If you want verifiable Fairtrade cocoa when ordering online, choose a product whose product page or packaging explicitly mentions it for that exact item. Jumbo states that Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade 135 g contains ‘Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient Cocoa’ and uses mass balance, but this is milk chocolate with spiced biscuit pieces, not a pack of plain spiced biscuits. Before you check out, also check the ingredients, allergens and delivery availability for your postcode.
You want to see on the product page or packaging whether the Fairtrade claim applies to the cocoa in the item you’re ordering. With a product made from several ingredients, it’s important to check which ingredient the claim refers to.
You compare the ingredients and allergens before ordering. For Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade 135 g, Jumbo lists milk, cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat; for Lotus Biscoff Speculoos 250 g, the product information lists soya and wheat.
You’re looking for plain speculoos rather than milk chocolate with biscuit pieces. Jumbo describes Lotus Biscoff Speculoos 250 g as suitable for vegans. For a biscuit without cocoa, a Fairtrade cocoa claim is no substitute for checking the ingredients.
First decide whether you want a biscuit or a chocolate product with spiced biscuit pieces. Then check the cocoa claim and the ingredients for the exact item.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Look for a Fairtrade cocoa claim on the exact item and check whether it applies to a specific ingredient. | I want to make an informed choice about cocoa, rather than rely on a general sustainability promise. For around 42% of consumers, verifiable Fairtrade cocoa is the most important factor. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the product page. | When ordering, I need to be able to judge whether the ingredients and allergens are suitable for me, even if the product has a Fairtrade claim. Around 33% of consumers put this check first. |
| Biscuit or chocolate product | Check the product type, whether it contains cocoa and, if relevant to your choice, whether it is labelled vegan. | If you want plain speculoos without chocolate, a Fairtrade cocoa claim on milk chocolate won’t give you the product you’re looking for. For around 25% of consumers, the type of biscuit they want or a vegan requirement comes first. |
Albert Heijn says that the cocoa in its own-brand products is certified by Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade. That doesn’t tell you which certification applies to an individual spiced biscuit product.
If Fairtrade is a condition of your purchase, look for a Fairtrade claim on the product page or packaging for the exact item.
For Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade 135 g, Jumbo lists milk, cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat, as well as a warning that the product may contain nuts, almonds and hazelnuts.
Read the current ingredients and allergen information before ordering, and check the packaging you receive too.
Lotus Biscoff Speculoos 250 g is a biscuit without chocolate; the ingredients shown do not include cocoa. So it won’t meet the requirement for chocolate with an explicit Fairtrade cocoa claim.
Choose the product type you want first, then check the Fairtrade claim only on products that contain cocoa.
A product being listed online doesn’t mean it’s available for every postcode or delivery time.
Before you check out, check current availability, substitution preferences and your chosen delivery slot in your basket.
Worth considering if you’re looking for milk chocolate with spiced biscuit pieces and want to verify the Fairtrade cocoa claim for that specific product.
Worth considering if you’re looking for plain speculoos without chocolate.
A retailer with an online spiced biscuit category where you can browse individual products.
An online retailer where you can compare product information for the chocolate variety mentioned above and plain speculoos.
No. If Fairtrade is a condition of your purchase, the claim must appear on the product page or packaging for the exact item. Albert Heijn mentions both Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade for its own-brand cocoa; this general statement doesn’t tell you which certification applies to an individual product.
The Fairtrade claim applies to cocoa as an ingredient, not automatically to every ingredient in the finished product. For Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade 135 g, Jumbo states that the cocoa was sourced under Fairtrade terms using the mass balance principle. Fairtrade International advises checking which ingredients a claim applies to in products made from several ingredients.
Check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings for the exact product. According to Ondernemersplein, mandatory label information must also be available online; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority points out that allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked products. Check the packaging again when your order arrives.
Jumbo describes Lotus Biscoff Speculoos 250 g as suitable for vegans. If you choose a different variety or the packaging has changed, check the current ingredients and allergen information again; this product claim says nothing about the Fairtrade status of cocoa.
