Who are these options for?

Host serving a plate of biscuits

You want to put out a selection of biscuits for New Year’s Eve and find flavours that go well with coffee or tea. Compare the sugars per 100 g for similar types of biscuit, and check the serving size.

Shopper keeping an eye on added sugar

You want to distinguish between a pack labelled ‘no added sugar’ and a biscuit with a low stated sugar content. To do that, check both ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table and the ingredients list.

Guest checking allergens or sweeteners

When biscuits are shared, ingredients such as wheat, milk, soya or nuts, as well as the use of polyols, may affect what you choose. Check the label on the pack you’re actually serving.

What should you look for when choosing?

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Stated sugars Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g for similar biscuits, then check the serving size. If I’m putting biscuits out with coffee, I mainly want to compare the stated sugar content of similar biscuits. For around 40% of consumers, sugar content is the top priority.
Allergens and sweeteners Read ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’, check the sweeteners and look out for warnings on the packaging. When putting out a plate for several guests, I want to know which biscuits suit their ingredient preferences and which I should offer separately. Allergens and sweeteners are the main concern for around 30% of consumers.
Flavour and type of biscuit Choose between, for example, a tea biscuit, chocolate chip cookie, speculoos biscuit or fruit biscuit before comparing their nutritional information. With coffee, I might be looking for a crisp biscuit to serve loose, while individually wrapped fruit biscuits may be better for handing out. For around 20% of consumers, flavour and how the biscuits are served are the first things that influence their choice.
Quantity and servings Check the pack weight, serving size and how many biscuits you’ll need for your guests. I want to put out enough biscuits without being left with lots of opened packs. The quantity in each pack is the main consideration for around 10% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘less sugar’ means ‘sugar-free’

    According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Sultana Fruitbiscuit banaan contains at least 30% less sugar than Fruitbiscuit, but the banana variety still lists 23 g of sugars per 100 g. This comparison applies to those specific products.

    For each biscuit, check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and see what a ‘less sugar’ claim is being compared with.

  • Looking only at sugar

    A low sugar figure doesn’t tell you everything about a biscuit’s nutritional value. Energy, fat, salt and fibre can also vary from one product to another.

    Compare the nutritional information for similar biscuits, and don’t use a claim on the front of the pack as your only guide.

  • Forgetting the label when sharing biscuits

    Ingredients and allergens vary from one recipe to another. For example, Albert Heijn’s product information lists wheat for AH Digestive 0% suiker, and milk, soya and wheat for Verkade San Francisco Zero. Products containing polyols may also carry a warning about a laxative effect if consumed in excess.

    Keep the packaging beside the plate so guests can check the ingredients and any warnings for themselves.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

AH Digestive 0% suiker is a specific biscuit option to consider if you want to compare stated sugar content.

  • According to Albert Heijn’s product information, this product lists 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g and 0 g of added sugars per 100 g.
  • It contains wheat and 14 g of polyols per 100 g. The packaging warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. These details don’t necessarily apply to other AH biscuits.

Céréal

Chocolate Chip Cookie and Speculoos met amandel are two different biscuits to compare if you’re looking at sugar content within a particular type.

  • According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Chocolate Chip Cookie lists 0 g of sugars per 100 g, while Speculoos met amandel lists 0.4 g per 100 g.
  • Both products use maltitols. Their allergens differ: the speculoos variety contains, among other things, almonds, egg, milk and soya.

Verkade

San Francisco Zero is a tea biscuit to consider if you’re specifically looking for a claim about added sugar.

  • According to Albert Heijn’s product information, San Francisco Zero is labelled 0% added sugar and contains 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g.
  • The product contains naturally occurring sugars, maltitols, milk, soya and wheat. So read ‘Zero’ alongside the ingredients and nutritional information.

Sultana

Fruitbiscuit banaan is an individually wrapped option if handing out biscuits suits you better than serving them loose on a plate.

  • According to Albert Heijn’s product information, this variety contains at least 30% less sugar than Fruitbiscuit.
  • The banana variety still lists 23 g of sugars per 100 g. This comparison applies to those specific products and doesn’t mean the biscuit contains no sugars.

Related Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘no added sugar’ mean the same as ‘sugar-free’?

No, these labels don’t mean the same thing. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Verkade San Francisco Zero is labelled 0% added sugar, but also contains 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g from naturally occurring sugars. So always check ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table.

Why should I check other nutritional values as well as sugars?

Because the sugar figure alone doesn’t tell you how much energy, fat, salt and fibre a biscuit contains. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g for the same type of biscuit, and check the serving size too. According to the Dutch government, you can also use Nutri-Score to compare products of the same type.

How should I store the biscuits until New Year’s Eve?

Follow the storage instructions on the pack you choose. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, AH Digestive 0% suiker should be stored in a cool, dark and dry place and kept in a sealed tin once opened. Verkade San Francisco Zero should be stored in a cool, dry place.