Don’t choose a chocolate cookie based on its sugar claim alone. Compare the sugars, energy and fat per 100 g and per portion, and check which sweeteners and allergens it contains. Albert Heijn lists Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie as containing 0 g sugars per 100 g; Verkade San Francisco Zero is a biscuit with no added sugar, but it isn’t a chocolate cookie. When visiting a chemist, check whether the specific product is available and read the label on the packaging.
You want to keep the chocolate in your cookie. So, as well as looking for a claim such as ‘zero’, you check the sugar content and portion size. Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows that chocolate cookies can carry different sugar claims.
You want to know what else is in a cookie besides sugars, so you also compare total carbohydrates, polyols and the amount per portion.
If you need to avoid certain allergens or are sensitive to polyols, the ingredients list, allergen information and warnings on the current packaging matter more than the wording on the front.
Start by deciding whether chocolate is a must and which sugar claim you’re looking for. Then compare the nutritional information and ingredients of cookies that meet your preferences.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and claims | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and per cookie. For ‘less sugar’ claims, see what the product is being compared with. | If chocolate is a must, I want to know how much sugar the cookie actually contains, rather than relying on the front of the pack. Around 42% of consumers would make the sugar figure their first selection criterion. |
| Energy and portion size | Compare energy, fat and saturated fat per 100 g and per portion. | When choosing a snack, I want to compare the amount I eat with the full nutritional information. That’s why around 33% of consumers would put portion size first. |
| Polyols and allergens | Check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging; also look for warnings about polyols. | If I react to polyols or need to avoid an allergen, the specific cookie needs to be suitable for me. This would be the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
A low sugar figure doesn’t tell you the total energy content. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list energy values of 401 to 427 kcal per 100 g for the Céréal and Verkade cookies discussed here.
As well as sugars, compare energy and fat, both per 100 g and for the portion you plan to eat.
Albert Heijn lists Verkade San Francisco Zero as having 0% added sugar, but it also contains 1.7 g sugars per 100 g. The two claims don’t mean the same thing.
If the amount of sugars is the deciding factor, check ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table.
The product information for Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie and Verkade San Francisco Zero mentions maltitols and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, consuming large amounts of polyols can cause wind and diarrhoea.
Check the ingredients and the warning on the packaging, especially if you know you’re sensitive to polyols.
Verkade San Francisco Zero isn’t a chocolate cookie. Allergens present and ‘may contain’ statements also vary between products.
Before buying, check that the cookie meets your chocolate requirements and read the allergen information on that specific pack.
These examples help you distinguish between product types; they don’t tell you whether a specific cookie is available at a chemist.
Albert Heijn lists Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie as sugar-free; Jumbo lists Céréal Choco Delight Puur with a less-sugar claim.
According to Verkade and Albert Heijn, San Francisco Zero is a biscuit with no added sugar.
No, the two claims don’t mean the same thing. Albert Heijn lists Verkade San Francisco Zero as having 0% added sugar and 1.7 g sugars per 100 g, while the same retailer lists Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie as containing 0 g sugars per 100 g. Check the nutrition table on the packaging of the product you’re buying.
You can’t tell from the sugar claim alone. Albert Heijn lists Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie as containing 414 kcal per 100 g, while Jumbo lists Céréal Choco Delight Puur as containing 427 kcal per 100 g. Compare energy and the amount per portion separately from the sugar figure.
The Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie and Verkade San Francisco Zero discussed here contain maltitols; their product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that consuming large amounts of polyols can cause wind and diarrhoea. So check the warning on the specific product.
Before buying, check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the pack in front of you. Albert Heijn notes that this information can change when a product is updated; an online description doesn’t replace the current label.
