If your office biscuit tin is shared with someone who has coeliac disease, the regular kanos from Albert Heijn and Jumbo included in our research are not gluten-free: their product information lists wheat or gluten. Choose a biscuit whose current packaging clearly states that it is gluten-free. Ideally, offer it in its original packaging, or keep unwrapped biscuits in a separate, clean tin. A gluten-free biscuit or oat biscuit can provide an alternative for coffee breaks, but it is not the same as a filled kano.
You need a product labelled gluten-free, and it must be served in a way that prevents contact with crumbs from regular biscuits. So check both the packaging and how the biscuits will be served.
Colleagues should be able to help themselves without mixing the gluten-free biscuits with regular ones. Individually wrapped portions or a separate, clean tin make it easier to keep them apart.
You want to serve something biscuit-like with coffee, but a gluten-free biscuit, oat biscuit or chocolate chip biscuit won’t have the same filling as a kano. The type of biscuit will therefore help determine whether the alternative is right for the occasion.
First, check that the biscuit itself is labelled gluten-free. Then choose a way to store and serve it that prevents contact with regular biscuits. Only then should you consider the flavour and type of biscuit.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Check the current packaging for the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information; don’t rely on an online image alone. | If someone with coeliac disease will be eating them, I don’t want to assume a biscuit is suitable based on its name. For around 46% of consumers, confidence in the product choice would come first. |
| Keeping biscuits separate when serving | Check whether individually wrapped portions are available. For unwrapped biscuits, use a separate, clean tin and separate serving utensils. | For a shared office supply, I want to prevent regular crumbs or shared utensils from coming into contact with the gluten-free biscuits. For around 36% of consumers, how the biscuits are served would be the main concern. |
| Biscuit type and portion size | Compare the type of biscuit with the treat you have in mind, and consider how many portions you want to serve from the pack. | For coffee breaks, I’m looking for something colleagues will enjoy, even if it isn’t a kano filled with almond paste. For around 18% of consumers, the type of biscuit would be the deciding factor. |
Albert Heijn lists gluten-containing cereals and wheat for the butter kanos included in our research; Jumbo lists wheat flour for the kanos we looked at. These varieties are therefore not gluten-free.
Choose a different product for your colleague with coeliac disease, and check the gluten-free label on the packaging you’re actually putting out.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says that cross-contamination can occur through crumbs and shared utensils. The label on the packaging cannot prevent contact once it has been opened.
Where possible, serve the biscuits in their original packaging, or set aside a separate, clean and clearly labelled tin with its own serving utensils.
Albert Heijn says that ingredients and allergen information can change. A product page you looked at earlier is no substitute for checking the label on the pack you have in front of you.
Read the label before buying, and check it again when you top up the office supply.
The biscuits, oat biscuits, chocolate chip biscuits and coconut macaroons mentioned here are all different from a kano filled with almond paste.
Describe it as a gluten-free biscuit alternative, and choose the type of biscuit to suit what you want to offer alongside regular kanos.
Schär offers several types of gluten-free biscuits; Jumbo lists Butterkeks and Choco Chip Cookies, among others.
Verkade describes Oaties as gluten-free oat biscuits.
Albert Heijn groups several types of biscuits in its gluten-free range.
Jumbo lists both its own-brand regular kanos and gluten-free biscuits from Schär.
PLUS lists own-brand gluten-free chocolate chip biscuits and Consenza raisin and cranberry biscuits.
ALDI Netherlands describes Heerlijck Banket coconut macaroons as six gluten-free biscuits.
This oat biscuit is an alternative to kanos if you want to offer gluten-free biscuits in a separate, clean office supply. Check the packaging before serving, and keep the biscuits apart from regular ones.
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An oat biscuit for anyone looking to offer something other than a filled kano in a separate office supply. The product name lists a 150 g pack. Check the gluten-free label on the current packaging, confirm with your colleague that oats are suitable for them, and prevent contact with crumbs from regular biscuits.
The regular kanos from Albert Heijn and Jumbo included in our research are not. Albert Heijn lists gluten-containing cereals and wheat; Jumbo lists wheat flour. If someone has coeliac disease, choose a product whose current packaging is labelled gluten-free.
Not if they’re intended for someone with coeliac disease. The Dutch Coeliac Society says that crumbs and shared utensils can cause cross-contamination. Ideally, serve the biscuits in their original packaging, or use a separate, clean tin and dedicated serving utensils.
For foods sold as gluten-free, Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 sets a maximum limit of 20 mg of gluten per kg. Also check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging; the label doesn’t remove the risk of cross-contamination when serving.
No, don’t rely on the word ‘oat’ alone. EU rules set specific conditions for oats in foods labelled gluten-free. Choose a biscuit that is itself labelled gluten-free, read the current packaging, and check with your colleague whether oats are suitable for them.
