Start with the exact packaging: if you have coeliac disease, choose a chocolate biscuit labelled ‘gluten-free’ for your tea break, then check the ingredients and allergens that matter to you. An oat biscuit topped with chocolate, a chocolate chip cookie and a digestive offer different styles; even gluten-free products vary in their information about milk, soya and nuts.
You’re looking for a chocolate biscuit to enjoy with your tea, and first check that the exact product packaging says ‘gluten-free’. You can then compare the biscuit style and pack size. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that the ‘gluten-free’ claim is subject to the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 828/2014.
You have another requirement in addition to gluten-free, perhaps relating to milk, egg, nuts or soya. So be sure to read the allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statement on the packaging of your chosen biscuit.
You want to choose between gluten-free options such as an oat biscuit topped with chocolate, a cookie with chocolate chips or a chocolate digestive. Compare the product description and allergen information before choosing a variety.
First check that the specific variety is labelled gluten-free and look for any other allergens you need to avoid. Then choose the biscuit style and pack that suit your tea break.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging of the exact variety and read the current ingredients list. | If you have coeliac disease, you don’t want to rely on the brand name or an older pack. For around 36% of consumers, checking the gluten-free claim comes first. |
| Biscuit style and chocolate | Compare an oat biscuit topped with chocolate, a cookie with chocolate chips and a chocolate digestive. | With my tea, I want a biscuit with a texture and type of chocolate I enjoy. Around 29% of consumers prioritise biscuit style and flavour when choosing gluten-free options. |
| Other allergens and lactose | Read the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ information; check separately for a lactose-free claim if you need one. | As well as gluten, I need to avoid another ingredient and don’t want to assume that gluten-free means allergen-free. For around 21% of consumers, this additional check matters most. |
| Packaging and availability | Check the pack size and whether the exact variety is listed at your preferred shop or on the product page. | For several tea breaks, I want to know which pack is practical and whether I can count on finding the variety I’ve chosen. Around 14% of consumers prioritise this practical choice, after checking their own product requirements. |
A gluten-free chocolate biscuit may still contain milk, egg, hazelnut or soya, for example. So the claim doesn’t tell you whether the product is suitable if you need to avoid another allergen too.
As well as checking for ‘gluten-free’, check all the allergens relevant to you, including any ‘may contain’ information on the current packaging.
Ingredients and allergen information can change, so a variety you’ve bought before needs checking again.
Read the label on the pack you’re actually buying and using, even if you’ve compared the product online.
A gluten-free range doesn’t necessarily mean the chocolate biscuit you want is in stock. Lidl Netherlands, for example, reported that its additional gluten-free range was unavailable at the time of its announcement.
Check whether the exact variety is currently available before planning it for a tea break.
Verkade Gluten-Free Oaties Milk Chocolate is an oat biscuit topped with milk chocolate; Albert Heijn lists this variety as gluten-free.
AH Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies are cookies with milk chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
Schär Choco Chip Cookies are gluten-free cookies with chocolate chips.
Céréal Gluten-Free & Lactose-Free Chocolate Biscuits are an option if you need both claims when choosing a product.
Jumbo Lekker Vrij Gluten-Free Digestives Milk Chocolate offer a chocolate digestive as an alternative biscuit style.
If you’re looking for a gluten-free oat biscuit with milk chocolate to enjoy with tea, you’ll find the Verkade variety below. Before eating it, check that the current packaging also meets your other ingredient and allergen requirements.
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For anyone looking for a gluten-free oat biscuit with milk chocolate to enjoy with tea. The pack contains 150 g; according to Albert Heijn’s product information, this variety contains oats, milk and soya, and may contain nuts. Check the allergens on the current packaging.
No: ‘wheat-free’ is not the same as ‘gluten-free’. The European Commission also lists rye and barley as gluten-containing cereals in Regulation (EU) No 828/2014. So choose the exact packaged variety labelled ‘gluten-free’ and read the current ingredients list.
Yes, if there are other ingredients you need to avoid. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the allergen information on labels; product information for the biscuits mentioned here includes milk, hazelnut and soya, among other allergens.
Look for a variety labelled both gluten-free and lactose-free. Jumbo describes Céréal Gluten-Free & Lactose-Free Chocolate Biscuits and Schär Choco Chip Cookies in this way. For both, check the current packaging for other allergens, including soya.
Follow the storage instructions on the specific packaging. Albert Heijn’s product information for Verkade Gluten-Free Oaties Milk Chocolate recommends storing them in a cool, dry place and sealing the pack after opening.
Use online product information to compare varieties, but check the current label before making your final choice too. Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional values, and dietary or allergen information may change.
