If you have coeliac disease, only choose biscuits whose current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’. Also check the allergen information and whether they contain oats. For a night shift, you can set aside a portion in advance, but don’t use biscuits as a meal replacement: Arboportaal advises against snacking during night shifts.
You want to take a biscuit for your break without losing sight of the need for it to be gluten-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises checking for the ‘gluten-free’ label; when you buy, also check the latest allergen information.
You want to decide in advance how many biscuits to pack for your break. Check the net weight and the stated number of portions, rather than judging by the size of the pack alone.
A gluten-free label doesn’t automatically answer questions about milk, soya or nuts. For oat biscuits, also check what type of oats have been used and read the information relevant to your situation.
Start with the gluten-free label on the packaging. Then compare the allergen information, the portion size for your break and the nutritional information.
| What to look for | What should you check? | Who is this relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label and allergens | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging and read the full allergen information; don’t rely on an online image alone. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to choose a biscuit for my night-shift break whose current gluten-free label I can check. For around 50% of consumers, this reassurance comes first. |
| Portion and packaging | Check the net weight and number of portions, then decide how many to take for your break. | For a short break, I don’t want to end up taking a whole pack to eat without realising. Around 30% of consumers pay most attention to keeping portions in check. |
| Nutritional information | If you wish, compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per portion, for example for sugars and fats. | If I’m planning to eat something during a night shift, I don’t want to mistake a biscuit for a meal. This is the most important consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn’s product information lists wheat flour and gluten-containing cereals for Lotus Biscoff Speculoos. A label about animal-derived ingredients says nothing about whether a product is suitable for a gluten-free diet.
If you have coeliac disease, first look for the explicit ‘gluten-free’ label on the current packaging, then read the allergen information.
Even if you can’t spot an ingredient that contains gluten, contact with gluten during processing may still be relevant. That’s why the Dutch Coeliac Society advises checking for the gluten-free label.
Check the label and the rest of the packaging information again whenever you buy a new pack.
A biscuit can be a snack, but it isn’t the same as a meal. Arboportaal recommends eating well during night shifts and avoiding snacking.
Decide in advance whether you want to take a snack, and plan your other meals separately.
The AH Glutenvrij range at Albert Heijn includes speculaas, oat biscuits and other types of biscuits. This gives you a range of styles and pack sizes to compare.
Jumbo lists several types of biscuits in its Lekker Vrij range, including gluten-free speculaas. Compare the size and ingredients of each variety.
Verkade Gv Oaties is an oat biscuit for people specifically looking for gluten-free oat biscuits.
In this selection, Lotus Biscoff Speculoos is a familiar example of a biscuit that shouldn’t be considered a gluten-free alternative.
No. Albert Heijn lists wheat flour and gluten-containing cereals for Lotus Biscoff Speculoos. In this situation, choose a biscuit with an explicit gluten-free label on the current packaging.
No. Check whether the biscuit is labelled gluten-free, and read what type of oats and other allergens are listed. Verkade Gv Oaties also carries a warning that a small group of people with coeliac disease may be sensitive to avenin in oats.
Don’t use biscuits as a meal replacement. Arboportaal recommends eating well during night shifts and avoiding snacking; if you do take a biscuit with you, treat it as a separate snack.
Check the exact variety, the gluten-free label, the allergens and the pack size. Before eating them, also read the label on the product you receive, as the current packaging is what matters when deciding what to take with you.
