If you want to serve individual speculoos biscuits with a verifiable Fairtrade claim on your buffet, check the information on the packaging you choose. Vermeiren Princeps describes its organic speculoos as containing Fairtrade ingredients. Chocolatemakers describes its Milky Speculaas as organic Fairtrade chocolate, but it’s a chocolate product with speculaas, not a plate of individual biscuits. An organic claim alone doesn’t mean a product is Fairtrade.
You want to know exactly what the Fairtrade claim on the product you’re serving refers to. Read the information on the packaging too: according to Fairtrade International, mass balance may be used for products including cocoa and sugar, allowing certified and non-certified ingredients to be mixed in the supply chain.
You’re looking for biscuits to serve with coffee or on a plate, rather than a chocolate dessert. Vermeiren Princeps describes its organic speculoos as containing Fairtrade ingredients; check the information on the packaging you choose when you buy.
You want to check the ingredients and allergens listed for the product you’ve bought before serving it. According to the European Union, this information must be provided on prepacked foods, so always read the current label.
Decide whether you want to serve individual biscuits or a dessert component. Then check what the Fairtrade claim refers to, and read the ingredients and allergen information for the product you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade claim | Read the Fairtrade information for the specific product. For cocoa or sugar, check for any additional information about mass balance. | If I want to serve Fairtrade speculoos, the claim needs to apply to the product I’ve chosen, not just the brand. Around 42% of consumers prioritise verifiable Fairtrade information. |
| How it’s served | Choose between individual speculoos biscuits and chocolate with speculaas, then check which part the Fairtrade claim applies to. | For a self-service buffet, it matters whether I’m putting biscuits on a plate or serving a dessert component. For around 33% of consumers, how it’s served is the main consideration. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and the allergens listed on the packaging for the product you’ve bought. | If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, I want to be able to check the current label in advance. Around 25% of consumers prioritise ingredients and allergens. |
Those claims don’t automatically mean a product is Fairtrade. According to Joybuy, the 250 g variant of Lotus Biscoff is suitable for vegans, but that doesn’t support a Fairtrade claim for those biscuits.
To choose a Fairtrade product, look for a claim on the packaging you’ve chosen or an official claim for that specific product.
Fairtrade International allows mass balance for products including cocoa and sugar. Under this system, certified and non-certified ingredients can be mixed in the supply chain. So the claim doesn’t mean the ingredients in your product have been kept physically separate.
If physical traceability is essential to you, read the information accompanying the Fairtrade claim.
Chocolatemakers describes its Milky Speculaas as organic Fairtrade chocolate. That doesn’t make it a substitute for individual speculoos biscuits on a plate.
Decide how you want to serve it, then check whether the Fairtrade claim applies to the part that matters to you.
What matters for your buffet is the composition of the product you’re actually serving. According to the European Union, ingredients and allergens must be listed on prepacked foods.
Just before serving, check the ingredients list and allergens on the packaging you’ve bought.
Worth considering if you want to serve organic speculoos as individual biscuits and are looking for a specific claim about Fairtrade ingredients.
Worth considering if chocolate with speculaas suits your dessert and a claim about Fairtrade chocolate is your priority.
A point of reference for the format of an individual speculoos biscuit, but not in itself a substantiated Fairtrade choice.
Not always. For products including cocoa and sugar, Fairtrade International allows mass balance, where certified and non-certified ingredients can be mixed in the supply chain. If physical traceability is important to you, read the claim and any additional information on the packaging.
No. Organic and Fairtrade are different claims. Vermeiren Princeps specifically describes its organic speculoos as containing Fairtrade ingredients; check the information on the packaging you choose when you buy.
Read the ingredients and listed allergens on the packaging of the product you’re serving. According to the European Union, this information must be provided on prepacked foods; an old product page isn’t a substitute for the current label.
