Only serve peanuts to guests who can eat them safely; a gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan label does not make peanuts suitable for someone with a peanut allergy. Check the exact ingredients and allergen information for each guest, and if someone has a peanut allergy, choose a different snack together with them. Keep suitable portions separate and use clean crockery and cutlery.
You want to know when peanuts are off the menu and how to choose and serve a separate snack for someone with a food allergy. Stichting Voedselallergie advises checking ingredients every time and using clean crockery and cutlery when preparing food.
Your guests can eat peanuts, but you’re looking for a product with a relevant dietary claim. Lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk allergy: Voedingscentrum explains that lactose intolerance relates to milk sugar, not milk proteins.
You’re serving both standard and vegan snacks, and want to organise portions and serving utensils so that suitable products don’t come into contact with other snacks. A vegan label on its own says nothing about whether a product is suitable for someone with a peanut allergy.
Start with the specific ingredients your guests need to avoid; only then look at labels such as gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan.
| Shopping need | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding allergens | Ask which allergen needs to be avoided, then read the full ingredients list and any warnings. | If a guest has a peanut allergy, peanuts are off the menu, regardless of any other dietary labels. Around 29% of consumers put avoiding an allergen first. |
| Choosing gluten-free | Check the gluten-free claim on the exact product variant, and read the label again if the packaging is different. | If avoiding gluten is the main concern and peanuts are safe for the guest, look for a suitable claim on the product. Around 24% of consumers make gluten-free their top shopping priority. |
| Distinguishing lactose from milk | Ask whether the issue is lactose intolerance or a milk allergy, then assess the product information accordingly. | If a guest needs to avoid milk or lactose, it matters which one applies. Around 18% of consumers put this restriction first. |
| Choosing vegan | Check the vegan claim for the product variant and assess allergens separately. | If a vegan option is the priority, a vegan claim can help, but it doesn’t make a peanut product suitable for someone with a peanut allergy. Around 12% of consumers start with vegan as their top shopping priority. |
| Serving a separate buffet portion | Use clean crockery and cutlery for separate portions, and keep the product packaging to hand. | If you’re serving different snacks, you’ll want to stop a suitable portion from coming into contact with other products. Around 17% of consumers put buffet organisation first. |
The AH Unsalted Peanuts reviewed are labelled gluten-free and vegan, but contain peanuts and may contain nuts.
Match each label to the specific dietary need and check allergens separately.
Lactose intolerance and milk allergy relate to different components. A lactose-free label alone doesn’t tell you whether a product is suitable for someone with a milk allergy.
Ask which applies and, in the case of a milk allergy, check the ingredients and relevant warnings too.
Stichting Voedselallergie warns that removing unsuitable ingredients from a bowl doesn’t make what’s left suitable for a guest with an allergy.
Prepare a separate portion in advance using clean crockery and cutlery.
A product page for AH Unsalted Peanuts 235 g says that the product has been discontinued. This is a different product from AH Unsalted Peanuts 300 g.
Check the exact variant and read the packaging again every time you buy it.
The brand offers a range that includes standard, unsalted, marinated and coated peanuts. The variants reviewed differ, for example, in whether salt is added.
The supermarket’s own-brand range includes a peanut option and a popcorn alternative for different snacking preferences.
The Kingsize variant reviewed is an unsalted peanut snack.
The product range reviewed includes an unsalted peanut variant in a tub.
The Lidl listing reviewed is for 285 g of unsalted peanuts.
The Aldi listing reviewed is for Trader Joe’s roasted, unsalted peanuts.
This selection includes salted and unsalted peanuts, as well as other peanut snacks. Check the ingredients and allergen information for every guest; choosing a product does not in itself confirm that it’s suitable for someone with an allergy.
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A salted peanut snack for guests who can eat peanuts.
The description lists roasted peanuts with salt and Sichuan pepper, individually wrapped for sharing. Do not eat the enclosed desiccant sachet.
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A crunchy peanut snack to consider when its ingredients suit your guests’ dietary needs.
The product description lists 70% peanuts and a coating made with rice and wheat flour. Wheat and soya are listed as allergens; check the full, up-to-date product information.
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An unsalted option to compare if your guests can eat peanuts.
The product information lists 99% peanuts and sunflower oil, and warns that it may contain traces of cashew nuts.
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A salted option for guests who can eat peanuts.
The ingredients are peanuts, sunflower oil and salt; the salt content is 0.73 g per 100 g. Joybuy’s product information advises against giving this variant to children under 5 because of the risk of choking.
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Peanuts in their shells for anyone who wants to serve them as a snack or use them in dishes.
The product name specifies peanuts in their shells. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging.
No. Ask which specific ingredients each guest needs to avoid and assess products accordingly. If a guest has an allergy and the rest of the buffet contains ingredients they need to avoid, prepare a separate suitable portion for them.
The NVWA refers to substantiated warnings such as ‘May contain X’ and ‘Not suitable for people with an X allergy’ under the rules it will oversee from 2026. Such a warning relates to the possible unintended presence of an allergen, rather than an ingredient that has been deliberately added; assess the wording for the specific product.
No. A lactose-free label alone doesn’t mean a product is suitable for someone with a milk allergy. Lactose intolerance relates to milk sugar; ask which restriction applies and, in the case of a milk allergy, check the ingredients and relevant warnings.
Prepare a separate portion using clean crockery and cutlery, and keep the packaging to hand so you can check the ingredients. Stichting Voedselallergie advises using clean utensils; don’t pick unsuitable ingredients out of a shared bowl after serving.
The product information for Duyvis Salted Peanuts 370 g advises against giving this variant to children under 5 because of the risk of choking. This is a product-specific recommendation, not a general legal age limit.
