Choose a breakfast cake for your doughnut stall whose label states ‘no added sugars’, then check the sugars per 100 g, ingredients, allergens and packaging format. The Peijnenburg and AH options discussed here still contain 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g, so they are not sugar-free. If you serve slices unpackaged, make sure customers can get the correct allergen information before buying.
If you take breakfast cake out of its packaging, customers must still be able to get allergen information before buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority sets requirements for information about unpackaged food.
You’re looking specifically for a product with no added sugars, not necessarily one with no sugars at all. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, naturally occurring sugars may still be present in a product carrying this claim; also check the ingredients for sweeteners.
If you’re serving individual slices, it makes a difference whether the cake is pre-sliced or individually wrapped. Albert Heijn lists individually wrapped Peijnenburg slices and a pre-sliced AH option. Choose the format that suits how you plan to serve the portions.
Before buying for your doughnut stall, decide which requirement matters most: the exact sugar claim, information for unpackaged sales or a suitable portion format. Then check the label on the pack you’re actually buying.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and ingredients | Compare the claim ‘no added sugars’ with the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. Also check whether xylitol or other polyols are listed in the ingredients. | If I want to avoid added sugars, I don’t want to tell customers that the cake contains no sugars at all as well. For around 42% of consumers, this would be the first thing they look for. |
| Allergens when serving individual slices | Check which cereals containing gluten are listed on the label, and arrange for allergen information to be available before purchase if you serve slices unpackaged. | When serving individual slices, I need to be able to answer questions about allergens before someone buys. This requirement would come first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Portions and packaging | Check the number of slices, portion size and whether you want a pre-sliced cake or individually wrapped slices. | If I want to serve lots of portions, I need to know whether I’ll have to wrap the slices myself or can hand them over as they are. Around 25% of consumers would put this practical consideration first. |
According to product information from Jumbo and Albert Heijn, the Peijnenburg wholegrain cake and AH Ontbijtkoek zero discussed here each contain 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that the claim ‘no added sugars’ does not rule out naturally occurring sugars.
Use the claim shown on the current packaging at your stall, and don’t present these cakes as sugar-free.
The Peijnenburg and AH options discussed here contain xylitol. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre states that large amounts of polyols can cause digestive problems, and that products containing more than 10% added polyols carry a warning about a possible laxative effect.
Check the warning on the packaging, especially if you’re offering customers several portions at once.
The Peijnenburg and AH products discussed here contain rye. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, information about relevant allergens must be available for unpackaged food. For cereals containing gluten, it must be clear which cereal is involved.
Keep the current packaging at your stall and make sure customers can get the correct information before buying. If you provide the information verbally, follow the NVWA requirements.
These examples show which product details are useful to compare. Check the packaging again for the specific version you buy.
Peijnenburg offers plain and wholegrain options with no added sugars, including sliced cake and individually wrapped slices.
AH Ontbijtkoek zero gesneden is a pre-sliced own-brand option weighing 485 g.
ALDI Netherlands describes Koek & Bakker Gesneden Ontbijtkoek Zero as a 485 g pre-sliced pack with no added sugars.
No, not based on the Peijnenburg and AH options discussed here: Jumbo and Albert Heijn each list 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g for these products. Use the exact claim ‘no added sugars’ if it appears on the label of the pack you have.
For unpackaged sales, information about relevant allergens must be available before purchase. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority requires you to name the specific cereal when it contains gluten. There are also requirements for providing information verbally, including a visible notice and staff who can give the information straight away.
No: the Peijnenburg and AH products discussed here contain rye, a cereal containing gluten. Check the current ingredients and allergen information separately for every other option.
The options discussed here contain xylitol, a polyol. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, large amounts of polyols can cause digestive problems; if a product contains more than 10% added polyols, the label carries a warning about a possible laxative effect.
You can’t tell from the product category alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that, in bakery products, iodine compounds may only be present through baker’s salt, with a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. This rule doesn’t mean that every breakfast cake contains iodine.
