For a work meeting where lower sugar is a specific requirement, a biscuit that’s ready to serve and has a verifiable sugar claim is a more practical choice than speculoos spread, which also needs something to spread it on. Céréal Speculoos with almond pieces lists 0.4 g of sugars per 100 g, but also contains polyols and several allergens. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and check the current packaging before choosing something for the group.
You’re looking for a biscuit to serve with tea or coffee and want to be able to check the sugar claim on the label. Note the difference between ‘sugar-free’ and ‘reduced sugar’: the latter claim requires a comparison with a similar product.
You want to know in advance whether anyone attending needs to avoid certain ingredients. The Céréal biscuit listed by Jumbo contains almonds, barley, egg, milk, soya and wheat, among other ingredients. Check the current packaging and provide a separate alternative if necessary.
You want to put biscuits out without needing bread, cutlery or any spreading. Biscuits are ideal for this; speculoos spread also needs something to spread it on and a bit of preparation.
Start with the sugar claim and the nutritional information per 100 g. Then check whether the ingredients are suitable for everyone attending and whether the product is practical to serve during the meeting.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. If the claim is ‘reduced sugar’, find out which similar product the reduction is based on. | If a low sugar value is the main reason for my choice, I want to be able to verify the claim rather than simply take the packaging at face value; for around 50% of consumers, being able to make an informed sugar-conscious choice comes first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the allergen information on the current packaging and ask in advance which ingredients anyone attending needs to avoid. | If not everyone can eat the same ingredients, I want to be able to provide a suitable alternative; an estimated 30% of consumers put suitability for the group first. |
| Serving and portions | Check the portion size and pack size, and work out whether you’ll need something to serve it on or any serving equipment. | When I want to serve biscuits quickly with coffee, I don’t want to have to spread and portion them during the meeting; for around 20% of consumers, ease of serving matters most. |
These are different nutrition claims. Under the EU conditions published by EUR-Lex, ‘sugar-free’ may be used when a product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; ‘reduced sugar’ requires a reduction of at least 30% compared with a similar product.
Read the exact claim and the nutritional information per 100 g. Don’t describe a product as ‘reduced sugar’ yourself if the required comparison isn’t clear.
A low sugar value doesn’t tell you how much energy or how many polyols a biscuit contains. Céréal lists 0.4 g of sugars, 404 kcal and 29 g of polyols per 100 g for its almond speculoos biscuit.
Compare the rest of the nutritional information per 100 g too, then consider the portion size you plan to serve.
Jumbo lists almonds, barley, egg, milk, soya and wheat, among other allergens, in Céréal Speculoos with almond pieces.
Ask in advance which ingredients anyone attending needs to avoid, check the current packaging and provide a clearly separate alternative if necessary.
Damhert speculoos spread is a spreadable product, not a biscuit you can hand out individually. Damhert also warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Choose spread only if serving it with something else fits your catering plans; otherwise, choose a biscuit you can serve straight away.
Spread also takes time to portion and requires something to spread it with.
Céréal offers a ready-to-serve speculoos biscuit with almond pieces, labelled ‘sugar-free’.
Damhert’s product is a sugar-free speculoos spread, designed to be spread rather than served as an individual biscuit.
No. Under the EU conditions published by EUR-Lex, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. For ‘reduced sugar’, the reduction compared with a similar product must be at least 30%; a low sugar value alone doesn’t prove that comparison.
No. Céréal lists 0.4 g of sugars and 404 kcal per 100 g for its almond speculoos biscuit. Compare both values on the same basis, then consider the portion you’re serving.
Jumbo lists almonds, barley, egg, milk, nuts, soya and wheat for Céréal Speculoos with almond pieces. Check the current packaging before serving, especially if anyone attending needs to avoid certain ingredients.
Store opened sugar-free biscuits in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping an opened pack of sugar-free biscuits in the kitchen cupboard for up to two months; also follow the storage advice on the packaging.
