Choose flakes for an organic St Nicholas’ Eve only if you can verify the organic status of the specific pack, for example by checking for the EU organic logo. Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance claims on conventional flakes are not a substitute. Check the ingredients and allergens too, and don’t treat chocolate flakes and cocoa-flavoured compound flakes as the same product.
You only want to call your flakes organic for St Nicholas’ Eve if you can verify this for the pack you’ve chosen. Skal Biocontrole and the European Commission describe the EU organic logo as a way to identify organic products.
You’re looking for a topping for guests who need to avoid certain ingredients. Check the allergen information on the pack you buy: even dark chocolate flakes can contain milk.
You want to choose a suitable treat, so you’re checking the product description, ingredients, cocoa content and packaging. Cocoa-flavoured compound flakes aren’t necessarily the same as chocolate flakes.
Start by checking the organic status of the specific pack. Then look at the allergen information and product description before choosing your flakes.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Organic certification | Check the organic claim and EU organic logo on the specific pack or in the accompanying product information. A cocoa certification mark alone does not prove that the flakes are organic. | For an organic St Nicholas’ Eve, I want to see that these particular flakes are certified; around 42% of consumers prioritise verifiable organic certification. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read both the ingredients list and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements on the current packaging. | If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, I want to check the pack before choosing their flakes; around 33% of consumers prioritise checking ingredients and allergens. |
| Flavour and product type | Compare the legal product description and ingredients: chocolate flakes and cocoa-flavoured compound flakes don’t automatically have the same composition. | For the treat, I want to choose a flavour and type of flakes that suit my plans; flavour and product type are the deciding factors for around 25% of consumers. |
PLUS lists Fairtrade cocoa for its dark chocolate flakes; De Ruijter and Kiekeboe list Rainforest Alliance certification for their cocoa. According to information from Skal Biocontrole and the European Commission, organic certification is separate from these schemes.
Check the product’s own organic claim before choosing it as an organic option.
According to PLUS product information, its dark chocolate flakes may contain milk and lactose. De Ruijter’s dark variety contains soya and may contain milk.
Read the allergen statement on the pack you buy, including warnings about ingredients the product may contain.
PLUS states that its dark chocolate flakes contain at least 32% cocoa solids. PLUS describes Choca as cocoa-flavoured compound flakes with 7.5% low-fat cocoa powder; these claims describe products with different compositions.
Check the product description and ingredients first when comparing the different types.
PLUS lists De Ruijter dark chocolate flakes as a bread topping, in a 200 g pack.
PLUS sells its own-brand dark chocolate flakes in a 300 g pack.
PLUS sells Choca flakes in a 200 g pack.
ALDI Netherlands lists Kiekeboe chocolate flakes in milk and dark varieties, in 300 g packs.
Check the organic claim for the specific product and look for the EU organic logo on the packaging or in the accompanying product information. Skal Biocontrole calls this the official EU logo for organic products. According to the European Commission, it is compulsory on most prepacked organic food produced in the EU.
No. A cocoa claim of this kind does not, on its own, prove that the flakes are organically certified. Check the organic status of the whole product separately, even if it carries a cocoa certification mark.
Not automatically. According to PLUS, its dark chocolate flakes may contain milk and lactose; De Ruijter Dark may contain milk and contains soya. Always check the allergen information on the packaging you buy.
Store them in a cool, dry, dark place and reseal the pack after use. Follow any storage instructions on the pack you choose; the guidance mentioned is listed on the PLUS and De Ruijter product pages.
