Organisers managing allergens
Check each biscuit against the school’s allergy arrangements and keep current ingredient information available. A regular digestive should not be assumed suitable for someone avoiding wheat or gluten.
Who is choosing the biscuits?
Parents bringing a plain biscuit
A conventional digestive offers an uncoated option, but standard wheat-containing packs need to be distinguished from biscuits specifically labelled gluten free.
Organisers serving small portions
Individually wrapped assorted mini packs can reduce handling at a busy table. Check every included variety rather than treating the box as one uniform digestive biscuit.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the school’s arrangements and the current packet, then choose a biscuit type and serving format that fit the sale.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| School arrangements | Check the school’s allergy safety policy before bringing food. Department for Education guidance says schools in England must publish one; confirm the arrangements for this event with the school. | I need to know which foods and serving practices the school allows before choosing a pack. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and precautionary allergen statements. Keep the packet available: GOV.UK recommends retaining packaging when serving prepacked food at community or charity events. | If someone asks what a biscuit contains, I want the information for that exact product to hand. |
| Biscuit type | Standard Tesco, McVitie’s, M&S and Crawford’s digestives listed by their retailers contain wheat ingredients. Tesco Free From Digestives are labelled gluten free, but Tesco says they may contain peanuts and nuts. | For a gluten-free option, I need a specifically labelled biscuit whose other allergen statements also fit the school’s arrangements. |
| Serving format | Check whether portions are individually wrapped and whether the box contains more than one variety. Nisbets lists Crawford’s 100-pack as an assorted selection, not digestives alone. | Sealed small portions would simplify serving, provided I can check the ingredients of every variety offered. |
What can go wrong at the sale?
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Assuming every digestive is gluten free
The regular Tesco, McVitie’s, M&S and Crawford’s products listed by their retailers contain wheat ingredients; the M&S biscuit also lists barley malt extract.
If a gluten-free option is needed, choose a product specifically labelled gluten free and check its current packet against the school’s policy.
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Treating gluten free as an all-allergen claim
Tesco labels its Free From Digestives gluten free, but its product information says they may contain peanuts and nuts.
Check the whole allergen statement against the school’s particular restrictions before supplying the biscuits.
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Throwing away the packet
Without the packet, helpers and buyers may be unable to check the ingredients of the exact biscuit being served.
Keep each current packet accessible with its product. GOV.UK recommends retaining packaging for prepacked food served at community or charity events.
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Presenting an assortment as digestives only
Nisbets lists Crawford’s individually wrapped mini packs as a mix of biscuit varieties, so the contents should not be described as one digestive product.
Use the assortment only if mixed varieties suit the sale, and check the ingredient information for each one.
Which brands illustrate the options?
McVitie’s
McVitie’s Digestives The Original 360g is a plain wheatmeal digestive listed by Tesco Groceries.
- The listed product is labelled suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- It contains cereals containing gluten and may also contain milk; check the current packet before the sale.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists both regular 400g Digestive Biscuits and a separate 188g Free From Digestives product.
- The Free From product is labelled gluten free and milk free.
- The regular biscuits contain wheat and dried skimmed milk. Tesco says the Free From product may contain peanuts and nuts.
M&S
M&S lists a regular 400g digestive biscuit made with wholemeal wheat flour.
- M&S describes the biscuit as crisp and crunchy.
- Its listed ingredients include wheat flour and barley malt extract, so it is not a gluten-free option.
Crawford’s
Crawford’s has a regular 400g digestive listed by Iceland Foods and an assorted mini-pack format listed by Nisbets.
- Nisbets lists the assorted 100-pack as individually wrapped for portioned serving.
- The regular digestives contain wheat; the mini packs contain several biscuit varieties, not digestives alone.
Digestive biscuits on Joybuy
These options cover a conventional digestive, a sugar-free-named digestive and a biscuit labelled gluten free. Check each current packet and the school’s arrangements before taking it to the sale.
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McVitie’s Digestives the Original 2x315g
A plain digestive option for a sale where wheat-containing biscuits are permitted. This is a 2x315g pack; check its own current allergen label rather than relying on information for a different pack size.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
A 400g digestive option identified as Zero Sugar Free in its product name. Check the current ingredient and allergen label against the school’s arrangements; the name alone does not establish suitability for an allergy restriction.
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Schar Gluten Free Digestive Biscuits 150g
A 150g biscuit option labelled gluten free. Check the physical packet for its full ingredient and precautionary allergen information before deciding whether it fits the school’s arrangements.
Common questions
Do digestive biscuits contain gluten?
The regular Tesco, McVitie’s, M&S and Crawford’s digestives listed by their retailers contain wheat ingredients. If a gluten-free biscuit is needed, choose one specifically labelled gluten free and check its current packet.
Does a gluten-free digestive suit a school with nut restrictions?
Not automatically. Tesco says its Free From Digestives may contain peanuts and nuts despite being labelled gluten free and milk free. Check the physical packet against the school’s specific allergy arrangements.
What should stay with the biscuits at the sale?
Keep the current packaging available for each product so people can check its ingredients. GOV.UK recommends retaining packaging when serving prepacked food at community or charity events.
Are individually wrapped biscuits enough for allergy management?
No. Wrapping changes how portions are served, not which allergens they contain. Check every variety in an assorted pack, follow the school’s arrangements and keep allergen information available.