If you’re catering for a guest with coeliac disease, start with a pre-packed biscuit explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’, then check the current label for any other relevant allergens. Only then compare the type of biscuit, pack size and availability for your match night. A familiar speculoos flavour is not, by itself, proof that a product is gluten-free.
You don’t want to choose an ordinary biscuit based on its name or flavour. An explicit gluten-free label on the pack is your first check; after that, read the label for the particular variety you plan to serve.
You’re looking for biscuits you can put out without expecting everyone to like the same flavour. Within a gluten-free selection, you could compare options such as speculoos biscuits, cookies or syrup waffles.
As well as gluten, your guests may need to avoid ingredients such as milk, soya or nuts. Compare the ingredients and allergen information on each pack, even when both products are labelled gluten-free.
Start by checking that the biscuit you choose is labelled gluten-free. Then compare the other allergens and choose a type of biscuit and pack size to suit your group.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the pack you’ve chosen and read the ingredients list. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this label may only be used if the food contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten for the final consumer. | If I’m buying for a guest with coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on a familiar biscuit name. For around 46% of consumers, certainty about the gluten-free label comes first. |
| Type of biscuit and ease of sharing | Once you’ve chosen a gluten-free option, compare the type of biscuit, pack size and number of biscuits. | I want to be able to put biscuits out during the match for guests to help themselves to. A familiar, easy-to-share type of biscuit comes first for around 27% of consumers. |
| Other allergens | Read the full ingredients and allergen information, including any ‘may contain’ statements, for the variety you’ve chosen. | If a guest also needs to avoid another allergen, I want to check that separately. For around 18% of consumers, this additional requirement is the main consideration after gluten-free status. |
| Availability | Check the current range and, if you’re visiting a shop, the stock at that branch. Keep a second suitable option in mind. | If I’m shopping just before match night, a suitable biscuit also needs to be available. For around 9% of consumers, this practical consideration is decisive. |
Speculoos, cookies and biscuits are types of biscuit, not gluten-free labels. For example, a Makro product specification lists wheat flour in the speculoos part of a Lotus Biscoff product.
If you’re buying for a guest with coeliac disease, choose a product based on the explicit gluten-free label on the exact item you’re buying.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn notes in its product information that online details may differ from those on the current packaging.
Use the online shop to compare varieties, but check the label again before serving the biscuits.
A gluten-free biscuit may contain other allergens. For example, Céréal’s described gluten-free and lactose-free chocolate biscuits contain soya and may contain egg, milk and nuts, among other allergens.
Ask which allergens your guests need to avoid, then check the full information on every pack you choose.
A product shown online won’t necessarily be available at the branch where you shop. ALDI also notes that special-buy items can sell out quickly.
For a planned match night, check current availability and decide in advance on another biscuit that is also labelled gluten-free.
These brands and own-label ranges give you an idea of the types of biscuit you can compare. Whether a product is suitable always depends on the information on its individual pack, not its brand name.
A range to explore if you want to compare different types of gluten-free biscuit.
An own-label range with familiar biscuit shapes in a gluten-free selection.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for a biscuit or cookie explicitly labelled gluten-free.
An option to consider if you need to avoid lactose as well as gluten.
Two biscuit options listed by ALDI for anyone planning to shop in person.
A familiar speculoos reference, but not a substitute for a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten-free.
An own-label range where you can’t tell whether a biscuit is gluten-free just from its type.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the label ‘gluten-free’ may only be used if the food contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten for the final consumer. Look for this label on the specific biscuit you’re buying for a guest with coeliac disease.
Yes. ‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t mean a biscuit is free from other allergens. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be listed in the ingredients; also check any ‘may contain’ statements if they’re relevant to your guest.
Use online information to compare products, but check the packaging of the product you’ve actually bought before serving it. Albert Heijn notes that ingredients, nutritional and allergen information can change.
No. The word ‘oat’ alone doesn’t mean a biscuit is gluten-free. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 also sets requirements for the production and processing of oats in products sold as gluten-free, so check that the specific biscuit is labelled gluten-free.
Don’t assume so unless the exact variety you’ve chosen has a clear, up-to-date gluten-free label. A Makro product specification lists wheat flour in the speculoos part of a Lotus Biscoff product, so neither the brand name nor the speculoos flavour proves it’s gluten-free.
