If you’re looking for a peanut-free lunch, peanuts and peanut butter aren’t suitable choices: they contain peanuts. If another allergen needs to be avoided, check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant and agree your choice with the childcare setting. For children under 4, Amsterdam UMC recommends smooth paste rather than whole nuts because of the risk of choking.
You’re looking for lunch products without a specific allergen and want to distinguish ingredient information from details about possible cross-contamination. Peanuts are not a peanut-free choice. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains allergen information on pre-packed products, while the Food Allergy Foundation provides information about peanuts as an allergen.
Your child can eat peanuts, but you also want to think about the form in which they’re served. For children under 4, Amsterdam UMC recommends paste rather than whole nuts; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre warns about choking on whole peanuts.
You want to choose lunch in line with the childcare setting’s food policy and be able to share clear product information. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains the importance of food policies in childcare, while the RIVM hygiene guidelines are intended for childcare staff.
First decide which allergen needs to be avoided. Then consider the product format, the arrangements with the childcare setting and the ingredients.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding the right allergen | Which allergen needs to be avoided; the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant. | If I need to avoid peanuts, I look for a peanut-free lunch and check the relevant information on the label too. Around 36% of consumers would make avoiding an allergen their top buying priority. |
| Product format and age | Whether the product contains whole peanuts or is a paste; for children under 4, also check for added sugar and salt. | If my child can eat peanuts, I want to choose a format that’s suitable for their age. Around 29% of consumers would put an age-appropriate product format first. |
| Arrangements with the childcare setting | Whether the setting allows peanuts or peanut butter and what product information staff need. | If I’m arranging lunch for a childcare setting, I want to know in advance what rules apply there and be able to share the product information. Around 21% of consumers would make what’s practical for the childcare setting their top priority. |
| Ingredients | The ingredients of the exact variant and, where relevant, any added sugar and salt. | If the product fits the dietary requirements and the childcare setting’s arrangements, I want to assess the ingredients of the chosen variant rather than judge it by the front of the pack alone. Around 14% of consumers would make the ingredients their top priority. |
Peanuts are an allergen in their own right. A claim about avoiding a different allergen doesn’t make a product containing peanuts peanut-free.
Work out which allergen needs to be avoided and check the information for that specific allergen on the exact variant.
‘Unsalted’ describes the salt content, not the allergen information or whether whole peanuts are suitable for young children. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre warns about choking on whole peanuts.
If peanuts fit your diet and the arrangements with the childcare setting, bear in mind that Amsterdam UMC recommends paste rather than whole nuts for children under 4.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn and PLUS advise customers to read the packaging.
Check the packaging of the exact variant every time you buy it, and keep the information to discuss with the childcare setting.
Duyvis Pinda’s Ongezouten is a product containing whole peanuts.
AH 100% Pindakaas naturel is a peanut butter variant to consider if you’re thinking of choosing a peanut-containing spread.
Jumbo’s 100% Biologische Pindakaas Naturel is a peanut butter variant sold in a 350 g jar.
Lidl describes Maribel peanut butter in smooth and crunchy variants.
ALDI describes HELAES 100% pindakaas as ‘peanuts only’.
PLUS 100% pindakaas is a peanut butter variant sold in a 350 g jar.
Botanically, peanuts are legumes, but they’re treated as a separate allergen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists peanuts and nuts separately, so don’t assume that ‘nut-free’ means you don’t need to check for peanuts.
No. Peanut butter contains peanuts, so it isn’t a peanut-free choice. If another allergen needs to be avoided, check for that specific allergen in the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant.
For children under 4, Amsterdam UMC recommends paste rather than nuts because of the risk of choking. The different texture doesn’t change the fact that peanuts are present as an allergen.
Since 1 January 2026, new Dutch rules have applied to how and when businesses warn about possible allergen cross-contamination on labels. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes these warnings as Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL).
Keep the packaging so you have the product name, ingredients and allergen information to hand. Check the label again when you buy the product, as Albert Heijn and PLUS point out that product information can change.
