If you want to use chocolate when baking pepernoten, choose a chocolate bar with a Fairtrade statement and a clear ingredients list rather than a filled chocolate biscuit. A chocolate biscuit is intended to be served on its own. For either product type, check the Fairtrade label and allergen information on the packaging. If you see a mass balance statement, also check what it means for the product you have chosen.
If you want to finish your homemade pepernoten with chocolate, you’ll need a chocolate product that works as an ingredient. The Fairtrade statement and the ingredients in your chosen bar are separate things to check.
A chocolate biscuit is a different choice from chocolate to use in baking, and makes a ready-to-eat addition to a baking session. Check the type of biscuit, the packaging and the allergen information.
If you’re considering what your guests can or want to eat, the current packaging is the deciding factor. Ingredients and allergens can vary between chocolate products and biscuits.
First decide whether you want to use chocolate in baking or serve a biscuit. Then check the Fairtrade label, ingredients and allergen information on the specific product. A claim about a whole brand or range is no substitute for checking the product itself.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade label | Check the statement on the packaging of the product you’ve chosen. If it refers to mass balance, read the explanation alongside it. | I want to be able to check whether the cocoa in the product I’ve chosen is covered by a Fairtrade claim, rather than just a general sustainability policy. This is the top priority for an estimated 36% of consumers. |
| Baking or serving | Choose a bar if you want to use chocolate in baking. If you’re buying biscuits, check that you’re choosing a ready-to-eat snack. | If I need chocolate for my homemade pepernoten, I don’t want to pick up a filled biscuit as an ingredient. Around 29% of consumers give this baking purpose top priority. |
| Allergens and dietary requirements | Read the current ingredients and allergen information, even for a product described as vegan. | When other people will be eating too, I want to know whether the product I’ve chosen suits their allergies or dietary requirements. Around 21% of consumers put this check first. |
| Sinterklaas range | Check that the product type you want is available and that the specific version carries the Fairtrade statement you’re looking for. | I need a product in the right form for baking or serving, and want to know whether I can buy that version. This matters most to around 14% of consumers. |
A Fairtrade statement based on the mass balance principle does not necessarily mean that the ingredients used were kept physically separate from non-certified ingredients during production. If this distinction matters to you, read the explanation for the specific bar.
A biscuit with a cream filling and flour has a different composition from a chocolate bar. Jumbo describes Verkade Chocorondjes as biscuits with a milk cream filling and a milk chocolate coating. They’re suitable as a ready-to-eat treat, but they’re not the same type of product as a bar for making a chocolate coating.
Before you buy, decide whether you want to coat the pepernoten with chocolate or serve biscuits alongside them.
Lidl lists various certification schemes for its own-brand cocoa, including Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and organic certification. A general statement about the range doesn’t tell you which label appears on an individual chocolate biscuit.
Check the Fairtrade statement and product name on the packaging of the exact version you’re buying.
A vegan label or Fairtrade claim doesn’t answer every question about allergens. Ingredients and warnings about possible traces can vary between versions of chocolate and chocolate biscuits.
Before serving, read the current allergen information on the packaging, especially if a guest has an allergy.
These brands offer some useful pointers when checking cocoa and product labels. The statements below apply to the specified product ranges; check the packaging before choosing a particular version.
Worth considering if you want to serve chocolate biscuits and check the Fairtrade label for the chocolate in a specific biscuit.
Worth considering if you’re looking for a bar to use as a chocolate ingredient when baking.
Worth considering if you’re looking for seasonal chocolate with a Fairtrade label around Sinterklaas.
This selection features a chocolate bar whose product description mentions baking and Fairtrade. It isn’t a chocolate biscuit to serve with pepernoten; check the packaging and make sure it suits your baking plans.
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A bar for anyone looking to use chocolate as an ingredient when baking pepernoten: the product description mentions baking as a use and states that it is Fairtrade. Check the Fairtrade label on the current packaging. The title says 70% cocoa, while other product information states at least 51%; if you’re choosing based on the cocoa percentage, go by the label. The ingredients information lists soya and possible traces of milk, nuts and cereals containing gluten.
A chocolate bar is a better choice than a filled chocolate biscuit. Jumbo describes Verkade Chocorondjes as biscuits with a milk cream filling and chocolate coating. They’re a ready-to-eat snack, not a like-for-like substitute for a bar you want to use as an ingredient.
Not if the Fairtrade label is based on mass balance. According to the product information, the label on AH Biologisch Reep extra puur doesn’t necessarily mean that the ingredients were kept physically separate during production. If this matters for your purchase, read the explanation for the bar you’ve chosen.
Check the current packaging for the specific product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergens must be clearly listed on the label of prepacked foods. If a guest has an allergy, don’t rely only on a general Fairtrade or vegan label.
Don’t assume that this applies to every product. Lidl says that Favorina seasonal chocolate for Sinterklaas is Fairtrade certified, but also lists other certification schemes for its own-brand cocoa. So check the label on the packaging of the chocolate you want to buy.
