Who are these choices relevant to?

Shoppers checking sugar claims

You’re looking for a biscuit that actually carries the ‘sugar-free’ claim. A product name containing ‘zero’ or a range label such as ‘sugar-conscious’ isn’t enough for you to make that choice.

Shoppers looking for a sweet addition

You’d like something sweet with breakfast, but don’t want to eat biscuits on their own. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre includes wholegrain products, fruit and porridge among its recommended breakfast choices from the Wheel of Five.

Shoppers checking ingredients and allergens

You want to know which sweeteners and allergens are in a particular biscuit. If you have an allergy or follow other personal dietary requirements, check the packaging of the product you’re buying.

What should you look for when choosing?

Start with the exact claim and the nutrition information per 100 g. Then decide what role the biscuit will play in your breakfast and which ingredients you want to check.

What to look for What to check before buying Who is this important for?
Sugar-free claim Read the claim on the packaging and check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. The EU limit for ‘sugar-free’ is no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. If I’m specifically looking for a sugar-free biscuit, I don’t want to rely on a standalone term such as ‘zero’. For around 46% of shoppers, checking the sugar claim would be the top priority.
Its place in your breakfast Check the portion size, energy and fibre, and decide what you’ll eat alongside the biscuit. With a sweet breakfast, I want to add a biscuit without making it my only breakfast food. Around 27% of shoppers would put this breakfast choice first.
Sweeteners Read the ingredients list to see which sweeteners the specific product contains. If I choose a sweet-tasting biscuit, I want to know which ingredients give it that taste. The type of sweetener would be the main consideration for around 18% of shoppers.
Allergens and labelling Check the allergen information on the current packaging, even if you’ve already looked at an online product page. When choosing a biscuit because of an allergy, I need to be able to check the ingredients on the actual packaging. For around 9% of shoppers, this would be the top priority.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘zero’ or ‘sugar-conscious’ means ‘sugar-free’

    A product name or range label doesn’t automatically confirm a formal nutrition claim. Under EU rules, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.

    Read the exact claim on the biscuit and compare it with the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g on the packaging.

  • Having a sugar-free biscuit as your only breakfast food

    The sugar claim doesn’t tell you how much fibre, vitamins or minerals a biscuit provides. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that sugar-free biscuits can be high in calories and low in these nutrients.

    If you’d like a sweet biscuit with breakfast, check the portion size and pair it with other breakfast foods, such as fruit or a wholegrain product.

  • Looking only at the sugar content

    Sweeteners may be used to give a biscuit its sweet taste. So the sugar figure alone won’t tell you which ingredients you’re eating.

    Read the ingredients list alongside the nutrition table and choose based on the information for that particular biscuit.

  • Relying on an allergen list you checked previously

    The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be listed on the label of pre-packed foods. Albert Heijn notes that product information, including ingredients and allergens, can change.

    If you have an allergy, check the packaging of the product you’re actually buying, even if you’ve bought it before.

Brands and product ranges to consider

These product ranges give you different starting points for comparison. A brand or variant name is no substitute for checking the claim and label on the individual biscuit.

Céréal

Jumbo lists Céréal biscuits labelled ‘no sugars’, including coconut varieties and options with a speculoos flavour and almond pieces.

  • The variant names can help you search for the claim on a specific product.
  • Don’t assume every variant has the same ingredients, allergens or nutritional values; check each product’s own label.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn lists AH Digestive 0% sugar as a biscuit option in its range.

  • The product name gives you a specific starting point for comparing the claim and nutrition information.
  • Albert Heijn says that ingredients, nutritional values and allergy information can change, so check the current packaging.

Verkade

Albert Heijn lists Verkade San Francisco zero as a product variant.

  • For this particular variant, you can check which claim appears on the packaging.
  • ‘Zero’ in a product name doesn’t, on its own, prove that the biscuit meets the requirements for a ‘sugar-free’ claim.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

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

No, these terms don’t mean the same thing. Under EU rules, a product labelled ‘sugar-free’ can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. So check the exact claim and the ‘of which sugars’ figure on the label.

Can a sugar-free biscuit make up my whole breakfast?

The ‘sugar-free’ claim doesn’t make a biscuit a complete breakfast in itself. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using choices from the Wheel of Five as the basis for breakfast and points out that sugar-free biscuits can be high in calories and low in vitamins, minerals and fibre. So think of a biscuit as a possible sweet addition.

How can I tell which sweeteners a biscuit contains?

Read the ingredients list for the specific biscuit. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says sweeteners are used to make food and drink taste sweeter; a statement about sugars won’t tell you which sweetener a product contains.

Where can I check the allergens in biscuits?

Check the allergen information on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be listed on the label of pre-packed foods. If you have an allergy, don’t rely solely on online information you checked previously.