you choose.
Tony's Chocolonely
A brand to consider bar by bar if you want to add chocolate to your taaitaai. Tony's Chocolonely explains its collaboration with Fairtrade on income targets for cocoa farmers.
- The brand has explained its collaboration with Fairtrade.
- A brand’s own statements don’t replace checking the Fairtrade label, ingredients and allergens on the specific bar.
Joybuy products for cocoa or decoration
These products suit two different plans: cocoa powder for an adapted taaitaai recipe, or a chocolate bar for chunks and decoration. First decide which you’d like to use.
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Fairtrade cocoa powder, 125 g
An option if you’d like children to help measure out cocoa for a taaitaai variation using a recipe adapted for it.
Check the Fairtrade label, the explanation accompanying it and the allergen information on the packaging.
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Tony's Chocolonely Pure 70%, 180 g
A chocolate bar for adding chunks or decoration to homemade taaitaai. Ask an adult to supervise chopping or melting the chocolate.
Check the cocoa percentage if it affects your choice, and read the Fairtrade label and allergen information on the packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need Fairtrade chocolate for traditional taaitaai?
No. Chocolate isn’t a basic ingredient in the traditional taaitaai recipes from Albert Heijn Allerhande and Jumbo. Only choose cocoa or chocolate if you’re deliberately making an adapted version or adding decoration.
What does mass balance mean for Fairtrade cocoa?
Mass balance doesn’t mean that the cocoa in every finished product has remained physically separate. Fairtrade Netherlands explains that certified and non-certified cocoa can be mixed in the production chain, while Fairtrade purchases are tracked by volume.
Which allergens should you check before baking with children?
Check every ingredient for allergens that are relevant to the children, including precautionary warnings. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that prepacked products must show allergen information on the label; a Fairtrade label doesn’t replace this check.
Is online product information enough to check for allergens?
Use online information to compare products, but check the packaging of the cocoa, chocolate and other ingredients before using them too. That way, you can base your choice on the information provided with the products you’ll actually be using.