Don’t use kano biscuits as a substitute for cocoa or melted chocolate in a baking recipe: the varieties described are ready-made biscuits filled with almond paste. If your recipe calls for cocoa and Fairtrade is a requirement, choose a suitable baking ingredient that is explicitly labelled Fairtrade. For every variety, check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging, too.
If you want the cocoa in your recipe itself to carry a Fairtrade label, check the product you choose rather than relying on a brand’s or supermarket’s general policy. Fairtrade Original describes its cocoa powder as Fairtrade and lists baking uses for it.
A recipe calling for cocoa powder has different requirements from one using melted cooking chocolate. Fairtrade Original lists uses for its cocoa powder, while Verkade offers cooking chocolate for recipes where you need to weigh out and melt chocolate.
If you’re mainly looking for a biscuit filled with almond paste, kano biscuits are a different choice from a chocolate ingredient for baking. Albert Heijn and Jumbo describe their kano biscuits as biscuits filled with almond paste.
First decide whether you’re baking a recipe or serving a biscuit. Then choose the right product form and check the product itself for any Fairtrade requirement.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade label | Check whether the cocoa or chocolate product you choose is explicitly labelled Fairtrade. | If I want to bake brownies with Fairtrade cocoa, I want to see that label on the ingredient itself; this product-specific choice would be the priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Suitable for the recipe | Check whether the recipe calls for cocoa powder, melted chocolate or both. | For a recipe using melted chocolate, I don’t want to buy a ready-made biscuit as a substitute; getting the right product form would be the main concern for around 27% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients and any warnings about possible cross-contamination on the packaging of the variety you choose. | If an ingredient such as almonds or milk matters to me, I want to read the label on the exact pack I’m buying; allergens would be the main concern for around 19% of consumers. |
| Ready-made or homemade | Decide whether you want a biscuit that’s ready to eat or ingredients for a baking recipe. | If I want to serve something without baking, I’ll look for a ready-made biscuit; convenience would be the main factor for around 18% of consumers. |
For its own-brand cocoa, Albert Heijn mentions Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance. Lidl also refers to several forms of certification. That doesn’t tell you which certification appears on the product you’re choosing for your recipe.
Check the Fairtrade label on the current packaging of the specific baking ingredient.
The kano biscuits described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo are biscuits filled with almond paste. They can’t replace cocoa powder or cooking chocolate in a recipe that calls for either of those ingredients.
Read the recipe’s ingredients list before choosing between cocoa powder and cooking chocolate.
Otherwise, you’ll still need to buy the baking ingredient specified in the recipe.
Ingredients and allergens vary between kano biscuit varieties. So, having bought one before doesn’t tell you enough about the pack you’re using now.
When buying and using the product, check the current ingredients list and any warnings about possible cross-contamination.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for cocoa powder with an explicit Fairtrade label for baking.
A relevant choice when your recipe calls for cooking chocolate that you can weigh out and melt.
A relevant choice when deciding between a kano biscuit and an own-brand cocoa product.
A supermarket to consider if you’re looking for Fairtrade cocoa in an own-brand product.
A relevant choice if you want to check which cocoa certification applies to an own-brand product.
Not if the recipe calls for cocoa powder or melted chocolate. The kano biscuits described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo are filled with almond paste. Use them as a ready-made treat, or only when your recipe specifically calls for this type of biscuit.
Look for an explicit Fairtrade label on the product you choose. Albert Heijn and Lidl also mention other forms of certification in their cocoa policies, so a general statement about own-brand cocoa doesn’t confirm which certification appears on your pack.
Yes. Read the packaging of the variety you’re actually buying and using. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that mandatory allergens must be clearly listed in the ingredients list; ingredients and warnings can vary by product.
A product page doesn’t guarantee that an item is available to order at that moment. Before completing your order, check current availability and make sure the product name, Fairtrade label and ingredients are right for your recipe.
