Parents looking for genuinely sugar-free products
You want to know whether a product meets the EU requirements for the ‘sugar-free’ claim. A lower amount of added sugars is not the same as a low total sugar content.
Who is this relevant to?
Parents looking to introduce bread
You want to assess whether the texture of bread is suitable for what your baby can already eat during baby-led weaning. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds from six months.
Parents with questions about allergens or salt
You want to check the ingredients in your chosen currant bun, for example because of gluten, milk or possible cross-contamination. Salt content also matters when comparing products; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises limiting salt for young children.
What should you look for when choosing?
When choosing a currant bun for baby-led weaning, your baby’s eating skills, the difference between total and added sugars, and the allergen and salt information are separate considerations. Comparing labels does not replace assessing the texture of the bread.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Most relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Genuinely sugar-free | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. The EU ‘sugar-free’ claim allows a maximum of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; assess added sugars separately. | If you’re looking for a genuinely sugar-free product, don’t rely on a lower figure for added sugars alone. Around 40% of consumers make this their top priority. |
| Eating skills and texture | Assess whether the texture of the bread is suitable for what your baby can already eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds from six months. | If your baby is still learning to eat bread, how easy it is to handle matters more to your choice than the product name. Around 40% of consumers make this their top priority. |
| Allergens and salt | Check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statement on the packaging; compare the salt content per 100 g across products. | If you need to take an allergen or salt into account, the ingredients matter most. This is the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
-
Confusing less added sugar with sugar-free
Total sugars also include sugars from ingredients such as currants and raisins. Under EU rules on nutrition claims, ‘sugar-free’ can only be used when a product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
First check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. Then, if it’s relevant to your choice, compare the amount of added sugars.
-
Assuming a currant bun is an obvious first choice of bread
Whether bread is suitable also depends on your baby’s eating skills and the textures they can manage. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds from six months; it doesn’t specifically recommend currant buns.
Choose a texture that suits your baby’s eating skills and stay with them while they eat.
-
Relying only on the front of the pack or a retailer’s website
Ingredients and allergens vary between products. If your child has an allergy or their school or childcare setting has a specific policy, information about allergens present and possible cross-contamination may be particularly important.
When you buy the product, check the packaging of the specific item. If you’re sending it with your child, also check the rules of the setting they attend.
-
Assuming every currant bun contains iodised baker’s salt
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority sets out the conditions under which iodine may be added to bakery products through baker’s salt. The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment states that not all bread is made with iodised salt, so you can’t assume it is present in a particular currant bun.
Check the ingredients list of the product you choose if you want to know which salt it contains.
Brands to consider
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn’s product information lets you compare two specific varieties of currant buns.
- AH Raisin Currant Buns list 25 g of sugars and 2.2 g of added sugars per 100 g. The frozen variety listed contains 24 g of sugars and 1.5 g of added sugars per 100 g.
- This means that even the variety with less added sugar is not sugar-free. The frozen variety is marked as no longer available on the product page; check availability and the label of the product you actually buy.
Jumbo
The product page for Jumbo Raisin Currant Buns, 6 Pack, provides information about sugars, salt and allergens for this variety.
- Jumbo lists 24 g of sugars and 1.02 g of salt per 100 g, with gluten and milk as allergens present.
- Don’t compare the total sugars in this variety directly with an added sugars figure for another product: they are different measurements.
PLUS
PLUS lists both packs of six currant buns and packs of nine mini currant and raisin buns. Size may be a factor when choosing a product, but it doesn’t tell you anything about its nutritional value on its own.
- The two product listings distinguish between a regular bun and a mini variety.
- Compare the sugars, salt, ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the variety you choose; don’t infer these characteristics from its size.
Related Joybuy products
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Are standard currant buns sugar-free?
The Albert Heijn and Jumbo currant buns reviewed are not: their product information lists 24 to 25 g of sugars per 100 g. Under EU rules on nutrition claims, ‘sugar-free’ means a maximum of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Always check the label of any other variety.
Does less added sugar also mean less total sugar?
No, these two figures measure different things. For the frozen currant buns reviewed, Albert Heijn lists 1.5 g of added sugars but 24 g of total sugars per 100 g. So if you’re looking for a sugar-free product, compare total sugars per 100 g.
When can bread be an option during baby-led weaning?
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds from six months. Whether the texture of a particular piece of bread is suitable depends on your baby’s eating skills; stay with them while they eat. This general advice about bread doesn’t automatically make a currant bun a suitable first choice.
Where can I check the allergens and salt in a currant bun?
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the variety you choose, and compare the stated salt content per 100 g. The Albert Heijn and Jumbo product information reviewed lists cereals containing gluten and milk ingredients; check any ‘may contain’ statements separately.
Does every currant bun contain iodised baker’s salt?
You can’t assume this is the case for every currant bun. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes the permitted addition of iodine to bakery products through baker’s salt, while the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment notes that not all bread is made with iodised salt. Check the ingredients list of the specific product.