If you want a distinctly dark-tasting snack for your flight, don’t rely on a name like Kano's dark alone. Compare the cocoa percentage and ingredients on the packaging of the exact product. Schiphol generally allows solid biscuits and chocolate bars in hand luggage, but spreadable or liquid fillings may be subject to the rules for liquids. If you want a particular variety, it’s best to buy it when you have time to check the packaging and allergens. If you wait until after security, you’ll be limited to what’s available there.
If you want to compare how dark a chocolate snack is before you leave, check the cocoa percentage of the exact product. Verkade states that its Puur Voordeelreep contains at least 52% cocoa solids; this percentage doesn’t tell you anything about Kano's dark or other products.
It’s easier to assess a solid biscuit or chocolate bar by its shape than a snack with a spreadable filling. Schiphol generally allows food in hand luggage, but separate rules apply to liquids, creams and pastes.
A flavour name won’t tell you which allergens a snack contains. Always read the ingredients list and any warnings on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be listed on pre-packed food labels.
First, decide whether you want to buy a specific product before security or choose from what’s available after security. Then compare the snack’s form, cocoa percentage and label with the product you can actually buy.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dark flavour | Check the cocoa percentage and ingredients of the exact product; don’t infer the percentage from the word “dark”. | I’m looking for a distinctly dark chocolate flavour and want to know what I’m buying. Around 40% of consumers put this flavour choice first. |
| Hand luggage | Check whether the snack is solid or has a spreadable, creamy or paste-like filling. Schiphol allows liquids in containers of up to 100 ml. | I’m travelling with hand luggage only and want to know in advance whether my snack can pass through security. For around 30% of consumers, this practical question matters most. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients list, the allergens highlighted and any warnings on the packaging. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I can’t rely on the front of the pack. Checking the label comes first for around 20% of consumers. |
| When to buy | Decide whether you’ll buy before or after security. If you want a particular variety, ask whether it’s currently in stock. | I want to buy something at the airport and need to consider what’s available along my route. Around 10% of consumers give the timing of their purchase the highest priority. |
A flavour name on its own doesn’t give you a verifiable percentage. For example, the cocoa content stated by Verkade for its Puur Voordeelreep applies only to that bar.
Check the percentage on the packaging of the product you want to take with you.
Schiphol classifies creams and pastes, among other things, as liquids. The hand-luggage rules for liquids apply to anything that falls into this category.
Check the snack’s form and contents before going through security. If in doubt, choose a clearly solid biscuit or bar, or check which rules apply to its contents.
Schiphol lists Albert Heijn before security and Chocolate House after security, but a shop listing doesn’t tell you which specific snacks will be available on the day you travel.
If you need a particular variety, ask about current stock or buy a product in good time so you can check its packaging.
A product name or a description such as “dark” is no substitute for the ingredients list. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be listed on pre-packed food labels.
Read the ingredients list and any warnings on the current packaging of the exact product.
Verkade makes dark chocolate products that you can compare before you leave by checking the label.
Schiphol lists Lindt at Chocolate House after security in Lounge 1.
Schiphol also lists Godiva at Chocolate House after security.
These Joybuy products are options to compare before you leave: three Lindt Excellence bars with a cocoa percentage in the product name, and an AE Chocodate snack. Always check the current packaging and ingredients before taking a product with you; this list doesn’t tell you what’s in stock at Schiphol.
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For anyone looking to compare a dark chocolate bar with a stated cocoa percentage. Before travelling, check the packaging, ingredients and allergens for this variety.
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For anyone choosing a dark bar based on its stated cocoa percentage. As with any variety, read the current label and check that the packaging suits your travel plans.
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For anyone specifically looking for a bar with a stated cocoa percentage of 90%. Check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging rather than relying on the percentage alone.
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An alternative to consider if you’re not necessarily looking for a standard dark chocolate bar. Compare the ingredients and product form on the packaging before choosing this snack for your hand luggage.
Yes. Schiphol generally allows food in hand luggage. However, check the product’s form: spreadable or liquid fillings may be subject to the rules for liquids.
That depends on the filling: if it’s classed as a liquid, cream, gel or paste, Schiphol’s rules for liquids apply. Each container must hold no more than 100 ml, and it must be carried in a single transparent, resealable 1-litre bag per person.
Read the ingredients list and any warnings on the current packaging of that exact snack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that mandatory allergens in pre-packed food must be clearly distinguished from the other ingredients.
Don’t assume so: Schiphol lists Albert Heijn before security and Chocolate House after security in Lounge 1. If you want a particular variety, check current stock with the shop in question.
