Someone managing a self-service coffee station
Wants colleagues to be able to grab a wrapped biscuit without touching loose biscuits in a shared tin. Lotus Bakeries offers individually wrapped Biscoff biscuits in a dispenser for this purpose.
Which portion is right for whom?
A colleague looking for a more substantial snack
Would rather have an individually wrapped biscuit bar or a slice of ontbijtkoek than a small biscuit to have with coffee. ALDI Nederland describes individually wrapped Goud Gebakken Koekhappers, while Jumbo Supermarkten lists a Peijnenburg pack containing eight 28 g slices.
A buyer who keeps allergen information available
Wants to be able to check the ingredients and allergens for the exact product before putting out shared supplies. If items are handed out without the outer box, colleagues should still be able to find this information.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether the tin is for one small biscuit with a coffee or a more substantial snack. Then check how many biscuits are actually in each individual pack.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service | Check whether the biscuits are individually wrapped and whether the packs fit in the tin. Read the storage instructions too. | When I restock the coffee station, I want colleagues to be able to grab one wrapped biscuit without touching the others. For roughly 42% of consumers, tidy self-service is the top priority. |
| Portion size | Compare the weight per portion with the number of biscuits in each pack; a twin pack is not the same as one biscuit per serving. | For my break, I’m looking for an individually wrapped portion that’s bigger than a small biscuit to have with coffee. Around 25% of consumers give portion size the highest priority. |
| Allergen information | Check the ingredients, listed allergens and any warnings on the current packaging for the product you’ve chosen. | When buying supplies for different colleagues, I want to be able to check what each product contains, even after the outer box has been opened. For around 33% of consumers, access to this information is their main concern. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘vegan’ means ‘free from allergens’
A vegan label doesn’t mean a biscuit is free from wheat or soya. Lotus Bakeries lists gluten and soya for its Biscoff dispenser biscuits.
Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product before choosing it for shared supplies.
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Mistaking a twin pack for one biscuit per pack
Jumbo Supermarkten lists Kanjers stroopwafels as four packs, each containing two biscuits. That means each unopened pack contains two stroopwafels.
If you need to hand out exactly one biscuit at a time, look for packaging that explicitly says the biscuits are individually wrapped.
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Throwing away the outer box while the tin is still full
Product information isn’t always easy to find on small packs. With shared supplies, colleagues should be able to check the ingredients and allergen information.
Keep the outer box with the supplies or make sure the current product information is available and easy to read.
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Judging an ontbijtkoek only by the front of the pack
The Peijnenburg product described by Jumbo Supermarkten contains xylitol. The retailer warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect and states that xylitol is not suitable for animals.
For this exact product, check the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the label too.
Brands to consider
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries offers a dispenser containing 150 individually wrapped Biscoff biscuits and a box of 120 individually wrapped sandwich biscuits, both suitable for places such as coffee stations.
- The individual wrapping makes these suitable for handing out one pack at a time.
- The dispenser biscuits contain gluten and soya. For the sandwich biscuits, the manufacturer lists gluten, milk and soya, and states that they may contain traces of egg.
Goud Gebakken
ALDI Nederland describes Goud Gebakken Koekhappers as packs containing six individually wrapped slices of ontbijtkoek.
- These are individual snack portions rather than loose biscuits.
- A Koekhapper is a ontbijtkoek-style product, not a small, crisp biscuit to have with coffee; check which variety is available locally.
Peijnenburg
Jumbo Supermarkten lists a Peijnenburg variety with eight individually wrapped 28 g slices of ontbijtkoek.
- The weight of each slice makes the portion size clear for this product.
- This variety contains rye and xylitol and may contain milk and nuts; check the warnings on the current packaging.
Kanjers
Jumbo Supermarkten describes a pack of Kanjers stroopwafels as four packs, each containing two biscuits.
- An unopened pack keeps two stroopwafels together, if that suits the way you want to hand them out.
- This pack doesn’t meet the requirement for one stroopwafel per unopened pack; check the listed allergens too.
Biscuits, bars and wafers on Joybuy
These products offer a range of biscuit and snack formats for office supplies. For each product, check whether the pack contains the portion you want and whether it’s suitable for the way you plan to hand it out.
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Lu Petit Ecolier Soft Milk Chocolate biscuits, 120 g
A biscuit to consider for a coffee or tea break. If you want to hand them out to colleagues individually, check how many separate packs are in the 120 g box.
When checking allergens, look for the listed milk, wheat and soya, and refer to the current label.
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NABATI Strawberry Wafer, 12 × 27 g
A wafer option for anyone who prefers to grab a 27 g pack at coffee break. The product name shows a pack size of 12 × 27 g.
For shared supplies, check the label for listed wheat, milk and soya, as well as any ‘may contain’ statements.
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Solen Biscolata Starz Milk, 6 × 37,5 g
A biscuit bar for a more substantial individual snack than a small biscuit to have with coffee. The product name lists six 37,5 g portions; check whether each bar is individually wrapped for self-service.
Check the current label if wheat, milk, egg or possible traces of other allergens are a concern for your colleagues.
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Oreo Raspberry & Blueberry Flavor Sandwich Cookies, 97 g, 2 packs
A filled sandwich biscuit that’s easy to hand out by the pack. The 97 g pack contains two individual packs; check how many biscuits are in each if you intend to offer one per person.
Refer to the current packaging for complete allergen information, including the listed wheat and soya.
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Meito Pukupukutai Chocolate Wafer, 16,5 g per pack
A chocolate wafer in a 16,5 g pack. Before adding it to a shared tin, check that each pack is individually sealed and how many packs are in the sales unit.
For allergen information, check the current label, paying particular attention to the listed wheat and milk.
Frequently asked questions
Is an individually wrapped biscuit suitable for everyone in the office?
No. Individual wrapping doesn’t tell you anything about allergens. Lotus Bakeries lists gluten and soya for its Biscoff dispenser biscuits; according to the manufacturer, the sandwich variety also contains milk and may contain traces of egg. Check the current packaging for the exact product.
Should you keep the outer box with the office supplies?
Keep the outer box, or make the current product information available in another readable format, for as long as colleagues are helping themselves. That way they can check the ingredients and allergens if these aren’t clearly listed on each individual pack.
Does ‘4 × 2 pieces’ mean eight biscuits are individually wrapped?
No. The Kanjers stroopwafels described by Jumbo Supermarkten come in four packs, each containing two biscuits. If you want to hand out exactly one biscuit per unopened pack, you’ll need a product described as individually wrapped.
Is the front of an ontbijtkoek pack enough to help you choose?
No. Check the ingredients, allergens and warnings for the exact product too. For the Peijnenburg ontbijtkoek described, Jumbo Supermarkten lists xylitol and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect; according to the retailer, xylitol is not suitable for animals.