A spritz biscuit with Fairtrade chocolate can work as a snack on a training day, but it’s not an obvious substitute for planned fuelling during a long, intense run. Before eating it around a run, check the carbohydrates and fat per portion, how well you tolerate it, and the exact Fairtrade and allergen information on the packaging.
You want to know exactly what a Fairtrade claim applies to when you’re choosing a chocolate biscuit. Fairtrade Netherlands explains how mass balance is used for certain ingredients, while Milieu Centraal points out that a certification mark on a composite product does not always apply to the whole product.
You’re looking for a portion that suits the time before your training session and what you’ve tolerated well in the past. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises avoiding large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre shortly before exercise.
You want to be able to carry and manage your carbohydrate intake during prolonged, intense exercise. An ordinary biscuit can count towards what you eat, but it calls for a different approach from fuel chosen specifically for while you’re running.
First decide whether you’re looking for a Fairtrade snack to eat outside your run or fuel for a long training session. Then check the claim on the packaging and the nutritional information per portion.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Read the certification mark and the text alongside it: does the claim apply to the cocoa, the chocolate or the whole product? Fairtrade Netherlands and Milieu Centraal distinguish between a certified ingredient and an entirely certified product. | If I’m looking for a biscuit made with Fairtrade cocoa, I want to know what the claim covers. Around 36% of consumers say verifiable sourcing is their main purchasing requirement. |
| Timing and stomach comfort | Check the portion size and fat per portion, and consider how soon you’ll be setting off. Jumbo lists 5.0 g of fat per biscuit for Verkade Nobo Sprits Milk Chocolate. | If I’m going running soon after a snack, my main concern is avoiding something that sits heavily. For around 29% of consumers, how well a snack is tolerated around the time of a run is the most important factor. |
| Carbohydrates during long training sessions | Compare the carbohydrates per portion with the duration and intensity of your training, and consider what you can carry while running. Jumbo lists 10.2 g of carbohydrates per Verkade biscuit. | During a long, intense run, I want to be able to plan my carbohydrate intake rather than rely on a single biscuit. Around 21% of consumers put portion control first. |
| Allergens | Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. Jumbo’s product information lists wheat, milk and soya for these spritz biscuits, and says they may contain nuts and sesame. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, the packaging determines whether I can choose this biscuit. Around 14% of consumers give checking the label top priority. |
On a composite biscuit, the claim may refer to a specific ingredient. Fairtrade Netherlands explains how mass balance is used for ingredients including cocoa; according to Milieu Centraal, a logo with a white background may refer to one certified ingredient.
If certification of the entire product is important to you, check the current packaging to see which ingredient the claim applies to.
According to Jumbo, one Verkade Nobo Sprits Milk Chocolate biscuit contains 10.2 g of carbohydrates and 5.0 g of fat. Eating more biscuits to increase your carbohydrate intake also means taking in more fat; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises limiting foods high in fat shortly before exercise.
For long, intense training sessions, choose a carbohydrate strategy you’ve tested during training. Consider a spritz biscuit separately as a snack around your workout.
The ingredients and allergen information may differ from what you read online previously if the packaging or recipe has changed.
Before eating the biscuit, check the packaging of the one you actually have. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority emphasises that allergens must be clearly stated on the label.
Verkade Nobo Sprits Milk Chocolate is the spritz biscuit with a Fairtrade claim for the chocolate, as described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo.
Albert Heijn describes Verkade Nobo Sprits Milk Chocolate as a spritz biscuit topped with Verkade Fairtrade milk chocolate.
For Verkade Nobo Sprits Milk Chocolate, Jumbo provides nutritional information per 100 g and per biscuit.
Lidl says its Way To Go chocolate bars are fully Fairtrade-certified. These are chocolate bars, not spritz biscuits.
PLUS says the cocoa in its own-brand products has been Fairtrade-certified since 2020.
This spritz biscuit suits anyone looking for a biscuit with a Fairtrade chocolate claim to enjoy outside their run. Decide separately what you want to eat during long, intense training sessions.
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A spritz biscuit with milk chocolate for anyone considering a biscuit as a snack on a training day, not as a replacement for planned fuel during a long run.
The pack contains 150 g. For Verkade Nobo Sprits Milk Chocolate, Jumbo lists 10.2 g of carbohydrates and 5.0 g of fat per biscuit.
Check the current packaging to see what the Fairtrade claim applies to. Also check the allergen information: the product details list wheat, milk and soya, and say it may contain nuts and sesame.
No, you can’t draw that conclusion from a claim about the chocolate alone. Fairtrade Netherlands explains how mass balance is used for ingredients including cocoa, while Milieu Centraal distinguishes between a certified ingredient and the whole product. Read the exact claim next to the certification mark.
It depends on the portion, how soon you’ll be setting off and how well you tolerate it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises avoiding large portions and foods high in fat shortly before exercise; Jumbo lists 5.0 g of fat per Verkade Nobo Sprits Milk Chocolate biscuit. Try an unfamiliar snack during an ordinary training session first.
A spritz biscuit is not an obvious substitute for planned carbohydrate intake during a long, intense run. Jumbo lists 10.2 g of carbohydrates and 5.0 g of fat per Verkade biscuit; when choosing fuel for a run, also consider how much you need, how you’ll carry it and how well you tolerate it.
On the current packaging, check at least for wheat, milk and soya, as well as warnings that it may contain nuts and sesame. Jumbo lists these for Verkade Nobo Sprits Milk Chocolate; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority emphasises that allergens must be clearly stated on the label.
