If you’re looking for whole peanuts for your holiday breakfast, first check for organic certification, then look at the salt, oil and product format. If you want a spread for your bread, organic peanut butter could be a good fit. It’s a different product format, so check its ingredients and storage advice too.
You want to be able to check whether a product is organically certified, rather than relying on words such as ‘natural’. The European Commission and Skal Biocontrole explain what the organic label and certification mean.
You’re looking for a simple ingredient list and want to know whether your peanuts contain just peanuts, or oil and salt as well. The ingredients list for the specific product will tell you.
You want to take a product that suits your breakfast, and need to consider how to seal and store it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping nuts in a sealed container in a dry place.
Start by checking the certification, then choose between whole peanuts and a spread, and finally check the ingredients and storage advice.
Choose this format: if you want to eat the peanuts as they are or add them to your breakfast.
Keep in mind: unsalted doesn’t automatically mean that no oil has been added.
Choose this format: if you’re looking for a spread for your bread.
Keep in mind: peanut butter isn’t a direct substitute for whole peanuts; some varieties need stirring before use.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who is this most relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Organic certification | Check the organic label, any EU organic logo, the control code and the stated agricultural origin. | If your first priority is being able to verify the organic label, certification comes first. Around 29% of consumers say this is their top buying priority. |
| Salt and other ingredients | Read the full ingredients list and check whether oil or salt has been added. | If you’re looking for a simple ingredient list or want to avoid added salt, the ingredients list is key. Around 29% of consumers put ingredients first. |
| Product format for breakfast | Decide whether you want whole peanuts or a spread, and check the exact product. | If you want to know in advance how you’ll use the product at breakfast, its format will guide your choice. Around 21% of consumers give this top priority. |
| Storage on holiday | Follow the storage advice on the packaging and plan a dry place where you can keep the product sealed. | If you don’t want to find yourself without a suitable place to store it during your stay, storage matters. Around 14% of consumers name storage as their top buying priority. |
| Quantity and spending | Compare products in the same format and consider how much you’ll use during your stay. | If you’re mainly weighing up the total cost and a suitable pack size, consider quantity and usage together. Around 7% of consumers put spending first. |
A short ingredients list and organic certification are two different things. The European Commission and Skal Biocontrole explain the certification required for an organic label.
Check the organic label and the information that goes with it. Don’t base your choice only on wording on the front of the pack.
One organic, unsalted AH product described includes organic sunflower oil too. So ‘unsalted’ alone doesn’t tell you what else is in the pack.
Read the full ingredients list if you want peanuts and nothing else.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping nuts in a sealed container in a dry place. Storage advice for peanut butter can also vary between products.
Plan where you’ll store the pack at your holiday accommodation, and choose an amount that suits your stay.
If the pack doesn’t suit how you’ll use or store it, you may not get through all of it in time.
The product information describes both a whole organic peanut product and AH Terra organic peanut butter. These are different product formats.
The organic option described is crunchy peanut butter, intended as a spread.
Aldi has a product listing called BIO Organic Peanut Butter.
PLUS sells BioToday smooth organic peanut butter, among other products. This is an external brand, not the same as PLUS own-brand peanuts.
Lidl describes Vita D’or 100% Natural Peanut Butter as peanut butter with no added ingredients.
The brand description lists several types of peanuts, including fried, roasted, marinated and coated varieties.
Check the organic label and the related certification information on the packaging. The European Commission explains that the EU organic logo is compulsory for pre-packed food produced in the EU and sold as organic; different rules apply in other situations, including imports. Also check the control code and the stated agricultural origin.
No. The organic peanut butter described contains peanuts. Check the allergen information on the exact pack too. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be declared on food labels.
Keep peanuts sealed in a dry place. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing nuts somewhere cool, for example at 10 to 15 °C; this is storage advice, not a legal temperature limit. Also follow the advice on the packaging of your product.
For the AH Terra and Jumbo varieties described, yes: the product information for both says to stir before use. Check the instructions on the packaging of the variety you buy.
No. PLUS warns that small children could choke on its whole peanuts. Follow the warning on the packaging, and don’t overlook it just because of the product format or organic label.
