For a work meeting attended by someone with coeliac disease, choose speculaas labelled gluten-free on the current packaging. Serving only gluten-free snacks makes things simpler. If you also put out regular biscuits, keep the gluten-free speculaas away from crumbs and shared serving utensils. According to Lotus, Biscoff contains wheat flour and is not a gluten-free alternative.
You’re providing something to enjoy with tea or coffee and want to check the gluten-free label on the packaging. When serving it, you also need to prevent contact with gluten-containing crumbs, as advised by the Dutch Coeliac Society.
You’re offering both regular and gluten-free biscuits. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights the risk of cross-contamination. In practice, this means keeping the gluten-free options and serving utensils separate.
You’re comparing ready-to-serve product types and checking the gluten-free label and current packaging before the meeting.
First, check the gluten-free label on the packaging. Then decide how you’ll serve the biscuits and which product type will suit the number of attendees.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Check the current packaging to see whether the finished product is explicitly labelled gluten-free. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, published on EUR-Lex, this label may only be used when the food sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. | If someone with coeliac disease is joining us, I want to be able to check the packaging and see whether the speculaas is labelled gluten-free. For around 42% of consumers, this check comes first. |
| Serving separately | Where possible, choose a snack table that is entirely gluten-free. If you’re also offering regular biscuits, use separate plates and serving utensils. | At a mixed table, I want to prevent crumbs or shared utensils from coming into contact with the gluten-free speculaas. Serving separately is the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Product type and quantity | Compare speculaas, small speculaas biscuits and filled speculaas biscuits as different product types. Check the weight and, where stated, the number of biscuits on the packaging. | For a coffee break during the meeting, I want to choose a product type that suits the number of people eating gluten-free. Around 25% of consumers say this practical choice comes first once the gluten-free label and serving arrangements have been taken care of. |
A familiar brand name doesn’t tell you whether a product is labelled gluten-free. Lotus states that all Biscoff products contain wheat flour and that there are no gluten-free Biscoff products.
For the attendee with coeliac disease, choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free on its current packaging. Don’t use regular Lotus Biscoff as a substitute.
The Dutch Coeliac Society advises that people with coeliac disease also need to avoid cross-contamination. At a mixed table, crumbs or shared serving utensils could come into contact with the gluten-free options.
Where possible, serve only gluten-free snacks. If you’re also putting out regular biscuits, keep the gluten-free options separate and don’t use shared plates or utensils.
Albert Heijn says that ingredient, nutritional and allergen information can change. So an online listing you viewed earlier may not match the packaging of the product you’re serving at the meeting.
Read the current packaging before putting out the biscuits, and keep it available for the attendee eating gluten-free.
Jumbo lists a 125 g gluten-free speculaas in this range.
Albert Heijn lists AH Glutenvrij Speculaas and AH Glutenvrij Gevulde speculaas koek as different product types.
Jumbo lists Consenza Glutenvrije Speculaasjes, weighing 100 g, and a separate 60 g filled gluten-free speculaas biscuit.
Jumbo lists Schär Gluten Free Speculoos in a 100 g pack.
Regular Lotus Biscoff is not a gluten-free substitute for speculaas for an attendee with coeliac disease.
No. Regular Lotus Biscoff is not a gluten-free option: according to Lotus, all Biscoff products contain wheat flour. Choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free on its current packaging for this attendee.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, published on EUR-Lex, a food may only be labelled gluten-free if the product as sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Check the label on the packaging you’ll be using for the work meeting.
Keep the gluten-free speculaas separate from regular biscuits and use separate plates and serving utensils. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises avoiding cross-contamination; serving only gluten-free snacks makes it easier to keep everything separate.
Use the online information to compare products, but check the current packaging before serving too. Albert Heijn points out that product ingredient, nutritional and allergen information can change.
Start with the number of attendees you want to provide with gluten-free biscuits, then check the weight and, where stated, the number of biscuits in the pack you choose. For example, Jumbo lists Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas as 125 g and Consenza Glutenvrije Speculaasjes as 100 g; these weights don’t tell you how many portions are in each pack.
