Choose unsweetened organic cornflakes if you’re looking for a simple base for your weekend breakfast. Organic wholegrain spelt flakes are an alternative if wholegrain cereals and fibre are your priorities and gluten isn’t a concern. For both, check the organic certification and compare the ingredients and nutritional values per 100 g.
If organic certification is a must for you, look beyond the appearance of the packaging. The European Commission links the EU organic logo to certification by an approved control body. Also check the control body’s code and the origin statement on the product.
You’re looking for flakes to serve with milk, yoghurt or fromage frais, and you’re keeping an eye on added sugar. Check both the ingredients list and the sugar content per 100 g: no added sugar doesn’t mean the nutrition table will show 0 g of sugars.
As well as checking the organic certification, you want to know which grain has been used and how much fibre the flakes contain. Compare the values per 100 g and check the gluten information for spelt.
Choose these when: You want an unsweetened, simple base to serve with milk, yoghurt or fromage frais.
Keep in mind: Organic certification alone tells you nothing about fibre content or allergens, so check these separately.
Choose these when: Consider this grain if wholegrains and fibre matter more to you than a corn-based option.
Keep in mind: Spelt contains gluten. Jumbo also says that the Zonnatura Oerflakes Spelt Naturel reviewed are no longer part of its online range.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Organic certification | Check the EU organic logo, the control body’s code and the origin statement on the current packaging. | If organic certification is my main requirement, I want to be able to check it on the packaging. This is a priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and sugars | Read the ingredients list and compare sugars per 100 g; a statement about added sugar is not the same as the total sugar content. | When choosing flakes to have with milk or yoghurt, I mainly want to know what has been added. A simple ingredient list is the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Fibre and grain type | Compare fibre per 100 g, check whether the grain is wholegrain and read the allergen information. | For breakfast, I want to weigh up the grain type and fibre content without overlooking gluten. This is a priority for around 25% of consumers. |
Organic certification doesn’t predict fibre content. Albert Heijn lists 5 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Biologisch Cornflakes, while Jumbo lists 3.1 g for Smaakt Bio Cornflakes Ongezoet and 8.5 g per 100 g for Zonnatura Oerflakes Spelt Naturel.
Once you’ve checked the organic certification, compare fibre per 100 g and see which grain the flakes contain.
The ‘of which sugars’ line also includes naturally occurring sugars. Jumbo says that Smaakt Bio Cornflakes Ongezoet contains no added sugar, but lists 1.0 g of sugars per 100 g.
Read the ingredients list and check the sugar content per 100 g to understand what both statements mean for this product.
According to the Voedingscentrum, manufacturers set their own serving sizes. This means that two per-serving values aren’t always directly comparable.
When comparing similar flakes, start by comparing sugars, fibre, salt and energy per 100 g.
Organic certification doesn’t tell you whether flakes are suitable for someone with an allergy. Albert Heijn says that AH Biologisch Cornflakes contains soya; for Smaakt Bio Cornflakes Ongezoet, Jumbo lists possible traces of, among other things, cereals containing gluten, milk, nuts, peanuts, sesame and soya. Spelt contains gluten.
If you have an allergy or need to avoid gluten, always check the allergen information on the current packaging.
These product options show the differences you can compare on the packaging; their features don’t automatically apply to other products from the same brand.
Albert Heijn lists AH Biologisch Cornflakes in a 300 g pack with organic certification, the EU organic logo and a Skal certification statement.
Jumbo lists Smaakt Bio Cornflakes Ongezoet in a 300 g pack, with maize as an ingredient and the European organic certification mark with code NL-BIO-01.
Zonnatura Oerflakes Spelt Naturel is a reviewed organic wholegrain spelt option, not cornflakes.
Look for the EU organic logo, the control body’s code and the origin statement for the agricultural ingredients on the packaging. According to the European Commission, the EU logo can only be used for products certified as organic by an approved control body.
No. Organic certification doesn’t tell you how much sugar the flakes contain. Check the ingredients list for any sources of added sugar and compare the sugar content of similar products per 100 g.
No. Check the information for the specific product. Albert Heijn lists AH Biologisch Cornflakes as gluten-free, while Jumbo states that Smaakt Bio Cornflakes Ongezoet may contain traces of cereals containing gluten. If you have an allergy or need to avoid gluten, check the current packaging.
Comparing per 100 g lets you line up similar flakes without different stated serving sizes affecting the results. The Voedingscentrum points out that manufacturers set their own serving sizes; you can then use the per-serving values to work out the amount you usually have.
Keep them in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container. Albert Heijn and Jumbo give this storage advice for the cornflakes reviewed; follow the storage instructions and best-before date on your own pack.
