For a Valentine’s Day treat for someone with coeliac disease, first choose a biscuit whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or displays the Crossed Grain trademark; the Dutch Coeliac Association identifies this mark as a way to recognise gluten-free products. Then choose between options such as chocolate chip biscuits, digestives and oat biscuits, and check which other allergens are relevant to the recipient for each variety.
A standard chocolate biscuit is not a substitute for one specifically labelled gluten-free. Check the packaging and keep the biscuit separate from products containing gluten when serving it, as advised by the Dutch Coeliac Association.
As well as gluten, ingredients such as milk, nuts, egg or soya may affect your choice. Compare the allergen information for the exact variety with the ingredients the recipient needs to avoid. ‘Lactose-free’ does not automatically mean free from milk proteins.
A chocolate biscuit can make a little gift or go nicely with a coffee. First decide which packaged variety meets the gluten-free requirement, then choose a type of biscuit and chocolate flavour the recipient will enjoy.
When choosing a Valentine’s Day treat for someone with coeliac disease, checking that it is labelled gluten-free comes before choosing the flavour, other ingredients and presentation.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Check that the exact packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or displays the Crossed Grain trademark. Keep the biscuit separate when serving it. | If I’m giving a biscuit to someone with coeliac disease, I want to see on the packaging that this exact variety is gluten-free. Around 36% of consumers put this reassurance first. |
| Type of biscuit and chocolate | Choose from the varieties labelled gluten-free, such as a chocolate chip biscuit, a digestive with milk chocolate or an oat biscuit. | For a small Valentine’s Day gift, I want to choose a type of biscuit and chocolate flavour the recipient will enjoy. For around 29% of consumers, that treat-like quality comes first. |
| Other ingredients | Read the allergen information for the exact variety. Check whether it is lactose-free or vegan separately from whether it is suitable for someone with a milk or soya allergy. | If the recipient needs to avoid another ingredient as well as gluten, that will determine which biscuits are suitable. For around 21% of consumers, an additional dietary restriction is the first deciding factor. |
| Packaging and availability | Check that you can get the variety you want with clear labelling, and that the packaging is suitable for giving as a gift or serving separately. | I want to be able to give the biscuit in time without mixing up the packaging with a standard variety. Around 14% of consumers give packaging and availability top priority. |
The front of a pack does not provide all the information needed when you have coeliac disease. Under EU Regulation 828/2014, the claim ‘gluten-free’ may only be used on food sold to consumers if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten.
Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain trademark on the current packaging for the exact variety. Don’t assume that a standard variety from the same brand is also gluten-free.
Once the packaging is open, gluten crumbs can get onto a gluten-free biscuit via a plate, hands or cutlery. The Dutch Coeliac Association advises keeping gluten-free food separate.
Give the biscuit in its unopened packaging or serve it separately, using clean cutlery on a clean surface.
Céréal Gluten-free & Lactose-free Chocolate Biscuits product information states that this variety may contain milk proteins. So a lactose-free label does not tell you whether it is suitable for someone who needs to avoid milk.
Ask which ingredients are relevant to the recipient and read the allergen information on the exact packaging.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. A product page you viewed earlier is therefore not the final check for the biscuit you actually give.
Just before giving it, compare the product name and all relevant information with the current packaging.
The details below apply to the biscuit varieties mentioned, not automatically to other products from the same brand.
Albert Heijn’s 160 g Chocolate chip cookies are an option if you’re looking for a chocolate chip biscuit with an explicit gluten-free label.
The 165 g Gluten-free Digestives with Milk Chocolate are a biscuit option with milk chocolate.
The 150 g chocolate biscuits are sold as gluten-free and lactose-free.
The 100 g Choco Chip Cookies are an option if you’re looking for a variety that is gluten-free, vegan and lactose-free.
Oaties Milk Chocolate is an oat biscuit with a milk chocolate coating, for anyone looking for that type of biscuit.
Check the current packaging for the exact variety for a ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain trademark. Under EU Regulation 828/2014, food sold to consumers labelled ‘gluten-free’ must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Don’t choose based only on the chocolate flavour or an ingredients list that doesn’t mention wheat on the front of the pack.
No. Only choose an oat biscuit if the current packaging for that exact variety says it is gluten-free or displays the Crossed Grain trademark. Verkade says that Oaties Milk Chocolate contains gluten-free oats; also check whether milk, soya and the warning about possible traces of nuts are relevant to the recipient.
Keep gluten-free biscuits separate from treats containing gluten. Ideally, give them in their unopened packaging or use clean hands, clean cutlery and a clean surface, following the Dutch Coeliac Association’s advice on cross-contamination.
No, the labels don’t mean the same thing. Céréal Gluten-free & Lactose-free Chocolate Biscuits product information says that this variety may contain milk proteins. So read the allergen information on the exact packaging if the recipient needs to avoid milk.
