If you’re looking for an easy-to-carry biscuit without chocolate, breakfast cake could suit a snack break; check the portion size, ingredients and any certification marks on the packaging. If verified Fairtrade cocoa is your priority, look for a chocolate bar with an appropriate label on the specific product. Chocolate isn’t breakfast cake, and a Fairtrade mark says nothing about whether it’s suitable as an everyday snack.
You’re looking for something children can eat easily, but you don’t want to treat a biscuit as an automatic everyday snack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists vegetables, fruit and wholegrain options among suitable snacks for children aged 4 to 12.
You want to be able to check the Fairtrade label on the product itself. For products with several ingredients, Fairtrade International’s guidance can help you see which ingredients a label applies to.
If milk, soya, gluten or nuts are a concern, the exact product variant matters more than the product category alone. Check the ingredients and allergen warnings on the packaging you buy.
A good fit if: you’re looking for a slice or individually wrapped biscuit without chocolate for a particular snack break.
Consider: a breakfast cake brand or a retailer’s range doesn’t confirm that an individual product carries a Fairtrade mark.
A good fit if: a verifiable Fairtrade cocoa label is your priority and you’re looking for a treat.
Consider: chocolate isn’t a substitute for breakfast cake, and the certification mark says nothing about nutritional value or portion size.
First decide whether you’re looking for a regular snack for children or a treat. Then compare the certification mark, the label and the size of the exact product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Snack occasion and portion | Is it for a regular snack break or a treat? For children aged 4 to 12, also compare the options the Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests for snacks, such as vegetables, fruit and wholegrain products. | If I give my child a snack on lots of days during the holidays, I want something that suits that regular occasion. For around 31% of consumers, everyday suitability comes first. |
| Fairtrade label | Check the certification mark or cocoa statement on the exact product. Fairtrade International advises checking the explanation on the back as well if the label has an arrow. | If verified Fairtrade cocoa is my first requirement, I want to know exactly what the label applies to. Around 31% of consumers prioritise being able to verify their cocoa choice. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and allergen warnings for the chosen variant on the current packaging. | If an allergen is a concern, I can’t rely on the name of a chocolate bar or biscuit. For around 23% of consumers, checking the ingredients comes first. |
| Size and availability | Choose a suitable sliced, wrapped or shareable size, and check that the variant you want is available. | For a day out, I want to be able to carry and share a snack without having to cut it there and then. For around 15% of consumers, convenience matters most. |
A Fairtrade label tells you nothing about nutritional value. The Fairtrade chocolate bars listed by PLUS have a Nutri-Score of E; consider the occasion and portion separately from the certification mark.
Decide whether you’re buying a regular snack or a treat, then check both the Fairtrade label and the nutritional information.
A retailer’s cocoa policy or a brand name doesn’t confirm that the specific breakfast cake you’ve chosen carries a Fairtrade label.
Check the packaging or product information for that exact breakfast cake before saying it has a certification mark.
Allergens and warnings vary between product variants. PLUS also points out that product information can change.
Check the current packaging every time you buy, including the ingredients and information about possible traces.
You can’t tell what’s in an individual breakfast cake just from the general term ‘baker’s salt’.
If the type of salt used matters to your choice, check the ingredients list for the exact product.
Albert Heijn lists Peijnenburg breakfast cake in several varieties, including sliced and unsliced options.
Albert Heijn lists a range of breakfast cake and spiced cake, and also sets out a cocoa policy for its own-brand products.
Jumbo lists breakfast cake varieties in a separate range and also has a Fairtrade category.
PLUS lists, among other products, a dark chocolate bar and a milk chocolate bar with a Fairtrade cocoa label.
Lidl describes its Way To Go chocolate bars as Fairtrade certified.
ALDI includes Fairtrade chocolate in its Fairtrade range.
These bars are for choosing chocolate as a separate treat, not for finding breakfast cake. If you want a Fairtrade option, check the label on the current packaging.
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A milk chocolate bar with pecans and caramel for anyone looking for a chocolate treat rather than breakfast cake.
Before choosing the bar, check the current packaging for the Fairtrade label, ingredients and allergen information.
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A dark chocolate bar for anyone looking for a chocolate treat instead of a milk chocolate option, rather than a slice of breakfast cake.
If the cocoa percentage affects your choice, check it on the packaging; also look for the Fairtrade label and allergen information.
No. A label for cocoa doesn’t automatically confirm that an entire breakfast cake is certified. For a Fairtrade label with an arrow, Fairtrade International advises checking the back to see which ingredients and sourcing method the label applies to.
A Fairtrade mark doesn’t automatically make chocolate suitable as an everyday snack. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists vegetables, fruit and wholegrain options among suitable snacks; if you’re choosing chocolate as a treat, consider the portion and nutritional information.
Don’t assume this without checking the specific breakfast cake. If the type of salt used matters to your choice, read the ingredients list on the packaging.
Every time you buy, read the ingredients and allergen warnings on the packaging for the exact variant. PLUS’s product information lists different possible allergen warnings for its Fairtrade bars, and the retailer says this information can change.
