Cocoa-label readers
If cocoa content guides your choice, distinguish the cocoa-solids minimum in the chocolate from the amount of chocolate in the biscuit.
Who is choosing?
Hunt organisers sharing biscuits
Pack size and ingredients matter when several people will eat the biscuits. If young children attend, plan for them to sit and be supervised while eating, in line with NHS advice.
Hosts checking food allergies
Check the actual pack before serving: the dark-chocolate varieties described by the retailers include ingredients or precautionary statements relevant to milk, wheat, soya or oats.
What should you check?
Start with the cocoa figure if that drives your choice, then check ingredients and how many biscuits the gathering needs.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa label | Tesco lists 48% minimum cocoa solids in chocolate that makes up 30% of its biscuit. Sainsbury’s lists 35% minimum in chocolate that makes up 27% of its biscuit. Compare figures with the same meaning. | I want to compare the stated composition of the dark chocolate, rather than mistake the coating’s share of the biscuit for its cocoa content. |
| Allergens | Read the actual pack’s ingredients and precautionary statements. Tesco lists possible milk; Sainsbury’s gives specific advice for customers with an oat allergy. | Before sharing biscuits, I need to check whether each guest can eat the particular product I have bought. |
| Pack quantity | Compare weight and biscuit count where stated. Tesco’s listing for McVitie’s 266g pack gives approximately 16 biscuits; Sainsbury’s 300g listing gives approximately 18. | There need to be enough suitable biscuits for the people eating them, without assuming packs of different weights contain the same number. |
| Serving during the hunt | Follow the pack’s storage directions after opening. For babies and young children, NHS advice is to have them sit still and stay with them while they eat. | If children are taking part, I can offer the biscuits when they have stopped hunting rather than while they are running around. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “30% dark chocolate” as “30% cocoa solids”
The percentages have different denominators: Tesco’s listing says chocolate makes up 30% of the biscuit and contains at least 48% cocoa solids.
Look for a separately stated cocoa-solids minimum for the chocolate before comparing cocoa labels.
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Assuming a dark coating suits every guest
The checked Sainsbury’s, ASDA, M&S and McVitie’s dark-chocolate listings include milk ingredients. Other ingredients and precautionary statements also matter to guests with allergies.
Ask guests about relevant allergies and check the actual pack before serving, rather than relying on the word “dark”.
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Assuming packs contain the same number of biscuits
The checked McVitie’s 266g listing gives approximately 16 biscuits, while Sainsbury’s 300g listing gives approximately 18. Weight alone does not tell you the stated biscuit count.
Check the pack weight and any stated count against the number of people you expect to serve.
Brand and product-line references
These details describe particular retailer listings, not every biscuit made by each brand.
Tesco
Tesco’s listed 300g dark-chocolate digestives give separate figures for the coating and its cocoa-solids minimum.
- The listing states 48% minimum cocoa solids in chocolate making up 30% of the biscuit.
- It lists wheat and soya ingredients and says the product may contain milk.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s listed 300g dark-chocolate digestives state a cocoa-solids minimum and approximately 18 servings.
- The listed chocolate makes up 27% of the biscuit and contains at least 35% cocoa solids.
- The listing includes milk, wheat and soya and says the product is not suitable for customers with an oat allergy because of manufacturing methods.
McVitie’s
Tesco’s listing for McVitie’s 266g dark-chocolate digestives gives an approximate count of 16 biscuits.
- The listing states that dark chocolate makes up 30% of this biscuit.
- That 30% is not a cocoa-solids figure; the listed ingredients include milk, wheat and soya.
ASDA
ASDA’s listed 300g dark-chocolate digestives state the chocolate’s share of the biscuit.
- The listing states 30% dark chocolate.
- It declares milk, soya and wheat, with possible rye, barley and oats; the 30% does not state a cocoa-solids minimum.
M&S
Ocado’s listing describes M&S dark-chocolate digestives in a 300g pack.
- The listing states 32% chocolate and describes a demerara-sugar biscuit.
- The 32% is the chocolate’s share of the biscuit, not its cocoa-solids content. The listing includes milk, soya, wheat and barley.
Crawford’s
Iceland Foods’ listed 400g Crawford’s digestives are a plain, uncoated alternative.
- An uncoated biscuit is a different option if guests do not want a dark-chocolate digestive.
- The listed product contains no chocolate and cannot be compared on chocolate cocoa-solids content.
Joybuy product options
These McVitie’s dark-chocolate digestives offer a choice between a 2 x 266g twin pack and a 400g pack for sharing. Check the actual pack’s ingredients when planning for guests with allergies.
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McVitie’s Digestives Dark Chocolate Twin Pack, 2 x 266g
The two 266g packs offer a quantity to consider when sharing biscuits at an Easter egg hunt. The product information flags wheat, milk and soya; check the actual packs before serving anyone with a relevant allergy.
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McVitie’s Digestives Dark Chocolate 400g
This 400g pack is another quantity to consider for the gathering. The product information flags wheat, milk and soya; check the actual pack before serving guests with allergies, and look for a cocoa-solids figure on it if you want to compare coatings.
Questions about sharing biscuits
Does “dark chocolate” mean a digestive is dairy-free?
No. The checked McVitie’s, ASDA, Sainsbury’s and M&S dark-chocolate listings include milk ingredients. For a guest with an allergy, check the actual pack’s full ingredients and precautionary advice before serving.
How should biscuits be served to young children during a hunt?
Have young children sit and stay with them while they eat, in line with NHS advice, rather than giving them biscuits while they run around. Keep small hunt objects out of the reach of babies and toddlers.
How should an opened pack be stored?
Follow the directions on its label. Tesco’s and McVitie’s checked listings advise a cool, dry place and an airtight container after opening; ASDA’s listing also says to consume its product within seven days of opening.
What can a UK food label tell me about allergens?
The Food Standards Agency says the 14 regulated allergens must be emphasised in the ingredients list of prepacked food or drink. Read that list and any precautionary statements on the actual biscuit pack; labelling rules do not establish that a product is suitable for a particular guest.