When choosing crisps for Friday afternoon drinks, don’t rely on the general term ‘free from’. Ask which substance your guest needs to avoid and check each bag individually. Check the ingredients, allergen information and any cross-contamination warnings on the current packaging. A gluten-free, vegan or lactose-free label doesn’t automatically tell you anything about other allergens.
You’re looking for crisps for a guest who needs to avoid gluten, and want to take any cross-contamination warning into account too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises checking the label when buying gluten-free products; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how a warning about possible cross-contamination may appear on the label.
You want to offer something to guests who avoid animal-derived ingredients or lactose. Check these characteristics separately: a vegan label doesn’t mean that all allergens are absent.
You want to offer a range of flavours and pack sizes, while making it clear which bags have been checked for guests with dietary requirements. If you’re serving a variety pack, check the ingredients and allergens for each variety.
Start with the substance your guest needs to avoid. Then compare flavours and quantities, and check each option on the packaging you’ll actually be serving.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Check the gluten-free label, ingredients and any cross-contamination warnings on the bag. | If a guest needs to avoid gluten, I don’t want to rely on the main ingredient alone. Around 42% of consumers make this their top priority. |
| Vegan or lactose-free | Check the relevant dietary label and allergen information for each variety; don’t treat the two characteristics as interchangeable. | If a guest wants to avoid animal-derived ingredients or lactose, I look for a bag where I can check that specific requirement separately. This is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Sharing with a mixed group | If you’re serving several flavours, check each bag separately and keep an option checked for a particular guest apart from the other crisps. | I want to offer something to different guests without mixing up the flavours. Around 17% of consumers prioritise this clear way of setting out snacks. |
| Flavour and quantity | Compare the flavour and net weight once you’ve established which varieties meet the requirements you’ve been given. | If there’s no specific substance that a guest needs to avoid, I mainly want to know which flavour and quantity will suit the occasion. This comes first for around 16% of consumers. |
These labels mean different things. Albert Heijn lists AH Chips naturel online as gluten-free, vegan and lactose-free, but these three characteristics don’t mean that other allergens are absent too.
Ask which substance your guest needs to avoid and check that specific information on the current packaging.
Flavours in the same variety pack may contain different ingredients. Jumbo lists soya in the bolognese variety of Croky Partymix, even though the flavours are described as gluten-free and vegan on the product page.
Check the allergen information for each flavour or bag, and keep an option checked for a particular guest separate.
Ingredients and dietary or allergy information can change, as Albert Heijn notes in its product information. An image or description you viewed earlier may therefore not match the bag you serve.
Read the physical packaging when you buy the crisps and again before serving them.
The Belgian product page for Pringles Original lists wheat flour and possible traces of milk and soya. This doesn’t necessarily tell you what’s in a Dutch pack.
Use the information on the Dutch pack to make your final choice.
A brand or retailer category can help you find options; assess whether a product is suitable for a guest by checking the specific packaging.
Albert Heijn has an online category for gluten-free crisps. The retailer lists AH Chips naturel separately as gluten-free, vegan and lactose-free.
Jumbo has an online category for gluten-free crisps and savoury snacks, and also offers a range of plain crisps.
Lidl describes gluten-free options in its range, including products in its standard range.
Lay's describes its Original flavour as potato crisps with a little salt, and also offers other flavours and varieties.
Pringles sells stackable crisps in a range of flavours and pack sizes.
This selection includes broccoli, okra, plantain, taro and cassava crisps for anyone looking to try something different from regular potato crisps. If you need to cater for someone avoiding gluten, lactose, animal-derived ingredients or specific allergens, choose a variety only after checking the relevant labels and any warnings on the current packaging.
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A small pack to serve as a separate snack option. If you need to cater for someone avoiding gluten or specific allergens, check the labels and any cross-contamination warnings on the current packaging; check vegan and lactose-free requirements separately.
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A different vegetable crisp in a 25 g pack. If you’re catering for a specific dietary requirement, check the ingredients, allergen information and any cross-contamination warnings on the bag; don’t rely on the name ‘okra crisps’ alone.
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Salted plantain crisps for anyone looking to serve something different from potato crisps. Check the current packaging to see whether this variety meets the stated gluten-free, vegan, lactose-free or allergen requirements.
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Sea salt-flavoured taro crisps as an alternative to plain potato crisps. If you’re catering for guests with dietary requirements or allergies, check the ingredients and any warnings on this specific pack.
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A chilli-flavoured option in a 250 g pack for anyone looking to serve something spicy. Before serving, read the full ingredients list, allergen information and any warnings on the bag if a guest needs to avoid anything.
Yes. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked foods. Check the ingredients list on the specific bag and look out for the allergens highlighted there, rather than relying only on a dietary claim on the front.
No. A gluten-free label doesn’t mean that the product is also free from milk, nuts or soya. Check the packaging information separately for every allergen your guest needs to avoid.
Take the warning into account if your guest needs to avoid the allergen named. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes this type of statement as a warning about possible cross-contamination. If in doubt, ask your guest which products are suitable for them rather than interpreting the warning away yourself.
Use an online product page to find possible options, but check the current packaging before serving them. Albert Heijn says that ingredients and dietary or allergy information can change, so the image or description you used to make your initial choice isn’t enough to decide what’s suitable for each guest.
