If someone with coeliac disease is taking part in the Easter egg hunt, choose a treat based on the current packaging, looking for the ‘gluten-free’ label or Crossed Grain symbol—not simply because an Easter egg is made of chocolate. A gluten-free biscuit or cake can replace Kano's as a treat, but it won't necessarily have the same shape or taste. Always check the ingredients and allergen information on seasonal products, too.
If someone taking part has coeliac disease, a verifiably gluten-free choice matters more than the shape or brand of the treat. Keep the packaging to hand so you can check the label, ingredients and allergen information.
A gluten-free biscuit or cake can make a small sweet treat during the hunt. It doesn't have to be a replica of a Kano or a chocolate egg.
You can search for gluten-free biscuits and snacks through product range pages, but check the packaging of the product you choose and its availability in store. Seasonal ranges can change.
Start with the packaging and whether the product is suitable for the person taking part. Then decide whether the treat needs to look like an Easter egg, or whether an individually wrapped biscuit or cake would work just as well for the hunt.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label or Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging, and read the ingredients and allergen information too. | If someone with coeliac disease is taking part, I don't want to judge by the look of the chocolate. For around 36% of consumers, being able to verify that a product is gluten-free comes first. |
| A suitable treat | Decide whether it needs to be shaped like an Easter egg, or whether a wrapped gluten-free biscuit or cake will do. If choosing an oat product, check whether oats are suitable for the person taking part. | I'm looking for a small Easter treat, even if it's not a Kano or an Easter egg. Around 29% of consumers put this kind of seasonal alternative first. |
| Easy to identify when handing out | Keep regular and gluten-free treats separate and easy to identify; keep the packaging so you can check it when handing them out. | With different treats hidden around, I want to be able to find the gluten-free option without any mix-ups. For around 21% of consumers, this is their main concern. |
| Availability | Check the latest product information and stock in store; use a product category to help with your search, not as confirmation that every item is suitable. | If I'm shopping shortly before Easter, I want to find a suitable treat without relying on an old promotion. For around 14% of consumers, practical availability comes first. |
A filled Easter egg mix can also contain an ingredient with gluten. For example, the ingredients list for Jumbo Paaseitjes Mix 8 Smaken Vulling includes wheat flour; don't assume the same applies to other Easter eggs.
Read the packaging of the product you're buying and, if someone has coeliac disease, choose a gluten-free treat that is easy to identify separately.
A gluten-free category or temporary promotion doesn't mean that a particular Easter product is available in your store or that every item shown is suitable for the person taking part.
Check the product you've chosen, its current availability and the packaging in store.
When handing out the treats, it can then be difficult to tell which one is intended for the person with coeliac disease.
Keep the gluten-free treat separate or clearly identifiable, and keep the packaging for a final check.
A product's ingredients can change. The Dutch Coeliac Society therefore advises checking even familiar products again, especially if the packaging has been updated.
Read the latest ingredients and allergen information every time you buy it.
Verkade Gv Oaties Milk Chocolate is a chocolate-coated biscuit alternative for anyone who doesn't need an Easter egg-shaped treat.
This range is worth considering if a gluten-free biscuit or another small snack can replace the Easter treat.
Biscuits and small cakes from this range could work if the treat doesn't need to be shaped like an Easter egg.
The gluten-free category at PLUS can help you find biscuit alternatives.
Lidl is one place to look if you're considering a temporary gluten-free promotion.
This product is a chocolate-coated biscuit alternative for the Kano's treat occasion, not an Easter egg. If someone has coeliac disease, its suitability still depends on the current packaging and on whether oats are suitable for them.
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A biscuit-style treat for anyone who doesn't necessarily want to hand out a chocolate egg during the Easter egg hunt.
Joybuy describes this 150 g variety as containing milk chocolate, gluten-free oats and gluten-free oat flour.
If someone has coeliac disease, check the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging. According to the Joybuy product description, a small number of people with coeliac disease may be sensitive to oat protein (avenin).
You can't tell just from the absence of wheat. If someone has coeliac disease, choose an Easter egg based on the current gluten-free label or Crossed Grain symbol, and read the full ingredients and allergen information for that specific product.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, under EU rules a product can be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Check the label on the packaging you're actually buying; a general product category doesn't provide this information for every item.
If you're buying unwrapped Easter eggs, ask for the allergen information before choosing them; according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, this information must also be available for unpackaged food. If you're arranging a clearly identifiable gluten-free treat for someone with coeliac disease, an individually wrapped product with a gluten-free label makes it easier to check.
No. Gluten-free oats aren't automatically suitable for everyone taking part. Joybuy notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease may be sensitive to oat protein (avenin) in Verkade Gv Oaties. Check whether oats are suitable for the person in question and read the current packaging.
Yes, read the packaging every time you buy it. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that a change in ingredients can affect whether a familiar product is suitable, particularly if the packaging says it has been updated.
