Gluten-free shoppers who can eat oats
Tesco Free From, Sainsbury’s Free From and Free From by Asda plain digestives are labelled gluten- and milk-free. All three contain oats, so check oat suitability as well as each product’s nut-related statement.
Who needs to check what?
Gluten-free shoppers avoiding oats
Schär Gluten-Free Digestive uses maize, buckwheat and soya rather than oats. Check its declared soya content and precautionary lupin statement before choosing it.
Households managing more than one food allergy
A gluten-free claim does not address every other allergen. The Food Standards Agency identifies oats as an allergen in their own right, while individual biscuit labels give further ingredient and precautionary information to check.
What to check before choosing
Start with the exact biscuit and its current pack, then check each additional allergen requirement rather than choosing by a free-from range name alone.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim | Look for a gluten-free claim on the exact product. The Food Standards Agency defines this UK labelling term as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold; it does not cover separate allergens. | I need a digestive labelled gluten-free, but still have other ingredients to check. |
| Oats | Read the ingredient list even when the oats are gluten-free. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda own-label digestives contain oats; Schär’s listed ingredients use maize, buckwheat and soya instead. | If I must avoid oats, an oat-based gluten-free digestive does not meet that requirement. |
| Milk statement | Check for an explicit milk-free claim. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda label these plain digestives milk-free; the Schär listing says lactose-free, which does not establish milk-protein-allergy suitability. | I want the milk statement checked directly, rather than relying on lactose-free or vegan wording. |
| Precautionary allergens | Read the exact warning: Tesco says its product may contain peanuts and nuts; Sainsbury’s says its product is not suitable for customers with a nut allergy; Asda says it may contain nuts. Schär may contain lupin. | A “may contain” statement matters to my choice when it names an allergen I need to avoid. |
| Biscuit identity | Confirm that the pack is a gluten-free digestive, not just another biscuit from a familiar brand or free-from range. Standard M&S Digestive Biscuits list wheat flour and barley malt extract. | I want a digestive biscuit, so I need to check both the biscuit type and its label. |
Common shopping mistakes
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Assuming gluten-free means free from every allergen
The oat-based own-label digestives contain oats, while Schär’s digestive contains soya. A gluten-free claim does not remove those separate allergen considerations.
Compare the current ingredient list, allergen declaration and precautionary statement with the allergens the shopper needs to avoid.
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Missing nut and peanut warnings
Tesco’s digestives may contain peanuts and nuts; Sainsbury’s says its product is not suitable for customers with a nut allergy because of manufacturing methods; Asda’s may contain nuts.
Check each product’s exact wording against the individual allergy-management plan rather than treating the three oat-based options as interchangeable.
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Reading lactose-free as milk-free
The Schär listing describes the digestive as lactose-free, but that wording does not establish suitability for a milk-protein allergy.
If milk protein must be avoided, check the current pack for an explicit milk-free statement or seek confirmation from the manufacturer for that exact product.
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Choosing by brand or range instead of the exact pack
M&S has a Made Without range, but its standard Digestive Biscuits list wheat flour and barley malt extract. The displayed standard Crawford’s Digestives also list wheat flour.
Check the full product name and ingredient panel before buying; a brand’s other free-from products do not change the ingredients of its standard digestives.
Relevant brand and retailer ranges
These references concern the named biscuits or ranges, not every product sold under each brand. Check the current pack when buying.
Tesco Free From
Tesco Free From Digestives 188g is a plain, oat-based digestive labelled gluten-free and milk-free.
- Also labelled suitable for vegans.
- Contains oats and may contain peanuts and nuts.
Sainsbury’s Free From
Sainsbury’s Free From Digestive Biscuits 188g is labelled gluten- and milk-free and is made with gluten-free oats.
- Sainsbury’s states that this product is suitable for coeliacs.
- Contains oats and is not suitable for customers with a nut allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Free From by Asda
Free From by Asda Digestive Biscuits 188g is a plain digestive labelled gluten-free and milk-free.
- Its listed ingredients use gluten-free oat flour and oat bran.
- Contains oats and may contain nuts.
Schär
Schär Gluten-Free Digestive 150g is a gluten- and wheat-free digestive whose listed ingredients use maize, buckwheat and soya rather than oats.
- Provides a digestive option for shoppers who need to avoid oats, subject to its other allergen statements.
- Contains soya and may contain lupin. Its lactose-free description does not establish that it is milk-free.
M&S Made Without / M&S
M&S describes gluten-free and wheat-free products within its Made Without range. That does not make its standard Digestive Biscuits gluten-free.
- The Made Without range includes products described as gluten-free or wheat-free.
- Standard M&S Digestive Biscuits list wheat flour, wholemeal wheat flour and barley malt extract.
Joybuy biscuit options
These Joybuy options include a gluten-free digestive made without oats and a gluten-free Hobnob made with oats. The Hobnob is a different biscuit type, so check which type you want as well as its allergen statements.
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Schär Gluten Free Digestive Biscuits 150g
A gluten-free digestive option to consider when oats must be avoided: its listed ingredients use maize, buckwheat and soya rather than oats. It contains soya and may contain lupin; if milk protein must also be avoided, check the current pack rather than relying on lactose-free wording.
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McVitie's Gluten Free Hobnobs 150g
This is a gluten-free oat-based Hobnob, not a digestive biscuit. It contains oats and carries “may contain” warnings for nuts, milk, egg and soya; check those statements against the shopper’s requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Does gluten-free mean a digestive is suitable for every food allergy?
No. The Food Standards Agency defines “gluten-free” in UK labelling as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold. Oats remain an allergen in their own right, and the claim does not rule out milk, nuts, soya, lupin or other allergens.
Which plain gluten-free digestives are also labelled milk-free?
Tesco Free From Digestives, Sainsbury’s Free From Digestive Biscuits and Free From by Asda Digestive Biscuits are labelled milk-free as well as gluten-free. All three contain oats and have nut-related limitations, so check those statements too.
Which gluten-free digestive option avoids oats?
Schär Gluten-Free Digestive uses maize, buckwheat and soya rather than oats and is labelled gluten- and wheat-free. It contains soya and may contain lupin, so check both statements before choosing it.
What does “may contain” mean on a biscuit pack?
It warns that the named allergen could be unintentionally present. The Food Standards Agency describes precautionary allergen labelling in those terms; compare the exact warning with the individual allergy-management plan rather than assuming a gluten-free claim overrides it.
Can I use a supermarket webpage instead of checking the pack?
Check the physical pack before buying or eating. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda advise customers to read the label because ingredients and allergen information can change.