If a participant needs to avoid peanuts, don’t choose peanuts; opt for an alternative that meets the agreed dietary requirement. If peanuts are not an issue but gluten or lactose is, a specific variety with the relevant claim may be suitable. Always check the exact packaging and warnings. Don’t give whole peanuts to children under 4, and plan a calm, supervised snack time for older children.
You’re organising an Easter egg hunt and want to choose snacks that meet the allergen requirements agreed in advance. Distinguish between an allergen as an ingredient and a warning about possible cross-contamination. Stichting Voedselallergie and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) provide information on this.
You’re looking for a specific free-from option, but don’t need to avoid peanuts. Check which claim applies to the exact variety and which other allergens may be relevant. Albert Heijn lists AH Unsalted Peanuts 300 g as gluten-free and lactose-free; the product does contain peanuts.
You want to take children’s age and the way they eat the snack into account. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving whole peanuts to children under 4. For older children, plan a calm snack time and stay with them.
First establish which ingredient needs to be avoided. Then check the ingredients, warnings and form of the exact variety.
| Buying concern | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| The right free-from requirement | Establish which ingredient or allergen needs to be avoided, then check the exact variety. | I want to be clear about exactly what a participant needs to avoid; around 33% of consumers say this is their top priority. |
| Ingredients and warnings | Read both the ingredients list and any warnings, such as ‘May contain’, on the current packaging. | If I need to assess possible cross-contamination, I look beyond the ingredients; around 27% of consumers make warnings their main buying concern. |
| Age and form of the snack | Check who you’re buying whole peanuts for, and plan snack time separately from running around and searching. | For young participants, I want to know whether the form of the snack and the timing are suitable; around 20% of consumers put this consideration first. |
| Portions and storage | Check the pack size and storage instructions. If you portion the snack yourself, keep the original packaging to hand. | When handing out snacks, I want to plan quantities and keep the product information with the right snack; around 13% of consumers give this the highest priority. |
| Convenience and cost | Only compare varieties that meet the dietary requirement, and check where to buy them and when they can be delivered. | Once the dietary and practical requirements are met, I focus on how and when I can buy the snack; around 7% of consumers put convenience or cost first. |
A product with a specific dietary claim may still contain peanuts. What’s more, lactose-free doesn’t mean a product is suitable for someone with a cow’s milk allergy, where milk proteins are the concern.
Choose based on the specific dietary requirement and check the ingredients and warnings for the exact variety.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving whole peanuts to children under 4. A general age label on a product doesn’t confirm that whole peanuts are suitable for young children.
Consider the form of the snack and choose a calm time to eat; stay close to older children.
A warning about possible cross-contamination may appear separately from the ingredients. The NVWA lists ‘May contain X’ and ‘Not suitable for people with an X allergy’ as permitted wording for such warnings.
Read both sections on the current packaging and keep the information to hand when handing out snacks.
Duyvis Unsalted Peanuts 235 g is an unsalted variety, not a snack that’s free from all allergens.
AH Unsalted Peanuts 300 g may be relevant if gluten or lactose is the specific dietary restriction and peanuts are not an issue.
Jumbo Unsalted Peanuts 250 g has published ingredients and allergen information.
PLUS Unsalted Peanuts 250 g is an option if you want to assess the published ingredients, warning and storage information.
The Lidl listing reviewed is for 285 g of unsalted peanuts.
The ALDI product page reviewed lists Trader Joe’s Unsalted Peanuts, 250 g.
That doesn’t follow from the lactose-free claim. Lactose intolerance concerns milk sugar; a cow’s milk allergy concerns milk proteins. If you have a cow’s milk allergy, check milk ingredients and relevant warnings separately, as explained by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
‘May contain X’ warns of possible cross-contamination with X; it isn’t a free-from certification. The NVWA says that such warnings must be based on a risk assessment. From 1 January 2026, the NVWA will oversee the new rules for warnings on prepacked products.
Yes. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 sets out the conditions for ‘gluten-free’ and ‘very low gluten’ claims. The European Commission states that the regulation has applied since 20 July 2016. The claim relates to gluten, not other allergens.
The NVWA states that the 14 allergens that must be declared have to be shown on the label and clearly identified in the ingredients list. Also check for any separate warnings about possible cross-contamination.
Yes, this can be a practical way to hand them out, but keep the original packaging available so you can refer back to the ingredients and warnings. Follow the storage instructions for the exact variety too; Albert Heijn advises storing AH Unsalted Peanuts in a cool, dark and dry place and closing the pack securely after use.
