Choose speculaas to enjoy with your coffee by checking the Fairtrade labelling on the specific pack, rather than relying on a brand name or a general sustainability claim. Then see whether the portion size suits how you plan to use it, and check the latest ingredients and allergen information. An organic claim does not replace these checks.
Wants to know which ingredients in a biscuit are covered by Fairtrade terms during an everyday coffee break. For products with multiple ingredients, Fairtrade International highlights the importance of the information accompanying the certification mark.
Wants biscuits that are easy to serve individually alongside coffee or tea for guests, colleagues or customers.
Wants to compare ingredients, allergens and nutritional information before buying, even when a product carries a Fairtrade or organic claim.
Start with the Fairtrade claim on the pack. Then compare the pack format with your coffee break, and read the label for the exact product variant.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade claim | Look for the FAIRTRADE mark on the specific pack and read which ingredients are covered by the accompanying information. According to Fairtrade International, biscuits containing multiple ingredients do not automatically carry a Fairtrade claim for every ingredient. | If I choose Fairtrade, I want to know exactly what the claim applies to in these biscuits. For around 40% of consumers, this check comes first. |
| Portions and packaging | Compare the number of biscuits, whether they are individually wrapped, and how many you expect to use. A box for serving with coffee calls for a different choice from a pack for home. | When I have visitors or am serving coffee, I want to offer biscuits easily to each person without choosing a quantity that does not suit my needs. Around 30% of consumers value this convenience most. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Read the latest ingredients and allergen list for the exact product variant. If you wish, compare the nutritional values per 100 g and the portion size. | If I need to watch ingredients or allergens, a certification mark alone does not tell me enough to make a choice. For around 30% of consumers, this label information comes first. |
A shop selling Fairtrade products does not mean that the specific speculaas you are looking at carries that claim. Fairtrade Nederland lists Fairtrade products at Albert Heijn and Jumbo, but that does not mean every speculaas variant has the same certification.
Check the mark and the information on the pack of the biscuits themselves.
Fairtrade International allows a mass balance approach for ingredients such as cocoa and sugar. This means Fairtrade and non-Fairtrade ingredients may be mixed during processing, while Fairtrade volumes are tracked administratively.
If physical traceability matters to you, check what traceability information the pack provides for the ingredients in question.
One Fairtrade spelt speculaas product lists wheat and soya. An Albert Heijn filled speculaas variant lists, among other things, milk, cereals containing gluten and soya. Ingredients therefore vary between specific product variants.
If you have a food allergy, read the latest allergen information on the pack, even if you recognise the brand or certification mark.
A pack for serving with coffee may contain far more biscuits than you would use at home: Puro offers a carton of 200 individually wrapped biscuits, while Mocca D’Or offers a box of 150.
Before choosing a large pack, compare the number of portions and the packaging with how much you expect to use.
Spelt speculaas in a multipack of 12 boxes of 125 g, suited to home use or stocking up.
Speculoos biscuits for serving individually with coffee or tea, available in a carton of 200.
Organic speculoos for home, with a separate Fairtrade claim for ingredients.
Small speculaas biscuits for serving with coffee or tea, available in a box of 150.
Look for the FAIRTRADE mark on the specific product pack. Fairtrade International says that, on biscuits with multiple ingredients, an arrow next to the mark may point to further information about the ingredients covered and their traceability.
Not automatically. According to Fairtrade International, in products with multiple ingredients, any ingredients available under Fairtrade terms must be sourced on those terms. Read the pack to find out what the claim applies to in your biscuits.
Yes, under the mass balance approach that Fairtrade International allows for sugar. Physical separation during processing is not always required, so check the information accompanying the claim if physical traceability is essential to you.
Read the latest allergen information on the pack of the exact speculaas or speculoos variant. A Fairtrade or organic mark does not, by itself, tell you whether allergens are present, and a filled variant may contain different ingredients from a plain biscuit.
No, individually wrapped biscuits can also be handy for visitors or office supplies. Do compare the number of biscuits with how many you will use: Puroathome lists a carton of 200 individually wrapped biscuits for Puro, while Kantinewinkel lists a box of 150 for Mocca D’Or.
