If you have coeliac disease, only buy chocolate biscuits whose current packaging clearly says ‘gluten-free’ or displays the Crossed Grain symbol. Before stocking up on several packs, also check for other allergens, the best-before date and how much you’ll use once a pack is open: the right pack size depends on your household.
You want to keep several packs in the cupboard, so you check the current gluten-free label or Crossed Grain symbol on every new pack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists these as ways to identify gluten-free products.
You’re looking for an amount that suits how often you eat biscuits. Once you’ve checked that they’re gluten-free, look at the contents per pack, the best-before date and any other allergens.
As well as gluten, you may need to avoid lactose or allergens such as milk, soya, eggs and nuts. The full information on the packaging will help you decide which variety is suitable for you.
Start by checking the gluten-free label on the pack. Then decide what pack size, portion format and allergen information best suit how you’ll use them.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Check each current pack for the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol. Check this on oat biscuits, too. | With coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on an old product title when buying several packs. Around 36% of consumers prioritise a gluten-free label. |
| Quantity and how quickly you’ll use it | Compare the net weight with how much you’ll actually use before the best-before date. | If I eat biscuits regularly, I want to have enough in the cupboard without buying more than I can use. Around 29% of consumers prioritise choosing the right quantity. |
| Portions and storage | Check how the portions are packaged and follow the storage instructions once a pack is open. | I’d rather not open my whole supply at once if I’m taking biscuits with me or sharing them. Around 21% of consumers consider portion format the most important factor. |
| Other allergens | Check both the ingredients and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ warnings for the variety you’ve chosen. | As well as being gluten-free, my supply needs to suit my lactose restriction or other allergies. Around 14% of consumers prioritise these additional checks. |
A product title won’t necessarily show the current ingredients and allergen information on the pack you receive. This matters when you’re stocking up on the same biscuits again.
When your order arrives and before you eat the biscuits, check the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information on the physical packaging.
The chocolate biscuits mentioned have different warnings for allergens including milk, soya and eggs. A lactose-free label alone doesn’t mean a product is free from milk proteins.
For every variety, compare both ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ information with the allergens you need to avoid.
You may not be able to eat a stock-up that doesn’t suit your other dietary restrictions.
When you buy a larger supply, the best-before date, how you open the packs and storage conditions all matter.
Choose a number of packs that suits how quickly you’ll use them, follow the specific storage instructions and keep opened gluten-free biscuits away from crumbs containing gluten.
Schär’s range includes Digestive Choc and Choco Chip Cookies, listed as gluten-free by Albert Heijn.
This Jumbo range includes Milk Chocolate Digestives labelled gluten-free.
Verkade Gluten-Free Oaties Milk Chocolate are oat biscuits coated in milk chocolate.
Jumbo describes Céréal Chocolate Biscuits as gluten-free and lactose-free.
Consenza Choco Teff Fingers are individually portioned chocolate wafers, not digestives.
No. For oat biscuits, check the gluten-free label or Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oats can become contaminated with gluten, so the presence of oats alone isn’t enough to make an informed choice.
Follow the storage instructions on the specific pack and seal opened packs as directed. If you also keep other biscuits at home, make sure the gluten-free ones are kept away from crumbs containing gluten.
Not necessarily. Jumbo describes the Céréal Chocolate Biscuits as lactose-free, but also says they may contain milk. If you have a milk allergy, check the full allergen information on the current pack.
