The Dutch supermarket shelf is a wall of unfamiliar words: halvarine or roomboter? Zeezout or just zout? And is that date a “throw it out” or a “probably fine”? Reading the etiket (label) saves money, prevents waste and avoids mistakes. Here is how to decode it.
The two dates: THT vs TGT
The single most useful distinction, and it affects what you bin. As the Voedingscentrum explains the two date types:
| Date | Means | After the date |
|---|---|---|
| THT (ten minste houdbaar tot) | best before | often still fine if it looks/smells/tastes good |
| TGT (te gebruiken tot) | use by | throw it away |
THT (on tinned, dried, many chilled foods) is about quality; TGT (on fresh fish, mince, meat) is about safety. As the NVWA explains shelf-life dates, confusing the two is a major cause of needless food waste.
Reading the ingredients and nutrition
As the Voedingscentrum explains reading labels:
- The ingrediëntenlijst is ordered by weight, most first. Suiker near the front means a sugary product.
- Allergens are usually highlighted (often bold).
- The voedingswaardetabel shows calories and suikers, vetten, zout.
Label words worth knowing
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| zeezout | sea salt |
| suikervrij / vetarm | sugar-free / low-fat |
| mager / vol | low-fat / full-fat |
| biologisch (bio) | organic |
| halvarine / roomboter | low-fat spread / butter |
| houdbaar tot | keeps until |
No date? That’s normal
A small reassurance: some staples carry no date at all. Zout (salt), suiker (sugar), azijn (vinegar) and spirits barely spoil, so they’re not required to show a houdbaarheidsdatum. Missing date on the salt isn’t an error.
Front-of-pack shortcuts
You don’t always have to read the fine print. Watch for the Nutri-Score (an A-to-E letter rating that lets you compare similar products at a glance) and claims like “bron van vezels” (source of fibre) or “zonder toegevoegde suikers” (no added sugars), which are legally defined, not just marketing. Be a little sceptical of vaguer words: natuurlijk (natural) and ambachtelijk (artisanal) aren’t tightly regulated. When in doubt, flip to the ingrediëntenlijst and voedingswaardetabel, the front of the pack sells, the back of the pack tells.
Where it connects
Reading labels is core grocery Dutch, alongside navigating the Albert Heijn, shopping the toko and slagerij, and, crucially for some, spotting hidden dairy as a vegan or declaring allergies when eating out.
The bottom line
A Dutch food etiket turns on a few essentials: THT (best before, often still fine) vs TGT (use by, bin it), the ingrediëntenlijst (most-to-least), and the voedingswaarde. Learn label words like zeezout, vetarm and biologisch, and don’t worry when salt has no date. Learn THT, TGT, ingrediënten and voedingswaarde, and the supermarket shelf stops being a guessing game, and you waste less and spend smarter.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the grocery Dutch labels use, THT, TGT, ingrediënten, voedingswaarde, zeezout by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can read a food package, avoid waste and shop smart instead of guessing at the shelf.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between THT and TGT on Dutch food?
THT (ten minste houdbaar tot) means ‘best before’, the product is at its best until then but is often still fine to eat afterwards if it looks, smells and tastes good; it appears on things like tinned, dried and many chilled foods. TGT (te gebruiken tot) means ‘use by’, and you should throw the product away after that date; it’s on highly perishable foods like fresh fish, mince and meat. THT = quality; TGT = safety.
How do I read a Dutch ingredients list?
The ingrediëntenlijst is ordered by weight, most first, least last. So if sugar (suiker) is near the front, the product is high in sugar. Allergens are typically highlighted (often in bold). The voedingswaardetabel (nutrition table) then shows calories and amounts of suikers (sugars), vetten (fats) and zout (salt). Reading both helps you compare products and make healthier or cheaper choices.
Why do some products have no date on them?
Because a date isn’t legally required for foods that barely spoil. Staples like zout (salt), suiker (sugar), azijn (vinegar), chewing gum and strong spirits can be kept almost indefinitely, so they carry no houdbaarheidsdatum. So if you can’t find a date on the salt, that’s normal, not a packaging error. For everything perishable, look for the THT or TGT date.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for groceries and labels?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the grocery Dutch labels use, THT, TGT, ingrediënten, voedingswaarde, zeezout, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can read a food package, avoid waste and shop smart instead of guessing at the shelf.
