If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, choose a chocolate biscuit whose current packaging states ‘gluten-free’, and serve it separately from snacks containing gluten. Also check the ingredients and allergen warnings for any other dietary restrictions: gluten-free doesn’t mean that a biscuit is, for example, free from milk or soya. It’s a sweet addition to your drinks party, not a replacement for savoury snacks.
You’re looking for a biscuit with a current gluten-free label and want to prevent it coming into contact with crumbs from other snacks during your drinks party. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends preparing gluten-free food separately.
As well as gluten, you may also need to avoid milk, eggs, soya, nuts or other listed allergens. For this, the information on the packaging of the specific variety is what matters.
You want to offer chocolate biscuits separately, rather than placing them on the same platter as snacks that may contain gluten.
Start with the gluten-free label on the pack and your guest’s dietary restrictions. Then choose a way to serve the biscuits that keeps them separate from other party snacks.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free status and serving separately | Check for a ‘gluten-free’ label on the current pack. When serving, keep the biscuits away from crumbs and shared utensils. | For a guest with coeliac disease, I want to choose the right pack and prevent contact with regular party food. Around 42% of consumers give this combination top priority. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and any ‘may contain’ warnings for the exact variety. | If my guest needs to avoid anything else as well as gluten, the biscuit I choose must be suitable for that too. Around 25% of consumers consider this additional check most important. |
| Where to place them on the party table | Choose packaging you can keep sealed until serving, and set the biscuits out separately. | I want to offer a sweet snack without others using the same platter or tongs for regular snacks. This way of serving is the top priority for around 17% of consumers. |
| Packaging and availability | When ordering, check the variety and pack size; compare the current label when it arrives. | When shopping, I want to find a suitable pack and make sure the one I receive matches my choice. Around 16% of consumers prioritise this practical aspect of choosing packaging. |
Gluten-free chocolate biscuits may still contain milk, eggs, soya or nuts, or carry a warning about possible traces of allergens.
Ask which ingredients your guest needs to avoid, then read both the ingredients list and the allergen warnings on the pack.
A gluten-free biscuit may come into contact with crumbs from foods containing gluten or with shared utensils while being served. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends keeping gluten-free food separate.
Set the biscuits out separately, use clean serving utensils and, if possible, keep the pack sealed until serving.
Albert Heijn describes its 160 g Chocolate chip cookies as being made in a completely gluten-free environment.
The Choco Chip Cookies reviewed are described as gluten-free and lactose-free.
Jumbo describes Céréal’s chocolate biscuits as gluten-free and lactose-free, made with maize, teff and rice flour.
Verkade describes Oaties Milk Chocolate as a gluten-free oat biscuit topped with a layer of milk chocolate.
Within this range, Jumbo lists Digestives Milk Chocolate without gluten in a 165 g pack.
According to the European Commission and EUR-Lex, EU rules allow the ‘gluten-free’ label to be used when the finished product contains less than 20 mg/kg of gluten. If you’re catering for someone with coeliac disease, check that the current packaging of the biscuit you choose carries this label.
No. Gluten-free doesn’t automatically mean free from milk, eggs, soya or nuts. The varieties described differ, so read the ingredients and allergen warnings on the pack you plan to serve.
Serve the gluten-free biscuits separately, using clean utensils and keeping them away from crumbs from other snacks. If possible, keep the pack sealed until serving and don’t use tongs that have also touched products containing gluten. This follows the Dutch Coeliac Society’s advice to keep gluten-free food separate.
It’s best to check the packaging of the product you actually buy and serve. Product information can change, so check the ingredients, allergens and any warnings about possible traces of other substances.
