If you’re buying for a guest with coeliac disease, choose biscuits whose current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’, and check the ingredients and allergen information for that particular variety too. Then compare the types of biscuits you’d like to offer your guests and check that your chosen product is available. Serve the gluten-free biscuits separately from regular snacks to avoid contact with crumbs.
You’re buying biscuits for someone with coeliac disease and want to prevent contact with regular biscuits, hands or shared plates when serving them too. The Dutch Coeliac Association advises avoiding cross-contamination with gluten.
You want to give a guest who eats gluten-free a choice of familiar snacks, such as chocolate chip cookies, speculaas or syrup waffles. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list these types of biscuits in their gluten-free ranges; check each variety individually.
You’d like to pick up the biscuits as part of your usual shop, without relying on a one-off product. So before film night, check which specific gluten-free product you can buy.
If you’re buying for a guest with coeliac disease, start by checking the gluten-free label on the packaging. Taste and convenience will help you choose the right option; when serving, remember to avoid cross-contamination too.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label and packaging | Check the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the exact variety. | When I’m buying for someone with coeliac disease, I want to see on the current packaging that these particular biscuits are suitable. For around 50% of consumers, checking the label comes first. |
| Type and flavour of biscuit | Choose the type of biscuit you’d like, such as chocolate chip cookies, speculaas or syrup waffles, then check the label for that flavour. | For a shared film night, I want to put out a familiar treat that my guest can choose from. Around 30% of consumers give this choice the highest priority. |
| Availability while doing your food shop | Check whether a specific gluten-free product is available, and have an alternative in mind if it’s a limited-time item. | I want to be able to pick up a suitable pack of biscuits as part of my usual shop, rather than relying on a one-off offer. Availability matters most to around 20% of consumers. |
Those words aren’t a substitute for a gluten-free label. For coeliac disease, the Dutch Coeliac Association advises looking for the words ‘gluten-free’ or a gluten-free symbol, then checking the ingredients.
Check the label and information on the exact pack you’re buying.
Crumbs, hands and shared plates can transfer gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Association says that even a crumb can be harmful to someone with coeliac disease.
Use clean hands and a separate, clean plate, or keep the gluten-free biscuits wrapped until you’re ready to serve them.
A product listed in a shop’s range won’t necessarily be in stock when you do your shopping. ALDI says that special-buy items can sell out quickly.
Check a specific product in advance and think about where else you could buy a suitable option.
If it’s out of stock, you may need to make an extra trip to the shops.
Ingredients and allergen information can change, and a familiar brand name won’t tell you everything about the current variety. Albert Heijn itself warns that product and allergen information may change.
Check the label again every time you buy, using the pack you’ll actually be serving.
Albert Heijn’s own-brand range, where you can browse different types of gluten-free biscuits.
A specialist gluten-free brand with familiar types of biscuits, including chocolate chip cookies.
Jumbo’s gluten-free range, with options including speculaas, digestives and syrup waffles.
A shop where you can look for a specific biscuit product labelled gluten-free, such as coconut macaroons or rice cookies.
Another place to try if you find a specific product labelled gluten-free in store.
This product selection features an oat biscuit with milk chocolate for a film night. If you’re buying for a guest with coeliac disease, check that the current packaging is labelled gluten-free and ask whether oats are suitable for them.
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This oat biscuit with milk chocolate could be an option for film night if the current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’. The pack contains 150 g. Joybuy’s product information states that a small number of people with coeliac disease may be sensitive to the oat protein avenin. Check with your guest whether oats are suitable for them, and check the allergen information on the label too.
‘Wheat-free’ isn’t a substitute for ‘gluten-free’. Choose a pack with an explicit gluten-free label and check the current ingredients and allergen information for that variety, as advised by the Dutch Coeliac Association.
Not necessarily. Check the gluten-free label and ask your guest whether oats are suitable for them. Joybuy notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease may be sensitive to the oat protein avenin in Verkade Gv Oaties Milk Chocolate.
Keep the gluten-free biscuits separate and use clean hands and a clean plate. The Dutch Coeliac Association warns that crumbs can cause cross-contamination, so don’t let regular biscuits get into the gluten-free plate or any shared dips.
Check the label again on the pack you’re buying and serving. Ingredients and allergen information can change, even if you’ve bought the same biscuits before.
