If your child has coeliac disease, choose a biscuit whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or displays the Crossed Grain symbol, then check the ingredients and allergen information. A familiar, individually wrapped portion is handy for school, but other allergens and contact with food containing gluten also affect whether it’s suitable. Lotus Biscoff Original is not gluten-free: Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists wheat flour and gluten.
When packing a lunchbox, it’s not just the gluten-free claim that matters. Check the current ingredients too, and avoid contact with crumbs from food containing gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights the importance of preventing cross-contamination.
A clearly identifiable portion of your own makes it easier to agree with the school in advance which biscuit is for your child. Keep it wrapped until it’s time to eat.
A gluten-free biscuit may still contain ingredients or warnings that matter for your child. So compare the allergen information for the exact variant with your child’s needs and the arrangements agreed with the school.
Start by checking that it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Only then compare the portion size and nutritional information of the biscuits that are suitable for your child.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free status and cross-contamination | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging. Also read any warnings about cereals containing gluten. | If my child has coeliac disease, I want to be sure this particular biscuit is suitable before it goes into their lunchbox. For around 36% of consumers, this check would be their main concern when buying. |
| Other allergens | Read the allergen information and ‘may contain’ statements for the exact variant. Check them against your child’s needs and any arrangements with the school. | For a child who needs to avoid allergens as well as gluten, a single ingredient can determine the choice. This additional allergen check would be the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Portion size and hygiene | Check whether the biscuit is individually wrapped or can be portioned hygienically at home. Keep the portion separate from food containing gluten. | If I’m taking biscuits from a larger pack, I want to be able to wrap an individual portion without it coming into contact with bread crumbs. For around 21% of consumers, this would be the main practical consideration. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, including sugars and fibre, if these differences matter to your choice. | When several biscuits are suitable, I want to see how their portions and nutritional information differ. For around 14% of consumers, the ingredients and nutritional content would carry the most weight. |
Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists wheat flour among the ingredients of Lotus Biscoff Original and identifies gluten as an allergen. This product isn’t suitable for a strictly gluten-free school lunch.
Don’t rely on the brand or the size of the biscuit: check the gluten-free claim on the packaging of the specific product.
Among the gluten-free biscuits listed by Jumbo are variants containing ingredients such as egg, milk, soya or oats, as well as variants that may contain nuts. Gluten-free doesn’t tell you which other allergens are present.
Read all the allergen information, including ‘may contain’ statements, and choose in line with your child’s needs and the arrangements with the school.
When portioning biscuits or at school, gluten-free biscuits may come into contact with crumbs containing gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Society warns that even a crumb can be harmful to someone with coeliac disease.
Use clean hands and utensils, wrap the portion separately and keep it sealed for as long as possible.
Portion sizes, ingredients and nutritional values vary from one biscuit to another. A biscuit is also a snack, and doesn’t automatically replace the other parts of lunch.
For suitable variants, compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, as well as the allergens.
A brand name alone doesn’t determine whether a biscuit is suitable for a child with coeliac disease. Always check the exact variant and its current packaging.
Jumbo lists, among other products in this range, a 50 g roze koek and 165 g milk chocolate digestives.
The raisin and cranberry biscuits listed by Jumbo are gluten-free oat biscuits in a 150 g pack.
Jumbo features several types of Schär biscuits, including Choco Chip Cookies and Butterkeks.
Albert Heijn features several types of gluten-free biscuits, including oat biscuits, filled biscuits and roze koeken.
Lotus Biscoff Original is a standard speculoos biscuit, not a gluten-free alternative for this school lunch.
This option is for anyone who wants to take a portion of oat biscuits from a larger pack. Before packing them for a child with coeliac disease, check the current gluten-free claim and allergen information for the specific variant.
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A handy option if you want to prepare a portion at home from a 150 g pack. Check that oats are suitable for your child, and read the current packaging for the gluten-free claim, allergens and any cross-contamination warnings. Pack the portion separately using clean utensils.
No. ‘Wheat-free’ doesn’t mean the same as ‘gluten-free’. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends looking for the gluten-free claim or the Crossed Grain symbol; also check the current ingredients and warnings on the packaging.
Yes, if the specific variant is labelled gluten-free and oats are suitable for your child. Check for other allergens too: the Consenza raisin and cranberry biscuits listed by Jumbo contain oats and may contain nuts.
Use clean hands and utensils, wrap the biscuit separately and keep it sealed for as long as possible. The Dutch Coeliac Society stresses the importance of preventing cross-contamination with gluten.
Discuss in advance which biscuit is suitable for your child and how it should be stored and handed out separately. Take both the allergens listed on the packaging and the school’s arrangements into account.
