If you want to choose organic crisps, check for the EU organic logo on the current packaging, then compare the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens for your chosen variety. The certification relates to how the product is made; it doesn’t mean the crisps are low in salt or fat, suitable for a young child or something to have for breakfast.
You want to recognise organic production without relying on words such as ‘natural’. The European Commission describes the EU organic logo as a way to identify organic products; check for it on the packaging of the exact variety you’re considering.
You’re comparing more than just the certification: portion size and nutritional information matter too. This helps you work out how crisps fit into the snack occasion you have in mind, without treating ‘organic’ as a nutritional claim.
You want to know what’s in the bag you’ve chosen and whether it’s suitable for your child’s age. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises limiting foods high in salt, including snacks, for children under 4. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, pre-packed products must list allergen information on the label.
Start with the certification if organic production is your main reason for choosing these crisps. Then assess them as a snack: compare the nutritional information, and check the ingredients and allergens too if they’re for a young child.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Organic production | Look for the EU organic logo on the current packaging of your chosen variety. According to the European Commission, this logo is compulsory for most pre-packed organic foods produced in the EU and sold as organic. | When I’m looking for organic crisps for the household, I don’t want to mistake an appealing product name for certification. Around 42% of consumers give verifiable organic production the highest priority. |
| Nutritional information and portion size | Compare energy, fat, saturates and salt per 100 g and for the portion you plan to have; use the same basis when comparing different products. | For a family snack, I want to weigh up what a portion adds to the meal. For around 33% of consumers, nutritional value and portion size come first. |
| Young children and allergens | Read the ingredients, salt content and allergen information on the current packaging; don’t assume a product is suitable for a child just because it’s labelled organic. | If the crisps are for a young child or someone with an allergy, I want to know what’s in the variety I’ve chosen first. Suitability for children and allergens are the main concerns for around 25% of consumers. |
The EU organic logo relates to how the crisps are made, not how much salt, fat or energy they contain. Organic certification doesn’t automatically make a product suitable for a young child either.
Use the logo to check the organic claim, then compare the nutritional label and portion size for the exact variety.
Vegetable or sweet potato crisps offer a different main ingredient or flavour, but the product name doesn’t tell you how their nutritional values compare with those of potato crisps.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, then consider what the portion you’ve chosen means. Check separately whether the variety is organic.
Ingredients and product information can change. Albert Heijn therefore recommends checking the packaging; according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, pre-packed products must list allergen information on the label.
Before eating them, read the packaging on the bag you actually bought, especially if allergens matter to anyone in your household.
Organic certification doesn’t change the fact that crisps are a snack, and it doesn’t answer the question of what you want to have for breakfast.
Make your breakfast choice separately from your choice of an occasional snack; assess crisps on their own ingredients and nutritional information.
These examples show some varieties of crisps you could compare. Assess the packaging you choose separately: a brand name alone doesn’t tell you enough about the ingredients or nutritional value.
Albert Heijn lists organic plain crisps and vegetable crisps under AH Biologisch.
Jumbo lists organic plain crisps, vegetable crisps with potato and sweet potato crisps.
Lidl lists organic vegetable crisps and organic sweet potato crisps.
Lay's Oven Baked naturel is an option to compare if you want to assess a product-specific fat claim rather than prioritise organic production.
Look for the EU organic logo on the packaging of your chosen variety. According to the European Commission, this logo is compulsory for most pre-packed organic foods produced in the EU and sold as organic. Check the product name and ingredients too, so you’re not relying on a general description alone.
Organic certification doesn’t make crisps a breakfast food or automatically turn them into a suitable snack for children. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises limiting foods high in salt, including snacks, for children under 4. Check the salt content and ingredients on the packaging of the variety you’ve chosen.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for pre-packed crisps should be on the label. Check the label on the bag you’ve bought if an allergen matters to anyone in your household; don’t assume what’s in it based on the flavour name.
Use the current packaging to check the variety you’ve chosen. Albert Heijn says that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change, and therefore recommends checking the packaging.
