Who is this distinction important for?

People with a strict sugar limit

You’re specifically looking for a biscuit labelled ‘sugar-free’. The words ‘no added sugars’ aren’t enough; you also want to be able to check the amount of sugars per 100 g and the serving size.

Everyday coffee drinkers comparing serving sizes

You want a biscuit with your morning coffee, but you look beyond the sugar claim. Energy, carbohydrates, fibre and the size of an individual biscuit all help determine which nutritional information is relevant to your serving.

People who need to check ingredients

You want to know which sweeteners or polyols have been used, and whether the particular biscuit contains any ingredients or allergens you need to look out for. The ingredients list and allergen information are just as important as the wording on the front of the pack.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is a must for you. Then compare biscuits on a like-for-like basis, both per 100 g and per serving, so differences in size don’t hide the nutritional values.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Sugar claim Read the exact claim and the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. Under European Union Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the ‘sugar-free’ claim means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. If I’m looking for a strictly sugar-free option, I don’t want to rely on ‘0% added sugar’ alone. For around 33% of consumers, that precise sugar claim comes first.
Nutritional information and serving size Compare energy, carbohydrates and fibre per 100 g and per serving; also check how many biscuits make up a serving. If I have a biscuit with my coffee every day, I want to know what’s in a serving, even if it contains little sugar. Around 25% of consumers give this consideration top priority.
Flavour and size Check that the flavour, texture and size of the biscuits suit what you want to eat with your coffee. I’m looking for a small biscuit that I’ll enjoy with my morning coffee; otherwise, the alternative won’t suit my coffee break. For around 25% of consumers, this is the most important consideration.
Sweeteners and allergens Check the ingredients, allergen information and any warning about polyols on the packaging. If I need to watch out for particular ingredients, I want to know what’s in the biscuit before I buy it. Around 17% of consumers put this check first.

Common mistakes

  • Reading ‘no added sugars’ as ‘sugar-free’

    A biscuit can contain sugars that occur naturally. 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.

    If you’re looking for a sugar-free biscuit, check the exact claim and the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g.

  • Comparing only the sugar content

    A low sugar figure doesn’t tell you how much energy or how many carbohydrates a biscuit contains. Albert Heijn lists 465 kcal and 63 g of carbohydrates per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% sugar.

    Alongside the sugar figure, compare energy, carbohydrates and fibre per 100 g and per serving you eat.

  • Skipping the ingredients list

    Biscuits with a sugar claim can contain polyols and allergens. For example, Albert Heijn lists wheat and oats for Céréal Chocolate chip cookie without sugar, and also notes that it may contain, among other things, milk, egg, sesame, soya and nuts.

    Check the ingredients, allergen information and warnings on the specific pack, rather than relying on the sugar claim alone.

  • Treating a product page as a fixed label

    Albert Heijn notes in its product information that ingredients and nutritional values may change. This means details you viewed previously may differ from the packaging you actually buy.

    Check the label on the pack you receive, especially if a particular ingredient or nutritional value is important to your choice.

Brands and product ranges compared

Compare the specific products and their labels: a brand name alone doesn’t tell you whether a biscuit is sugar-free.

Céréal

The Chocolate chip cookie without sugar is an example for anyone looking for a biscuit with a low sugar content to enjoy with coffee.

  • Albert Heijn lists 0 g of sugars and 8.9 g of fibre per 100 g for this product.
  • The same product information lists 414 kcal, 61 g of carbohydrates and 26 g of polyols per 100 g; check the allergens for this variety too.

AH

AH Digestive 0% sugar is a digestive biscuit to compare if you’re looking for a biscuit made with sweeteners in a familiar serving size.

  • Albert Heijn lists 0.3 g of sugars and 5.7 g of fibre per 100 g for this product.
  • The product contains wheat and polyols. The product page also warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Verkade

San Francisco zero is a biscuit to compare if you’re mainly looking for a product with no added sugars.

  • According to Albert Heijn, this variety is labelled 0% added sugar.
  • The same product information lists 1.7 g of naturally occurring sugars per 100 g. So don’t treat the claim as meaning ‘sugar-free’.

Lotus Biscoff

A flavour benchmark if you’re weighing up a traditional biscuit with coffee against one that carries a sugar claim.

  • Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as a crunchy biscuit with a caramelised flavour that goes well with coffee.
  • If the amount of sugar will determine your purchase, check the label of the variety you choose; a flavour description is not a sugar claim.

Peijnenburg

An alternative if you’d rather have a slice of ontbijtkoek with your morning coffee than a biscuit. It’s a different product category.

  • Jumbo lists 17 g of fibre per 100 g for Peijnenburg wholegrain ontbijtkoek with no added sugars.
  • The same variety lists 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g, so the ‘no added sugars’ claim doesn’t mean it is sugar-free.

Biscuits on Joybuy

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

When can a biscuit be called ‘sugar-free’?

Under European Union Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the ‘sugar-free’ claim can be used if a biscuit contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. This limit alone says nothing about the amount of carbohydrates, energy or allergens.

Does ‘0% added sugar’ mean the same as sugar-free?

No. A product with no added sugars may still contain sugars that occur naturally. For example, Albert Heijn lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Verkade San Francisco zero, alongside the claim ‘0% added sugar’.

Are sugar-free biscuits automatically low in calories?

No, the sugar claim doesn’t tell you that. The Voedingscentrum lists 43 kcal and 6.4 g of carbohydrates for a 10 g sugar-free biscuit; for other biscuits, compare their own nutritional information and the serving you eat.

How do I check which sweeteners and polyols a biscuit contains?

Read the ingredients list and any warnings on the packaging. The Voedingscentrum says that sweeteners are listed on the label; products containing polyols may carry a warning that excessive consumption can have a laxative effect.