If sugar-free is a must for your fakeaway night, don’t choose a product just because it says ‘zero’. Check that its nutritional information supports the sugar-free claim. According to their product information, the AH, Peijnenburg and Jumbo varieties reviewed contain 4.9 to 5.8 g of sugars per 100 g. That’s above the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s limit of 0.5 g per 100 g for a ‘sugar-free’ claim. If you’re looking for breakfast cake without added sugars instead, compare the sugars and fibre per 100 g, the ingredients and the pack size.
You want to know whether a breakfast cake really meets the ‘sugar-free’ claim, rather than relying on terms such as ‘zero’ or ‘no added sugars’. To check, compare the sugars listed per 100 g with the limit the Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets for that claim.
You’re using breakfast cake as part of a dish for a fakeaway night and want to compare its fibre content and ingredients. For example, PLUS lists 17 g of fibre per 100 g and 40% wholegrain rye flour for Peijnenburg Wholemeal.
You want breakfast cake with no added sugars that’s already sliced or easy to pick up during your usual shop. As well as checking the pack size, look at the nutritional information: a convenient pack tells you nothing about its sugar content.
First decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is a must for you. Then compare the nutritional values per 100 g of suitable products, and only after that consider which pack size will work best for your dish.
| What to consider | What to check before you buy | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free or no added sugars | Check the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets a limit of 0.5 g per 100 g for a ‘sugar-free’ claim; ‘no added sugars’ does not automatically mean the same thing. | If I really want a sugar-free option, the stated sugar value needs to match that claim. For around 42% of shoppers, getting the claim right matters most. |
| Fibre and ingredients | Compare the fibre per 100 g and check which grain is used. PLUS lists 17 g of fibre per 100 g and 40% wholegrain rye flour for Peijnenburg Wholemeal. | If I’m using breakfast cake in a dish, I want to know how much fibre it contains and which grains are used. Around 33% of shoppers make these product details their top priority. |
| Pack size and where to shop | Check whether the cake is sliced and whether the pack suits the way you plan to use it. If you’re looking at a version from another retailer, check the label again. | For my fakeaway night, I want a cake that’s easy to use and easy to pick up during my usual shop. Convenience comes first for around 25% of shoppers. |
The product information for the AH, Peijnenburg and Jumbo varieties mentioned lists 4.9 to 5.8 g of sugars per 100 g. That’s more than the 0.5 g per 100 g limit the Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets for a ‘sugar-free’ claim.
Compare the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g, and treat ‘no added sugars’ as a separate claim.
AH and Peijnenburg list xylitol in the varieties mentioned and warn that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Peijnenburg also warns that xylitol is not suitable for animals.
Check the ingredients and warnings on the pack you choose, and keep products containing xylitol out of reach of pets.
The fact that a product is breakfast cake doesn’t tell you whether baker’s salt was used in that particular cake.
If iodine matters to your choice, check the ingredients list and product-specific information.
Offers sliced plain and wholemeal breakfast cake with no added sugars, among other options.
Offers a 485 g sliced Zero Breakfast Cake with no added sugars.
Offers sliced breakfast cake labelled ‘Zero% added sugar’.
ALDI lists 485 g Sliced Zero Breakfast Cake with no added sugars.
Lists 485 g Zero Breakfast Cake as an in-store product.
No, not necessarily. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets a limit of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g for a ‘sugar-free’ claim; a product with no added sugars may still contain sugars. For the AH, Peijnenburg and Jumbo varieties mentioned here, Albert Heijn, PLUS and Jumbo list 4.9 to 5.8 g of sugars per 100 g.
Of the three varieties with nutritional values listed, Jumbo’s sliced breakfast cake has the highest fibre content at 17.4 g per 100 g. That compares with 17 g for Peijnenburg Wholemeal according to PLUS, and 16 g for AH Zero Breakfast Cake according to Albert Heijn. If wholegrain rye matters to you too, check the ingredients: PLUS lists 40% wholegrain rye flour for Peijnenburg Wholemeal.
Keep breakfast cake containing xylitol out of reach of pets. Peijnenburg says xylitol is not suitable for animals and advises contacting a vet immediately if it is ingested. If you’re choosing another breakfast cake, check the ingredients on that specific pack.
Don’t assume so. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes the use of baker’s salt as a possible source of iodine compounds in baked goods, but that doesn’t tell you which ingredients are used in a particular breakfast cake. If iodine matters to your choice, check the product-specific ingredients information.
