Who will notice the difference?

Fans of soft, spiced taaitaai

With your coffee or cake, you’re after the chewy texture and aniseed flavour of classic taaitaai, rather than the crunchy bite of a digestive.

Shoppers comparing crunchy biscuits

You want a crisp biscuit and, as well as fibre, you check the sugar, fat and salt per 100 g before choosing a pack.

Shoppers with gluten or allergen requirements

You need to check which allergens a biscuit contains and whether warnings about possible cross-contamination are relevant to you. A gluten-free label doesn’t answer every question about allergens.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you want soft, spiced taaitaai or a crunchy digestive. Then compare the nutritional information on the packs per 100 g and check the current label for any allergens.

What to consider What to check before buying Who it matters to
Texture and spices Read the product description and ingredients if you’re specifically looking for taaitaai with aniseed or taaitaai spices. If you want a soft, spiced biscuit with your coffee, a crunchy biscuit won’t feel like the same choice. For around 27% of consumers, this preference for flavour and texture is the deciding factor.
Crunch and fibre Check the type of biscuit and compare fibre per 100 g; Jumbo lists 5,8 g of fibre per 100 g for Digestive Volkoren. If you want a crisp biscuit and are considering fibre, look beyond the word ‘wholegrain’ in the name. Around 27% of consumers prioritise this combination.
Nutritional value Compare energy, sugars, fat, saturated fat, fibre and salt per 100 g, rather than looking only at the values per serving. If you’re weighing up different packs, you’ll want to see how their nutritional values compare before letting flavour decide. This is the first priority for around 33% of consumers.
Gluten and allergens Read the full allergen information and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the pack. If you need to avoid gluten or another allergen, the specific pack must meet your requirements, whatever flavour you’re looking for. Around 13% of consumers put this check first.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘wholegrain’ tells you everything about nutritional value

    Jumbo lists 5,8 g of fibre per 100 g for Digestive Volkoren, but it also contains 458 kcal, 17,7 g of fat and 1,15 g of salt. The fibre content alone tells you nothing about those other values.

    As well as fibre, check energy, sugars, fat, saturated fat and salt on the same per-100 g basis.

  • Comparing only the front of the pack or the values per biscuit

    Serving sizes can vary from one pack to another. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, comparing nutritional values per 100 g makes it easier to compare products side by side.

    Put the packs’ nutrition tables side by side and use the values per 100 g for both.

  • Confusing gluten-free with allergen-free

    According to the product information, the gluten-free Schär Digestive Landtaler contains soya and may contain lupin and egg.

    As well as checking the gluten-free label, read the full allergen information and the ‘may contain’ statement on the pack.

  • Assuming a product will always be available

    An online range can change, so a product page you looked at previously doesn’t tell you which pack will be available when you buy.

    Check current availability and, if you choose a different variant, read its ingredients and nutritional information again.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

AH Taai taai is a soft, spiced taaitaai biscuit sold in a 350 g pack.

  • Albert Heijn lists star anise as an ingredient; per 100 g, the variant we looked at contains 370 kcal, 39 g of sugars and 2,5 g of fibre.
  • The variant contains milk, rye and wheat, among other ingredients. Check the current label before buying.

Jumbo

Digestive Volkoren is a crunchy biscuit for anyone comparing fibre content, among other things.

  • Jumbo lists wholemeal wheat flour, wheat flour and wheat flakes; the variant we looked at contains 5,8 g of fibre per 100 g.
  • The same variant also contains 17,7 g of fat and 1,15 g of salt per 100 g. Compare the full nutrition table.

Bolletje

Taai Taai Poppetjes is a taaitaai variant made with aniseed and taaitaai spices.

  • The product information lists wheat and rye; per 100 g, it gives 360 kcal, 36 g of sugars and 2,5 g of fibre.
  • Milk is listed among the allergens. Check whether this variant is currently available too.

McVitie's

Digestives Original is a standard digestive biscuit sold in a 400 g pack.

  • For the variant we looked at, Jumbo lists 3,7 g of fibre per 100 g.
  • Jumbo also lists 483 kcal, 21,3 g of fat and 10,1 g of saturated fat per 100 g. The variant contains wheat and may contain milk.

Schär

Digestive Landtaler is labelled gluten-free and is available in a pack of 3 x 50 g.

  • The variant we looked at is listed as containing 7,4 g of fibre per 100 g.
  • The variant contains soya, may contain lupin and egg, and lists 10 g of saturated fat per 100 g. If allergens are important to you, read the full pack information.

Related Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is a wholegrain digestive automatically a better choice than taaitaai?

No. ‘Wholegrain’ doesn’t determine how you should weigh up the other nutritional values. Jumbo Digestive Volkoren contains 5,8 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 2,5 g for AH Taai taai according to Albert Heijn. But you should also compare energy, sugars, fat and salt per 100 g.

What should I check if I need to limit gluten or have a food allergy?

Check the current label on the specific pack for allergens and ‘may contain’ warnings. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that prepacked products must display allergen information on the label; even a gluten-free digestive may contain other allergens.

How do I compare taaitaai and digestives when the serving sizes differ?

Compare the nutritional information per 100 g on both packs. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, values per serving can make comparisons less clear when serving sizes differ.

How should I store taaitaai once it’s open?

Follow the storage advice on the pack you buy. For the AH Taai taai variant we looked at, Albert Heijn recommends storing it in a cool, dark, dry place and putting it in an airtight tin once opened.