The right biscuit bar or snack portion depends on which allergens you need to avoid; no single product is suitable for every food allergy. Check the current ingredients list, clearly highlighted allergens and any warnings about possible cross-contamination for the exact variant. Also check how many biscuits or bars are in each snack pack: a snack pack doesn’t always contain just one biscuit or bar.
When choosing a small biscuit or bar, you’ll want to check whether the specific allergen you avoid is listed in the ingredients. Also read any warning about possible cross-contamination. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) provides information about labelling for 14 allergens.
A gluten-free label doesn’t tell you whether a biscuit is also suitable if you need to avoid, for example, milk, egg, soya, nuts, lupin or sesame. So check the full allergen information for the exact variant.
A handy size is only useful for your needs if you can also see how many biscuits or bars you’ll be taking with you and which allergens are listed on the current packaging. Use online shop information to narrow down your options, not as a substitute for checking the label.
Start with the allergen you need to avoid and the information on the current packaging. Then check whether the portion suits how you plan to take the biscuit or bar with you.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Your specific allergen | Read the ingredients list and the clearly highlighted allergens for the exact variant. | If I need to avoid one allergen, I want to know first whether it’s in this biscuit or bar. For around 45% of consumers, this targeted check is the top priority. |
| Possible cross-contamination | Read any precautionary warnings on the current packaging. | Even if the ingredients list looks suitable, I want to take a warning about possible contact with my allergen into account. Around 27% of consumers prioritise this check. |
| Portion size and packaging | Count the items in each snack pack and outer pack; check whether an individual portion has its own label information. | When I’m out and about, I want to know whether I’m taking one bar or a pack containing several biscuits. Portion size comes first for around 19% of consumers. |
| Gluten-free and other allergens | As well as checking the gluten-free label, check for other allergens and any precautionary warnings. | I’m looking for a gluten-free option, but I also need to avoid other allergens. This combination is the most important buying consideration for around 9% of consumers. |
A gluten-free biscuit can still contain other allergens. For its 60 g Gluten-Free Filled Biscuit, Jumbo lists almond, egg, lupin, milk and soya, and warns that sesame may also be present.
Read the full allergen information for the exact variant rather than relying on the gluten-free label alone.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn highlights this in its product information, while Lidl doesn’t provide an online ingredients and allergen list for its food products.
Check the packaging of the product you actually buy before eating it.
A handy pack doesn’t necessarily contain just one item. The Lotus Biscoff variant listed by Albert Heijn has three biscuits per snack pack; Lidl lists six biscuit bars per pack.
Check both the number of items in each smaller pack and the number of packs or bars in the outer pack.
This type of precautionary warning is about possible contact with an allergen. It may be relevant even when that allergen isn’t listed as an ingredient.
Read the warning on the current packaging and take your personal allergy advice into account.
Albert Heijn lists Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Belgian chocolate as six snack packs, each containing three biscuits.
Jumbo lists its 60 g Gluten-Free Filled Biscuit in its biscuit range.
Lidl lists biscuit bars in gingerbread and spiced raisin varieties, with six bars per pack.
ALDI lists Heerlijck Banket butter cake fingers as eight pieces in a 300 g pack.
No. Gluten-free doesn’t mean that a biscuit is free from other allergens. For its 60 g Gluten-Free Filled Biscuit, Jumbo lists almond, egg, lupin, milk and soya, and warns that sesame may also be present. Read the allergen information for the exact variant.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), labels on pre-packed foods must provide information about 14 allergens, and any allergens present must be clearly distinguishable in the ingredients list. These include gluten-containing cereals, egg, peanuts, nuts, soya, milk, sesame and lupin.
Use the website to narrow down your options, but also check the current packaging of the variant you’re buying. Albert Heijn points out that product information can change; Lidl doesn’t provide an online ingredients and allergen list for its food products.
Take the warning on the exact packaging into account: it relates to possible contact with an allergen, even if that allergen isn’t listed as an ingredient. Whether the product is suitable for you depends on your personal allergy advice.
Lidl lists six biscuit bars per pack, but this doesn’t tell you how each bar is wrapped inside the pack. If you’re looking for a bar you can take with you individually, check the packaging in store and read the allergen information there too.
