Office teams who enjoy savoury toppings
If there’s cheese, hummus or another topping alongside the tin, you’ll want toast that’s made for the job. Individual inner packs are handy when you won’t use everything at once.
Who should choose which option?
Colleagues who fancy a sweet biscuit
If you want something to enjoy during a break without a plate, knife or topping, a digestive is a different option from melba toast: it’s a biscuit to eat on its own.
Anyone checking nutritional information and allergens
When you’re sharing a tin, it’s important to keep the packaging available. The variants reviewed differ in nutritional value and in their declarations of cereals, soya and possible traces of sesame.
What should you look for?
First decide whether the tin is for toast to top or for a sweet biscuit. Then check each product’s packaging, nutritional information and allergen labelling.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Savoury toppings | Choose toast that’s sold as a base for toppings and compare the inner packs. | If we’re putting toppings out to share, I want to be able to take some toast without opening the whole supply straight away. For around 36% of consumers, a base for toppings is the priority. |
| Sweet snack | Check that you’re choosing a biscuit to eat on its own, and find out how to store it after opening. | With my coffee, I just want to grab a sweet biscuit from the tin. For around 29% of consumers, a ready-to-eat biscuit is their first choice. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information, including any warnings about possible traces. | When colleagues have different allergies, I want to know exactly what the label says before putting anything in the tin. Around 21% of consumers put allergen checks first. |
| Nutritional value | Compare things like salt and sugars per 100 g, and consider what the planned portion and toppings add. | When the tin is replenished regularly, I want to compare the nutritional information for the products we choose. For around 14% of consumers, this comparison matters most. |
Common mistakes
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Treating a digestive like savoury party toast
A sweet biscuit to enjoy with coffee doesn’t serve the same purpose as melba toast for savoury toppings.
Decide which use matters most. If you want to offer both, keep the biscuits and toast for toppings clearly separate.
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Relying on the gluten-free label alone
Van der Meulen Rice Toast Original, listed by Jumbo, is labelled gluten-free but may contain sesame and soya. So the label alone won’t answer every allergy-related question.
Read the full allergen information and keep it by the tin. If someone has an allergy, choose products in consultation with the colleague concerned and in line with your office’s policy.
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Checking only the salt content of the toast
The toast variants reviewed list different amounts of salt per 100 g. Savoury toppings also contribute to what someone eats on that occasion.
Compare the toast’s nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, and factor in the toppings you choose.
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Opening a large pack without a storage plan
If the tin takes several breaks to empty, it matters how many pieces of toast you take out of the pack at once.
Check whether the product has inner packs, top up with smaller quantities if needed, and reseal opened products according to the storage instructions.
Brands compared
Albert Heijn
The own-brand products reviewed have two different uses: AH Digestive is a biscuit, while AH Melba toast naturel is a base for toppings.
- According to Albert Heijn, AH Melba toast naturel comes in 12 packs of 6 pieces of toast; AH Digestive is a 400 g pack.
- The product pages list 1.93 g of salt per 100 g for AH Melba toast naturel and 16 g of added sugars per 100 g for AH Digestive. Compare the products based on how you’ll use them and what their labels say.
Van der Meulen Melba Toast
The melba toast reviewed is intended as a base for toppings; Rice Toast is a separate rice toast variant.
- Albert Heijn lists Van der Meulen Melba toast naturel as 6 packs of 6 pieces of toast, with 1.3 g of salt per 100 g.
- The melba toast reviewed contains wheat, barley and soya, and may contain sesame. For Rice Toast Original, Jumbo warns that it may contain sesame and soya; check the full label for this variant too.
Jumbo
Jumbo’s toast category includes products such as mini crackers and crisp toast. These aren’t necessarily the same type of product as melba toast or digestives.
- You can check whether an individual product’s size and flavour suit your tin.
- Always check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the specific variant you choose.
Bolletje
Bolletje Bagel Crackers Sesam is a cracker for toppings or eating on its own, not a digestive or classic melba toast.
- Crackers are worth considering if your tin can also include larger crackers for toppings.
- According to Bolletje, this variant contains wheat, barley and sesame, and may also contain egg, soya, milk, nuts and lupin. Keep the product information available when sharing.
Products for the office biscuit tin
This selection of Joybuy products includes melba toast and rice toast for a toast-based option, a digestive for a sweet biscuit to enjoy on its own, and two other biscuits for the same kind of break. The last two aren’t digestives, so choose them only if the occasion matters more than that specific type of biscuit.
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Delverde Classic Melba Toast, 100 g
Melba toast to consider if colleagues use the tin for toppings. If smaller portions are important, check how much you’ll need to open at once, and keep the latest allergen information available.
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McVities Digestive Original, 400 g
A digestive for anyone who wants a biscuit to enjoy on its own in the office tin. Check the storage instructions and allergen information if the pack will be used over several breaks.
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Van der Meulen Rice Toast Natural, 65 g
Rice toast for anyone looking for a toast option rather than a sweet biscuit. Before adding it to a shared tin, check the current packaging carefully for sesame and soya information; if someone has an allergy, don’t rely on the product type alone.
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Lu Scholiertje Milk Chocolate Biscuits, 150 g
A biscuit for a sweet break without toppings, but not a digestive. If you’re sharing the tin, keep the latest ingredients and allergen information to hand.
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Lu Bastogne Original, 3 x 260 g
A sweet biscuit for a coffee break, not for savoury toppings and not a digestive. This variant comes in three 260 g packs; check how to store an opened pack if the tin won’t be emptied quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What’s more practical if the tin will be used over several days?
Individual inner packs can be handy if you won’t eat everything at once. Albert Heijn lists AH Melba toast naturel as 12 packs of 6 pieces, and Van der Meulen Melba toast naturel as 6 packs of 6; store opened products according to their own packaging instructions.
Should allergen information be kept with a shared biscuit tin?
Yes. Keep the packaging or a clear product card available when you put products loose in a tin. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for pre-packed products appears on the label; colleagues need to be able to see which product the information relates to.
Is gluten-free rice toast also suitable for someone with a sesame or soya allergy?
Not on the basis of the gluten-free label alone. Van der Meulen Rice Toast Original, listed by Jumbo, may contain sesame and soya. Check the current packaging for the variant you choose and discuss the choice with the colleague concerned.
Should I compare salt using only the toast label?
No. Also consider the portion and any savoury toppings you’re offering. According to Albert Heijn, the melba toasts reviewed list 1.3 g and 1.93 g of salt per 100 g for Van der Meulen Melba toast naturel and AH Melba toast naturel respectively. These figures apply to the toast, not to the combination with toppings.