If you have coeliac disease, start with the current packaging: choose chocolate biscuits explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’, rather than relying on the ingredients list alone. Then check which pack is practical for your train journey, and check separately for lactose and other allergens. Read the pack you’re actually taking with you, even if you’ve bought the product before.
You want to check before setting off that the current packaging labels the biscuits ‘gluten-free’. Under European regulations, this claim can only be used if the food, as sold to the final consumer, contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten.
You don’t want to open the whole pack at once. Jumbo lists Schär Choco Chip Cookies as containing three biscuits per individual pack, with nine biscuits in total.
You’re looking for something that’s not only gluten-free but, for example, lactose-free too. Check for other allergens separately: Jumbo says Céréal’s lactose-free biscuits may contain milk proteins, among other things.
First, check the gluten-free claim on the pack you’re taking with you. Then compare the portion packaging, any other allergens and whether you can buy the product before your journey.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging; don’t rely solely on the product name or an ingredients list with no visible wheat ingredient. Under European regulations, this claim means the food, as sold to the final consumer, must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. | I have coeliac disease and want to check that my biscuits are explicitly labelled gluten-free. This is the top priority for around 46% of consumers. |
| Portion for your journey | Check how many biscuits you need to open at once and what you can do with the empty wrapper. Jumbo lists Schär Choco Chip Cookies as containing three biscuits per individual pack. | If I only want a few biscuits while travelling, I’d rather take a clearly portioned pack than open a large one. Around 27% of consumers give this convenience the highest priority. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen warnings on the physical pack; don’t assume that a lactose-free claim means a product is free from milk proteins. | I have another dietary restriction as well as avoiding gluten, and want to know which ingredients or warnings are relevant to me. For around 18% of consumers, this additional check is the main concern. |
| Buying in advance | Before you set off, check where you can buy the product you’ve chosen and read the packaging again when you buy it; the range may vary by location and time. | I want to have my biscuits ready before my train journey, rather than relying on buying them at the station. Being able to buy in advance matters most to around 9% of consumers. |
An ingredients list with no wheat is not the same as an explicit gluten-free claim. European regulations set conditions for using that claim.
If you have coeliac disease, check that ‘gluten-free’ appears on the current packaging.
Albert Heijn warns that product and allergen information can change. So, the same product name doesn’t mean you can rely on information from an earlier pack.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you’re taking on this journey.
Jumbo describes Céréal’s chocolate biscuits as lactose-free, but also says they may contain milk proteins. This warning matters if you need to avoid milk ingredients.
Check the allergen warning separately from the lactose-free claim.
Once you’ve opened a pack, you’ll need somewhere to put it and any empty wrappers while you’re travelling. NS asks passengers to put rubbish in the bin.
Check how many biscuits you need to open at once, and keep the wrapper until you can put it in the bin.
Albert Heijn lists 160 g Chocolate chip cookies with milk chocolate and hazelnut in this gluten-free range.
Jumbo lists Schär Choco Chip Cookies as gluten-free biscuits in a 100 g pack.
Jumbo lists Céréal Gluten-Free & Lactose-Free Chocolate Biscuits in a 150 g pack.
Verkade describes Oaties Milk Chocolate as a gluten-free oat biscuit with milk chocolate.
Under Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, ‘gluten-free’ can only be stated if the food, as sold to the final consumer, contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Check the claim on the pack you’re buying.
Yes, as long as the product meets the requirements for a gluten-free claim. European regulations also set conditions for the production, preparation or processing of oats to prevent contamination; check the current packaging when you buy.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. That’s why Albert Heijn advises reading the packaging, even if you’ve bought a product with the same name before.
Not necessarily: for Céréal’s lactose-free chocolate biscuits, Jumbo says milk proteins may be present. So, if you need to avoid milk ingredients, check the warning on the specific pack.
