If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, choose pre-packed taaitaai biscuits clearly labelled gluten-free and check the current packaging for other allergens. Keep them separate from regular taaitaai when serving. Before you shop, check availability too, as not all the branded options listed by Albert Heijn and Jumbo can be ordered online.
You want to offer a gluten-free treat with coffee and avoid it coming into contact with regular biscuits or crumbs. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms in people with coeliac disease.
As well as gluten, you may need to avoid ingredients such as almonds, milk or lupin. So check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the product you actually buy.
You want to have enough suitable biscuits at home in good time. Check the latest online order status or in-store availability before relying on a particular type of taaitaai.
Start by checking the gluten-free label and serving the taaitaai separately. Then look for other allergens and make sure you can get enough biscuits in time.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free choice and serving | Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label on the current packaging. If you’re also serving regular biscuits, use a clean, separate plate and clean serving utensils. | If a guest has coeliac disease, I want to prevent their taaitaai from coming into contact with crumbs containing gluten. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients list and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements; gluten-free doesn’t mean free from other allergens. | If someone has an additional allergy, the treat needs to be suitable in terms of its other ingredients too. Around 30% of consumers put this check first. |
| Availability and quantity | Check the latest online order status or local stock, and choose the number of packs to suit your number of guests. | When I’m shopping just before coffee, I want to know whether I can get enough suitable taaitaai. This is the main purchasing concern for around 20% of consumers. |
The Consenza taaitaai biscuits listed by Albert Heijn contain almonds and gluten-free oat flour. The listed Maître Mathis variety contains milk and lupin, and may contain nuts, sesame seeds and egg.
Ask which allergens are relevant to your guests, then check the current packaging of the product you’ve chosen.
Albert Heijn listed the Maître Mathis variety as discontinued; Jumbo listed Gluten Free Bakery Holland taaitaai as no longer part of its online range.
Check the online order status or in-store availability on the day you shop, and keep another gluten-free treat in reserve if necessary.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that even crumbs from products containing gluten can be a problem for people with coeliac disease.
Keep the gluten-free taaitaai in its packaging until you’re ready to serve it, then put it on a clean, separate plate with its own serving utensils.
Albert Heijn lists Consenza Taai taai poppetjes, 125 g, as gluten-free.
A gluten-free taaitaai variety that Albert Heijn listed as discontinued.
Jumbo listed gluten-free taaitaai from this brand in a 130 g pack.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the ‘gluten-free’ label can be used for products with a gluten content of no more than 20 mg/kg. When you buy, check that this label appears on the packaging of your chosen product.
If someone has coeliac disease, don’t offer regular taaitaai as a substitute for a variety explicitly labelled gluten-free. For example, Jumbo lists both wheat flour and rye flour in a regular taaitaai baking mix; always assess each product using its own current label.
Yes, because the gluten-free label tells you nothing about other allergens. The Consenza variety listed by Albert Heijn contains almonds, while the listed Maître Mathis variety contains milk and lupin. Check the current packaging for the guest you’re buying for.
Put the gluten-free taaitaai on a clean, separate plate and use clean, separate serving utensils. This helps prevent contact with crumbs from regular biscuits, which the Netherlands Nutrition Centre warns can be a problem for people with coeliac disease.
