The taaitaai products from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS that we looked at aren’t suitable for a vegan purchase: the ingredient lists for these specific varieties include milk protein, and they’re sold in 350 g or 500 g packs. If you want one ready-made piece, check both the vegan label and the ingredients on the current packaging. Baking your own gives you control over the ingredients, but it won’t offer the convenience of buying an individually sold piece.
You’re looking for taaitaai without animal ingredients for a single snack. The milk protein in the varieties from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS that we looked at rules them out for you; for any other product, check the current ingredients and vegan labelling.
You want to take one piece with you or hand it out, not buy a 350 g or 500 g bag. Van Delft describes traditional taaitaai figures that are individually wrapped, but individual wrapping doesn’t tell you whether the ingredients are vegan.
As well as animal ingredients, you check for any allergens that matter to you. The products from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS that we looked at list wheat, rye and milk protein; check the information on the packaging when you buy.
First decide whether you need a ready-made piece or can bake your own. If you’re buying a product, check its ingredients and packaging separately: a small biscuit in a large bag isn’t the same as an individually sold piece.
Choose this when: you want to buy a single piece straight away and the current packaging confirms both the size and a suitable plant-based recipe.
The trade-off: the packs from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS that we looked at contain milk protein and aren’t sold as individual pieces.
Choose this when: having control over the ingredients matters more to you than buying a ready-made piece.
The trade-off: baking takes time and won’t automatically give you a single portion. This is Joan’s vegan recipe uses ingredients including spelt flour.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Vegan ingredients | Read the full ingredient list and look for an explicit vegan label. Milk protein rules a product out for vegan use. | If I want vegan taaitaai, a vegetarian label isn’t enough to rule out animal ingredients. For around 50% of consumers, the ingredients come first. |
| Individual portion | Check whether the product is sold loose or individually wrapped; small figures in a bag are a different thing. | I don’t want to buy a big bag for a single snack just because the biscuits are small. An individual portion is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Allergens and labelling | Read the current ingredient and allergen information on the packaging, even if you’ve already looked it up online. | If certain allergens are a deal-breaker for me, I need to be able to check what’s in the product. For around 20% of consumers, checking the label is the top priority. |
The taaitaai products from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS that we looked at list milk protein. So a vegetarian label doesn’t make these varieties suitable for a vegan purchase.
Check the full ingredient list and look for an explicit vegan label on the product you’re actually buying.
Small biscuits can come together in a 350 g or 500 g pack. The size of the biscuit doesn’t tell you whether you can buy one on its own.
Check how the product is sold or packaged. Then separately check whether the ingredients are suitable for a vegan diet.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. A product page you looked at earlier is no substitute for checking the label on the pack you receive.
When you buy or receive your order, check the ingredients and allergen information again before deciding whether the product meets your requirements.
These examples show why you should check the ingredients and packaging for each product; mentioning a brand isn’t a judgement on its entire range.
Albert Heijn lists AH Taai taai in a 350 g pack.
Jumbo lists Sint Taai Taai Figuurtjes in a 500 g pack.
PLUS lists Taai taai sint en piet at 500 g and an artisan taaitaai variety at 250 g.
ALDI lists taai-taai as a 500 g product.
Dirk’s search results show 500 g mini taaitaai.
No. The varieties from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS that we looked at list milk protein in their ingredient lists. This applies to these specific products, not automatically to all taaitaai from those shops; check the current label when you buy.
No. A vegan recipe doesn’t tell you whether it contains gluten-containing grains. The supermarket varieties we looked at list wheat and rye, while This is Joan’s vegan recipe uses spelt flour. If you need a gluten-free option, check the ingredients and relevant label information for the specific product.
Yes. Baking your own is an alternative if you want to choose the ingredients yourself. This is Joan’s recipe uses ingredients including spelt flour, banana and date syrup, and makes 20 pieces; you’ll need to bake them yourself, and you won’t get one ready-made, individually wrapped piece.
Ingredients and allergen information can change, so the label on the pack you receive is the best way to check what you’ve bought. Use it to compare the ingredients with your vegan requirements and any allergens you need to avoid.
