If you’re specifically looking for a sugar-free biscuit for after school, check the claim on the packaging. Under European Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, this claim can only be used if the product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. A biscuit with no added sugars is not necessarily sugar-free. Also check the allergens, any warnings about sweeteners and the rules at your child’s school or after-school club. For an everyday snack, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre also recommends fruit and vegetables.
You’re looking for a biscuit with little or no sugar and want to understand what the claim on the front of the pack means. The nutrition table per 100 g makes it easier to compare products on a like-for-like basis, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
You need to take allergies and the rules at the venue into account. So check the allergen information on the current packaging before packing a biscuit.
After school, you want to be able to offer a small portion quickly. You’ll also want to alternate biscuits with other snacks, including the fruit and vegetables that the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends for children.
First, check what the sugar claim means. Then check the allergens and school rules, and decide how many biscuits to pack.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Read the exact claim and compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. ‘No added sugars’ does not mean the same as ‘sugar-free’. | If I want to limit sugar, I don’t want to rely on the word ‘zero’ alone. For around 44% of consumers, clarity about the sugar claim comes first. |
| Allergens and school rules | Read the current allergen information and check what can be brought to school or an after-school club. | If I’m packing something for a group with allergy rules, the biscuit needs to meet them. Around 33% of consumers give this suitability the highest priority. |
| Portion and snack time | Check the quantity per biscuit and decide how many to pack. Also compare the nutritional value of products per 100 g. | After school, I want to offer a small snack without accidentally packing several biscuits. For around 23% of consumers, an easy-to-manage portion is the most important consideration when buying. |
These are different claims. Albert Heijn’s product information lists Verkade San Francisco zero as having ‘0% added sugar’, but also 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g.
Read the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and check whether the product actually carries the claim ‘sugar-free’.
A sugar claim tells you nothing about allergens. For example, the Céréal varieties listed by Jumbo contain wheat; other allergens are also listed for the variety with pieces of almond.
Check the label on the pack you’re using and ask the school or after-school club about its rules for snacks brought from home.
The claim doesn’t tell you the full nutritional value or how much you’re giving your child. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends fruit and vegetables as snacks for children aged 4 to 12.
Compare nutritional information per 100 g and look separately at the portion you’re packing.
Some biscuits contain polyols such as maltitol. Albert Heijn states that excessive consumption of AH Digestive 0% sugar may have a laxative effect.
Read the ingredients and warnings on the packaging, and decide on the portion in advance.
Always compare the specific variety: a brand name alone doesn’t tell you what sugar claims, allergens or sweeteners a biscuit contains.
Céréal has varieties labelled ‘No Sugars’. Jumbo lists 0 g of sugars per 100 g for the Coconut Flavour variety and 0.4 g per 100 g for the Speculoos variety with pieces of almond.
Albert Heijn describes AH Digestive 0% sugar as sugar-free biscuits with sweeteners.
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Verkade San Francisco zero is a biscuit with ‘0% added sugar’, not an example of a product with 0 g of sugars.
This biscuit may be worth considering if you’re looking for an option with no added sugar for after school, but not if you specifically need a product with the claim ‘sugar-free’. Before packing it, also check the current allergen information and the rules at your child’s school or after-school club.
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An option to consider if you’re looking for a biscuit with no added sugar; don’t treat it as a sugar-free biscuit. Before packing it, check the sugars per 100 g, allergens and portion size on the packaging.
No. A biscuit with no added sugars may still contain sugars. Under European Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the claim ‘sugar-free’ can only be used if a product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. So check the nutrition table too.
No. The sugar claim doesn’t assess the full nutritional value or the portion size. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends snacks including fruit and vegetables. If you’re choosing biscuits, compare the nutritional information per 100 g too.
That depends on allergies and the rules at the school or after-school club in question. Read the allergen information on the current packaging and check what can be brought in.
If consumed excessively, this warning may relate to added polyols such as maltitol. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains this warning for products containing more than 10% added polyols. Check the ingredients and wording on the packaging of the biscuit you choose.
Store the biscuits in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
