Who is packaging format important for?

Vegan snackers who want to check the ingredients

You’re looking for a biscuit without animal-derived ingredients and want to check that any vegan claim matches the ingredients on the pack.

People who take biscuits with them or share them

You want to take or share a sealed portion, and know in advance whether you’ll be opening a pack containing one biscuit or several.

Vegan shoppers who check for allergens

As well as checking for animal-derived ingredients, you want to make sure the biscuit you choose fits your dietary restrictions, for example around wheat or soya. Vegan doesn’t mean allergen-free.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, check the ingredients and allergen information for the specific pack. Then choose between one biscuit per wrapper and a pack containing two biscuits, depending on when and with whom you’ll be enjoying it.

What to consider What to check before buying Who it matters to
Vegan ingredients Compare the vegan claim with the current ingredients list. If the information conflicts, don’t rely on the claim alone. I want to be sure there are no animal-derived ingredients in my biscuit before I buy it. Around 36% of consumers put this certainty first.
Portion and packaging Check how many individual packs there are and how many biscuits each one contains. One biscuit per wrapper is different from a pack of two. When I’m out and about or sharing, I want to open a portion that suits the occasion, without being left with a second biscuit. This choice of portion is most important to around 29% of consumers.
Allergens Read the allergen information on the pack you choose, even if the product is labelled vegan. If I need to avoid wheat or soya as well as eating vegan, that determines which biscuits are suitable for me. This separate check is a priority for around 21% of consumers.
Packaging and waste Compare the amount of inner packaging with the number of biscuits you’ll actually eat. I don’t want to use more wrappers than necessary, but I also don’t want to throw biscuits away because a larger pack is left unfinished. This trade-off is the deciding factor for around 14% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Relying on the vegan claim alone

    Jumbo’s product information for Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Chocolate 3p x6 combines a vegan claim with skimmed milk powder and milk fat in the ingredients. So, for this variety, the claim alone doesn’t confirm that it’s vegan.

    Check the ingredients on the current pack or ask the manufacturer for clarification before choosing this variety as vegan.

  • Assuming a pack of two biscuits is the same as individually wrapped biscuits

    Jumbo says that Lotus Biscoff Speculoos XL 2P x 10 contains 10 packs, each with two biscuits. That’s a different portion from the individually wrapped Lotus Speculoos described by Albert Heijn.

    Before choosing a pack to take with you or share, check both the number of packs and the number of biscuits in each one.

  • Confusing vegan with allergen-free

    Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s product information lists wheat and soya, among other ingredients, for the vegan Lotus Speculoos products discussed here. Being suitable for vegans doesn’t remove the need to check for individual allergens.

    Read the ingredients, listed allergens and any warnings on the pack you’re buying.

  • Looking only at the number of wrappers

    A larger pack isn’t automatically the right choice if you won’t finish all the biscuits. Milieu Centraal says the benefit of larger packs depends on actually using what’s inside.

    Choose a portion size that suits how often you eat biscuits and how many you expect to get through.

Brands and retailers to consider

Lotus Biscoff

Among the Speculoos products discussed, there are two different smaller pack formats: individually wrapped biscuits and packs of two.

  • Albert Heijn says that its pack of 300 Lotus Speculoos biscuits contains individually wrapped biscuits and is suitable for vegans. Jumbo also says that its XL variety, with 10 packs of two biscuits, is suitable for vegans.
  • The products discussed list wheat and soya. Check the chocolate variety separately: Jumbo’s online vegan claim conflicts with the listed milk ingredients.

Sondey

Lidl Netherlands includes vegan biscuits in its Sondey range.

  • The brand could be a useful starting point if you’re looking for vegan biscuits in store.
  • Before choosing a specific pack for this purchase, check its ingredients, allergens and individual packaging.

Albert Heijn

The retailer provides product information for the individually wrapped pack of 300 Lotus Speculoos biscuits.

  • The stated packaging format and vegan suitability make this specific variety worth considering if you’re looking for one biscuit per wrapper.
  • Ingredients and allergens can change, so always read the current pack.

Jumbo

The retailer describes Lotus packs containing, among others, two biscuits and three biscuits per individual pack.

  • For Lotus Biscoff Speculoos XL 2P x 10, the retailer states how many biscuits are in each of the 10 packs.
  • Don’t treat the chocolate variety as confirmed vegan based on the online claim: the listed ingredients include milk products.

Lidl

Lidl Netherlands mentions both a vegan range and vegan biscuits from Sondey.

  • Check the current range for a biscuit whose packaging meets your requirements.
  • For each individual product, check whether it’s vegan and how many biscuits are in each individual pack.

Joybuy products related to this topic

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does individually wrapped always mean one biscuit per pack?

No. Check how many biscuits the individual pack contains. Albert Heijn describes its pack of 300 Lotus Speculoos biscuits as individually wrapped, while Jumbo lists Lotus Biscoff Speculoos XL 2P x 10 as 10 packs, each containing two biscuits.

Is a vegan biscuit suitable if I need to avoid wheat or soya?

Not automatically: the Lotus Speculoos products discussed list wheat and soya. Check the ingredients, allergens and any warnings on the current packaging for the specific product.

What should I do if a vegan claim doesn’t match the ingredients?

Don’t rely on the claim alone when choosing the product as vegan. For Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Chocolate 3p x6, Jumbo lists both a vegan claim and milk products; check the current pack or ask the manufacturer for clarification.

Is a larger pack always a better choice than individual portions?

No. It depends on whether you’ll finish the contents and whether you need a sealed portion to take with you or share. Milieu Centraal points out that a larger pack is most worthwhile when you actually use what’s inside.