For a shared office cupboard, sliced spiced breakfast cake with no added sugars could be a good fit. If you want to hand out individual portions or give them to colleagues to take away, compare individually wrapped slices. If wholegrain and fibre are your priorities, check the specific variety and its label. ‘Zero’ doesn’t automatically mean zero sugars: the Peijnenburg and Albert Heijn varieties reviewed contain 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g.
Want to give colleagues an individual portion without passing around an opened pack of cake? Albert Heijn lists a box of individually wrapped Peijnenburg slices; the Snelle Jelle spiced cake bars reviewed are also individually wrapped. A spiced cake bar is a different type of product from sliced spiced breakfast cake.
You’re looking for a product with no added sugars, but you also want to know how much sugar and which sweeteners it contains. So compare the claim with the nutritional information and ingredients list on the pack you choose.
The stated wholegrain content and fibre content matter to you. Peijnenburg offers a sliced wholegrain variety with no added sugars; if you’re serving it to colleagues, also check the information about rye, gluten and possible traces of milk or nuts.
First decide whether the cake will be shared or handed out individually. Then compare the nutritional information and ingredients of the variety that suits the way you plan to serve it.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and sweeteners | Check ‘of which sugars’ and polyols per 100 g and per portion; see which sweetener is listed in the ingredients. | If I want to avoid added sugars, I still want to know how much sugar the cake contains. This distinction is the top priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Portions and packaging | Compare a sliced pack with individually wrapped slices and check the weight per portion. | When serving colleagues, I want to be able to set out portions without sharing an opened pack of cake. This is the main consideration for around 31% of consumers. |
| Wholegrain, fibre and ingredients | Check the wholegrain claim, fibre per 100 g and per portion, and the information about allergens and possible traces. | I prefer to compare the grain ingredients and fibre before choosing a snack for several colleagues; any allergens also need to be suitable. This is the top priority for around 23% of consumers. |
| Where to buy | Check whether the variety you’ve chosen is available through your preferred shop or ordering route, and read the latest label when buying it again. | If I regularly restock the office cupboard, I need to be able to buy the cake through a practical route. Around 15% of consumers prioritise this practical consideration. |
According to the product information from Peijnenburg and Albert Heijn, the varieties reviewed with no added sugars each contain 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g. So the claim on the front of the pack doesn’t tell you how much sugar is in a portion by itself.
Compare the sugars and polyols in the nutritional information, and check the stated portion size.
Pre-slicing saves you the effort of cutting, but colleagues still share the same opened pack. Individually wrapped slices or bars are a better fit when everyone needs their own portion to take away.
Decide in advance whether the cake will go in a shared cupboard or be handed out individually.
The xylitol products reviewed state that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. With a shared supply, not everyone may have a chance to read the pack.
Make the ingredients information and warning available to colleagues. Keep products containing xylitol out of reach of any pets that come into the office.
The name ‘spiced breakfast cake’ doesn’t tell you which salt has been used or which allergens a particular variety contains. Rye and gluten are relevant for the Peijnenburg wholegrain variety reviewed, which also states that it may contain traces of milk and nuts.
Check the latest ingredients list on the pack you choose for information about salt, allergens and ‘may contain’ statements.
Peijnenburg offers sliced plain and wholegrain spiced breakfast cake with no added sugars. Albert Heijn also sells a box of 80 individually wrapped 28 g zero slices.
AH Sliced Zero Spiced Breakfast Cake is a supermarket own-brand option for a shared supply; Albert Heijn lists a 485 g pack.
ALDI lists Koek & Bakker Sliced Zero Spiced Breakfast Cake as a pre-sliced 485 g pack with no added sugars.
The Snelle Jelle Zero product reviewed is a spiced cake bar, not sliced spiced breakfast cake. Albert Heijn lists a pack of four individually wrapped 42 g bars.
Lidl lists 485 g Zero Spiced Breakfast Cake as an in-store-only product.
No, the terms don’t automatically mean the same thing. The Albert Heijn and Peijnenburg zero and no-added-sugars varieties reviewed both list 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g. For the product you choose, check the claim, ingredients list and nutritional information per portion.
Sliced cake works when colleagues can help themselves from the same supply and the opened pack can be stored appropriately. If you want to hand out individual portions or give them to colleagues to take away, compare individually wrapped slices; an individually wrapped spiced cake bar is a different type of product.
Read the warning on the pack: the xylitol products reviewed state that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Keep this information visible with a shared supply and make sure products containing xylitol are kept out of pets’ reach.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the latest pack for each variety you choose. The Peijnenburg and Snelle Jelle products reviewed contain rye and gluten-containing grains; some varieties also state that they may contain milk or nuts. Don’t assume all types of spiced breakfast cake or spiced cake bars have the same ingredients.
