Organisers who pay attention to sugar claims
You want to offer spiced breakfast cake with no added sugars without suggesting that it is completely sugar-free. Compare the claim with the amount of sugars per 100 g, and read the ingredients list.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Organisers who want to hand out portions quickly
For a work meeting, you’ll want to know in advance how many portions you have and how you’ll serve them. Individually wrapped slices require a different approach from spiced breakfast cake served from a pre-sliced pack.
Organisers catering for a group with different dietary requirements
For a shared snack, check in advance for rye, gluten, possible traces of milk or nuts, and the presence of polyols. Information varies from product to product and from pack to pack.
What should you look for?
When choosing spiced breakfast cake with less or no added sugars for a work meeting, you can assess the sugar claim, serving format, ingredients and nutritional information separately.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Read the exact claim and compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If I offer an option with no added sugars, I don’t want to mistakenly call it sugar-free. Around 37% of consumers prioritise correctly interpreting the sugar claim. |
| Portions and serving | Compare the number of slices, the amount per portion and whether the portions are individually wrapped. | For a short meeting break, I want to be able to count the portions in advance and hand them out quickly. For around 27% of consumers, ease of serving matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current label for rye, gluten, other relevant allergens and polyols. | When attendees have different dietary requirements, I want to know whether the spiced breakfast cake I’ve chosen is suitable for them. This is the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information | Compare similar products per 100 g for sugars, fibre, energy and salt; also check the portion size. | I don’t want to rely on the word ‘zero’ alone; I also want to be able to compare the rest of the nutritional information. Around 18% of consumers give this broader label comparison top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘zero’ means sugar-free
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the ‘sugar-free’ claim is limited to a maximum of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. The Peijnenburg and PLUS zero options described here each contain 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g, even though they have no added sugars.
Read the claim on the front alongside the ‘of which sugars’ figure in the nutrition table.
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Checking only the sugar claim
The varieties described may contain rye and gluten; some products also mention possible traces of milk or nuts. Peijnenburg and the Snelle Jelle variety sold by PLUS also warn that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Ask about relevant dietary requirements before buying, and check the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the pack you’ll actually be serving.
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Assuming spiced breakfast cake contains iodine
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses bread as a source of iodine because baker’s salt is used in it. That alone tells you nothing about the ingredients of a specific spiced breakfast cake.
Don’t use an assumed iodine content as a selection criterion; check the product information if this is important to your choice.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg offers spiced breakfast cake with no added sugars in a range of pack formats, including individually wrapped slices for work meetings.
- Albert Heijn describes a box of 80 individually wrapped 28 g slices.
- Check each variety for sugars, rye and gluten, possible traces of milk or nuts, and the warning about excessive consumption of products containing polyols.
PLUS
PLUS Ontbijtkoek Zero is available in a 485 g pre-sliced pack that you can serve yourself.
- The product information lists, per 100 g, 0 g of added sugars, 4.9 g of sugars, 15.6 g of fibre and 21.7 g of polyols.
- The product contains rye and gluten and may contain wheat, barley and oats; if you’re serving it yourself, you’ll also need to organise how it’s handed out.
Snelle Jelle
The Snelle Jelle Kruidkoek Zero described by PLUS comes in a compact 4-pack. Kruidkoek is not necessarily the same product as a pre-sliced pack of spiced breakfast cake.
- The four individually wrapped bars make it easy to see how many portions you’re offering.
- The product information lists 4.9 g of sugars and 23 g of polyols per 100 g, as well as a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Koek & Bakker
ALDI describes Koek & Bakker Ontbijtkoek Zero as a 485 g pre-sliced pack with no added sugars.
- The pre-sliced format may suit you if you want to arrange the slices on a serving plate yourself.
- Before choosing it for a group, check the pack for sugars per 100 g, ingredients, allergens, sweeteners and any warnings.
Related products on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Is zero spiced breakfast cake automatically sugar-free?
No. ‘Zero’ doesn’t automatically mean sugar-free. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the ‘sugar-free’ nutrition claim means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; ‘no added sugars’ does not rule out sugars that are naturally present. The Peijnenburg, PLUS and Snelle Jelle varieties described here contain 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g.
Why does zero spiced breakfast cake sometimes carry a warning about a laxative effect?
The warning relates to polyols in the products concerned. Peijnenburg and the Snelle Jelle variety sold by PLUS state that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. If you’re making several portions available per person, read the warning on the pack you’ve chosen.
Can I serve these zero spiced breakfast cakes at a gluten-free work meeting?
The Peijnenburg, PLUS and Snelle Jelle varieties described here contain rye and gluten, so they are not suitable for attendees who need to eat gluten-free. For those attendees, check separately whether an alternative is explicitly labelled gluten-free.
Should I choose spiced breakfast cake because of the iodine in baker’s salt?
No. Don’t assume that a specific spiced breakfast cake contains baker’s salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists bread as a source of iodine because of baker’s salt; assess spiced breakfast cake using the ingredients and product information on the pack you’re planning to buy.