Cashews for the Office: Gluten-Free and Allergen Checks

Who is this relevant to?

Buyer catering for colleagues with dietary needs

You’re replenishing the office snack supply and want to know which specific dietary needs a cashew variant suits, without assuming it’s allergen-free for everyone.

Colleague who needs to eat gluten-free

You can eat cashews but need a gluten-free diet. So you check both the product information and the risk of contact with biscuit crumbs.

Buyer looking for simple, unsalted snacks

You’re looking for cashews with a straightforward ingredient list and no added salt, while keeping allergen information available for colleagues.

What should you look for when choosing?

Start with the substance a colleague needs to avoid. Then decide how to serve the snack separately, which ingredients are suitable and how much you need to stock.

What to consider	What should you check?	Who is this important for?
Specific dietary need	Check the full product name, ingredients, specific free-from claim and warnings about possible presence.	If I’m looking for a variant that avoids a particular substance, I check the exact packaging. Around 34% of consumers put finding a dietary match first.
Serving separately	Keep snacks for anyone who needs to eat gluten-free separate from biscuits and biscuit crumbs; keep the product information too.	If I want to avoid contact with biscuit crumbs, I pay attention to how the snack is stored and served. Around 33% of consumers make separation their top priority.
Ingredients	As well as checking whether they’re ‘unsalted’, read the ingredients and salt content; consider added oil as a separate feature.	If I prefer a simple, unsalted option, I compare the ingredients in each variant. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this.
Pack size	Choose a pack size to suit how quickly it will be used, and follow the storage advice on the exact packaging.	If I’m replenishing snacks for colleagues, I want a pack size that suits how quickly they’ll be used. Around 13% of consumers prioritise convenient stocking.

Common mistakes

Assuming ‘free from’ means ‘allergen-free for everyone’

A gluten-free or lactose-free claim doesn’t change the fact that cashews are an allergen. A variant may also contain other allergens or carry warnings about them.

Check exactly which substance the claim refers to, and assess cashews and other allergens separately.
Putting a suitable snack in with ordinary biscuits

Biscuit crumbs could come into contact with a snack that should be gluten-free. This matters to anyone who needs to eat gluten-free for medical reasons.

Keep the snack separate and store the product information with it.
Confusing lactose-free with milk-protein-free

Lactose intolerance and milk allergy are not the same: a milk allergy involves milk proteins.

If someone has a milk allergy, check the ingredients and allergen information. Don’t treat ‘lactose-free’ as a substitute guarantee.
Assuming no added oil means unsalted

Preparation method, added oil and salt content are separate product features. An oven-roasted variant with no added oil may still contain salt.

Compare the preparation method, ingredients and salt content separately.

Brands to consider

Duyvis

The Original range is worth considering if you’re looking for savoury, seasoned cashews.

According to Duyvis, the Original cashews reviewed are oven-roasted without added oil.
The manufacturer warns that they may contain wheat, peanuts and other nuts. This doesn’t automatically apply to other Duyvis variants.

Albert Heijn

The 170 g AH Unsalted Cashews reviewed are an option if explicit gluten-free and lactose-free claims matter to you.

Albert Heijn states that these claims apply to the variant reviewed.
The variant contains cashews and, according to the product information, may contain peanuts and other nuts. These claims don’t automatically apply to all AH cashews.

Jumbo

The 200 g unsalted own-brand variant reviewed has a short ingredient list.

The product information lists cashews and sunflower oil as ingredients.
Jumbo warns that the product may contain nuts and peanuts. A short ingredient list is not a declaration that a product is allergen-free.

Lidl

Lidl lists cashews in its Alesto range and Way To Go cashews.

Lidl describes its Way To Go cashews as Fairtrade.
Fairtrade is a separate purchasing consideration and, on its own, says nothing about whether a product is free from allergens. Check the packaging of the exact variant.

ALDI

ALDI lists a 250 g pack of roasted, unsalted Trader Joe’s cashews.

The product description specifies how they’re prepared and the pack size.
Unsalted doesn’t automatically mean suitable for someone with a food allergy. Check the allergen information on the packaging.

PLUS

The 200 g PLUS Unsalted Unroasted Cashews reviewed are worth considering if you’re looking for a single-ingredient option.

PLUS lists cashews as the only ingredient.
The product information warns that the product may contain peanuts. Being unsalted and vegan doesn’t change this warning.

Cashews at Joybuy

This Joybuy selection includes cashews for an office snack supply, with differences in ingredients, salt content and pack size. Check the allergen information on the exact packaging for each colleague; these products contain cashews, so they’re not suitable for anyone with a cashew allergy.

Jiazhouyuanye Original Flavour large cashews, 160 g

The product information lists cashews as the only ingredient; check that cashews suit the person’s dietary needs.

Pack size: 160 g.