If you’re catering for a guest with coeliac disease, choose a chocolate biscuit whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’. According to the Dutch Coeliac Association, the Crossed Grain symbol offers an additional check. At your garden party, serve the biscuit separately from regular biscuits and use dedicated serving utensils to prevent contact with crumbs containing gluten. Also check the allergen information if a guest has other dietary requirements.
Looking for a chocolate biscuit with a gluten-free label on the packaging, and keen to keep it away from regular biscuits at the buffet. The Dutch Coeliac Association also highlights the importance of preventing cross-contamination.
Wants to know how many biscuits or portions a pack contains, while making sure the gluten-free option can be kept separate. Jumbo lists its Digestives, which were included in the research, as 165 g and 10 portions per pack.
Needs to check ingredients other than gluten, too. The biscuits included in the research have different allergen information, including for milk, soya, oats and possible traces of nuts. A gluten-free label doesn’t replace these checks.
If you’re hosting a garden party for a guest with coeliac disease, start by checking that the pack you buy says ‘gluten-free’. Then check the other allergens, plan how you’ll serve the biscuits separately and work out how many portions you need.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Check the current packaging and, if you like, see whether it carries the Crossed Grain symbol. | If a guest with coeliac disease is joining us, I want to see the gluten-free label on the pack I’m buying. This is the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Serving separately | Check whether you can serve the biscuits separately and use dedicated serving utensils. | At a buffet with regular biscuits, I want to prevent crumbs or a shared serving tong from coming into contact with the gluten-free biscuits. Serving them separately is the main concern for around 25% of consumers. |
| Type of biscuit and allergens | Read the allergen information, then choose between a digestive, an oat biscuit or a chocolate chip cookie. | If a guest also needs to avoid other ingredients, I don’t want to rely on the ‘gluten-free’ label alone; I’ll look for a suitable type of biscuit, too. These additional requirements are the top priority for around 17% of consumers. |
| Portions and availability | Compare the pack weight and stated portions, and check what’s available locally shortly before you buy. | For a larger group, I want to know how many portions I can serve and whether I can buy the biscuits in time. This practical planning is the top priority for around 16% of consumers. |
You can’t tell by looking whether a biscuit contains gluten. For example, Lotus Bakeries lists wheat flour as an ingredient in Lotus Speculoos with chocolate.
For a guest with coeliac disease, only serve a specific product whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’.
The Dutch Coeliac Association advises preventing contact with crumbs containing gluten, too.
Set the gluten-free biscuits out in a separate place, use dedicated serving utensils and keep an unopened spare pack away from the buffet.
For the gluten-free Digestives included in the research, Jumbo lists milk, oats and soya, and states that they may contain nuts. Schär lists soya in its Choco Chip Cookies.
Ask about any other dietary requirements in advance and keep the packaging available so guests can check the ingredients.
The Digestives Melkchocolade included in the research are gluten-free biscuits coated in milk chocolate, for anyone looking for a pack that can be served separately.
Schär Choco Chip Cookies are an option for anyone wanting to offer a chocolate chip cookie rather than a biscuit coated in chocolate.
Verkade Oaties Melkchocolade is an oat biscuit with milk chocolate, which Verkade describes as gluten-free.
This brand is relevant here as a reminder to check chocolate biscuits individually, especially when regular biscuits are also being served.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Association, this means less than 20 mg of gluten per kg of product. When you buy, check the current packaging for the specific biscuit, not just its name or picture on a webshop.
Yes, as long as you prevent them from coming into contact with regular biscuits, crumbs containing gluten or shared serving utensils. The Dutch Coeliac Association stresses the importance of preventing cross-contamination, so use a separate plate and serving tong.
No. The symbol isn’t the same as a gluten-free label on the packaging. The Dutch Coeliac Association describes Crossed Grain as an additional indication that a product’s gluten-free status has been checked. In every case, check the pack you’re buying.
For the Lekker Vrij van Gluten Digestives Melkchocolade included in the research, Jumbo lists a pack size of 165 g and 10 portions per pack. Whether that’s enough for your garden party depends on the number of guests and what else you’re serving.
No, not the product mentioned here: Lotus Bakeries lists wheat flour among the ingredients in Lotus Speculoos with chocolate. For a guest with coeliac disease, choose a biscuit whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’.
