If you’re travelling with several people, individually sealed bags are handy for portioning out in advance. If everyone wants the same flavour, a multipack of small, resealable tubes is another option. For a mixed box, check which snacks it contains and, if anyone has an allergy, check the ingredients on the specific bag.
If you want to share crisps between several travellers without passing around a large bag, look for boxes containing individual bags. Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s product information describes packs with multiple portions.
If you’re buying a pack for future journeys too, consider not just the number of bags but also the total weight and which flavours you’ll actually use. A 25 g bag and a 40 g tube are not equivalent portions.
If someone has an allergy or intolerance, the ingredients in the bag they eat are what matter. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, 14 specified allergens must be listed on the labels of pre-packed foods. So, if you’re buying a mixed box, check the individual varieties too.
First decide whether you want sealed portions to hand out, one flavour to take with you or a larger bag to share. Then compare the contents and check the ingredients of the variety you choose.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing portions | The number of individual bags and the weight of each one. | If I’m travelling with a group, I want to be able to give everyone a sealed bag rather than pass around a large one. For around 36% of consumers, portioning would be the top priority. |
| Amount you’ll use | The total weight and how many portions you can use for this journey and future ones. | If I’m packing for another journey too, I want the contents to suit what I’ll actually use. For around 29% of consumers, the amount they can use would be the most important factor. |
| Flavours and packaging | The mix of flavours in a mixed box, or the contents of a multipack with one flavour. Also check whether the packaging is resealable. | If people have different tastes, I want to know which bags are in the box; if everyone likes the same thing, one flavour may be enough. Flavour and packaging would be the deciding factors for around 21% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | The current label on the variety you buy and, for a mixed box, the ingredients of the specific bag. | If I have an allergy, I need to be able to check what’s in the bag for the person concerned. For around 14% of consumers, checking the ingredients would be the first priority. |
A mixed box may contain crisps and other snacks with different ingredients. So, the ingredients in one bag won’t necessarily tell you what’s in another.
If someone has an allergy or intolerance, read the label on the exact pack and check which ingredients apply to the bag in question.
A large bag doesn’t contain pre-portioned, sealed servings. Once it’s open, you’ll also need to think about what to do with any leftover crisps and the packaging.
Choose individual bags if everyone needs their own portion. If you take a large bag, bring something to reseal it and put empty packaging in the bin, as requested in NS’s house rules.
For this choice, boxes of individual bags are the most relevant; some combine crisps with other snacks.
A multipack of small tubes in one flavour is an alternative to a mixed box of individual bags.
Smiths is relevant here as a savoury snack brand, not as an indication that a box contains only crisps.
Here, Albert Heijn is a retailer and source of information about the multipacks reviewed, not a crisp brand.
Jumbo offers its own-brand box of individual bags for anyone who wants a mix of ready salted and paprika flavours.
Snack Day is Lidl’s snack brand. The ridged crisps reviewed come in a larger bag, not a box of individual bags.
These Joybuy products include bags you can portion out in advance, a multipack of small tubes and mixed packs containing different snacks. Choose based on the number of travellers, the flavours you want and the ingredients listed on the pack you buy.
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An option if you want to hand out individual bags and everyone likes the same flavour. The pack contains 10 bags of 40 g each. If anyone has an allergy, check the label for ingredients including wheat and soya.
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For travellers who want to take one flavour in individual tubes. The multipack contains 12 tubes of 40 g each, and the tube can be closed again after opening. Joybuy lists wheat and gluten, and possible traces of milk and soya. Check the label on the pack you buy.
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This mix is a good fit for a group wanting to take individual bags and a variety of snacks. The box contains 15 items. If anyone has an allergy, check the pack you buy to see which ingredients apply to each specific bag, including whether it contains milk.
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A mixed box for sharing bags between several travellers. It contains 20 items and combines different snacks, so don’t assume they’re all the same type of crisp. If anyone has an allergy, check the ingredients on the chosen bag, including the information about milk and soya.
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A smaller mix to take with you when you want to share out snacks. The pack contains 180 g in total; check the packaging to see whether the individual portions will suit your group. If anyone has an allergy, check the label for ingredients including soya.
Choose individual bags if several travellers need to be able to take a sealed portion each. A large bag may be fine if you don’t need to portion it out in advance, but remember to think about how you’ll reseal any leftovers.
Yes. If someone has an allergy or intolerance, check the ingredients of the variety they’ll actually be eating. The bags in one box may differ. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that specified allergens must be listed on the labels of pre-packed foods.
Put empty packaging in the bin; that’s what NS asks in its house rules. Keep it with you until you can use a bin.
Follow the storage advice on the pack you buy and reseal opened packaging as instructed. The Jumbo sharing box reviewed says to store in a cool, dry place; the Pringles tube reviewed says to close it tightly after opening.
