If you need to avoid gluten or certain allergens, start by checking the label on the exact product variant. A vegan claim, plain flavour or short ingredients list is no substitute. If you’re mainly looking for a savoury late-morning snack, compare portion size and nutritional values next: lower fat alone doesn’t tell you much about the snack as a whole.
If you have coeliac disease, a wheat allergy or another food allergy, the exact packaging matters more than the flavour or brand. Check the ingredients, highlighted allergens, any gluten-free statement and any warnings relevant to the foods you need to avoid.
If you want to avoid both animal-derived ingredients and certain allergens, you’ll need information about both for the same product variant. A vegan claim doesn’t mean the crisps are also free from, for example, soya or nuts.
Pack size, fat and salt can all influence your choice of a savoury late-morning snack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre classifies both regular and light crisps as outside the Wheel of Five, so compare the nutritional information without treating a lower fat content as a verdict on the product as a whole.
First, decide whether you need to avoid a specific ingredient, then check the exact product variant. Once you’ve settled on that, you can compare portion sizes and nutritional values across suitable products.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and allergens | Read the ingredients and highlighted allergens on the packaging. If you avoid gluten, look for a suitable gluten-free statement and check any relevant warnings. | If I need to avoid gluten or a specific allergen, I want to know whether this particular flavour suits my requirements. For around 50% of consumers, this check comes first. |
| Vegan and free-from | Check both the vegan information and the ingredients and allergen information for the same product variant. | I’m looking for a plant-based snack, but I also want to avoid certain allergens, so one claim doesn’t answer everything I need to know. For around 30% of consumers, this combination is the main priority. |
| Portion size and nutritional value | Compare energy, fat and salt per 100 g, then work out what the amount you plan to eat means for you. | For a savoury break, I want to decide in advance how many crisps to have and compare products on the same nutritional basis. Around 20% of consumers give this consideration the highest priority. |
A gluten-free product may still contain other allergens. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains which allergens must be clearly listed on labels.
Start with the ingredients you need to avoid and check the packaging for them, rather than relying only on the shelf label.
A vegan claim relates to animal-derived ingredients. A simple flavour or short ingredients list doesn’t rule out all relevant allergens either.
Read the full ingredients and allergen information for your chosen flavour, and check any warnings.
Ingredients and product information can change. Albert Heijn notes that product information, including allergen and nutritional details, may be updated.
Check the packaging again before eating the crisps. If an allergen detail is crucial to your choice and the label is still unclear, ask the manufacturer or retailer for clarification.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the difference in calories between light crisps and regular crisps is small; both are outside the Wheel of Five.
Compare products in equal quantities and look at energy and salt on the nutrition table as well as fat.
Lay's offers, among other things, plain crisps and the Oven Baked range. These are different product options, not a shared free-from claim.
Pringles offers a range of flavours in tube packaging.
Jumbo lists Schär Curvies Paprika as a gluten-free product in its range of crisps and savoury snacks.
Jumbo described the flavours in a Croky Partymix as gluten-free and vegan.
Albert Heijn described Eat Real Hummus Chips Tomato & Basil as vegan, gluten-free and free from the 14 declarable allergens.
This selection includes okra, taro, plantain and cassava snacks for a savoury late-morning break. To find out which, if any, meets a specific free-from requirement, check the current packaging for the exact product variant.
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This small pack is handy if you’re looking for an individually portioned snack. Check the gluten and allergen information on the label. To compare nutritional values, also check whether they’re given per 100 g or per portion.
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These taro crisps are an option if you’re looking for a savoury snack with a sea salt flavour. If you need to avoid gluten or other allergens, check the statements and warnings on the packaging for this variant.
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These salted plantain crisps are worth comparing if you’re looking for an alternative to potato crisps. Choose your own portion from the pack and, if you need to avoid something in your diet, check the exact gluten and allergen information on the label.
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These cassava crisps are an option if you’re looking for a spicy snack. The pack contains 250 g, so choose how much you’d like to have. Check the nutritional values and any gluten or allergen information on the label.
No. Gluten-free refers to gluten and doesn’t rule out ingredients such as milk, soya or nuts. Check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and relevant warnings on the packaging for anything you need to avoid.
Not on the basis of the vegan claim alone: it doesn’t mean the crisps are free from the allergen you need to avoid. Read the allergen information for the exact flavour, even if the product also carries a broader free-from claim.
First compare the same quantity, then check energy, fat and salt per 100 g and per portion you plan to eat. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the calorie difference between light crisps and regular crisps is small, and both are outside the Wheel of Five.
Use the current packaging for the exact product variant to make your choice. Product information can change. If an allergen detail that matters to you is still unclear, ask the manufacturer or retailer for clarification before eating the product.
