For a Sinterklaas parade, Céréal Speculoos with almond pieces is a suitably themed choice if the ingredients work for your group. Céréal Coconut Biscuits offer a different flavour and come in individually portioned packs. Jumbo lists the sugar content of both varieties as being within the EU limit for a ‘sugar-free’ claim. Before buying, check the current label for sugars per 100 g, allergens and maltitol: a sugar claim alone says nothing about the rest of the nutritional value or how well an individual tolerates the product.
If you’re specifically looking for a sugar-free biscuit, check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and the claim on the packaging. Under European Union Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, ‘sugar-free’ may be used for solid foods containing no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
Speculoos is a fitting flavour for Sinterklaas, but according to Jumbo, the Céréal variety with almond pieces contains almonds, wheat, barley, egg, milk and soya, among other ingredients. Check the current label before taking these biscuits along for others.
The Céréal biscuits covered here contain maltitol. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, large amounts of polyols can cause digestive discomfort, so factor portion size into your choice.
Start with the sugar claim and the nutritional information per 100 g. Then choose based on flavour, allergens and how many biscuits you want to take along to the parade.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Compare the claim on the packaging with ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. The EU limit for ‘sugar-free’ is no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | I want a biscuit that can genuinely be described as sugar-free, not just one with a vague reference to less sugar. This check comes first for around 31% of shoppers. |
| Suitable flavour | According to Jumbo, the Speculoos variety with almond pieces contains 0.4 g of sugars per 100 g; check the ingredients too. | For the parade, I’m mainly looking for a flavour that feels right for Sinterklaas, as long as the sugar claim suits my needs. Flavour is the first thing around 25% of shoppers consider. |
| Allergens | Check the current packaging for both ‘contains’ and any ‘may contain’ statements; these vary by variety. | When buying biscuits for a group, I first want to know whether the ingredients and allergens are suitable for everyone sharing them. This takes priority for around 19% of shoppers. |
| Taking them along and sharing | Check how many biscuits are in the pack and the nutritional information per portion. Jumbo lists 47 kcal per biscuit for the Coconut variety. | When I’m out and about, I want to be able to decide in advance how many biscuits to take and share. For around 13% of shoppers, this is the main practical consideration. |
| Polyols and nutritional value | Look for maltitol in the ingredients and, as well as sugars, compare energy, carbohydrates, fat and fibre per 100 g. | I want to know whether a portion containing maltitol suits me, without overlooking the rest of the nutritional information. Around 12% of shoppers put this first. |
The EU claim sets a limit on sugar content, not on energy, fat or carbohydrate. The portion you choose also makes a difference when comparing nutritional information.
Check the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, as well as ‘of which sugars’. That way, you’re comparing more than just the front of the pack.
Both Céréal varieties covered here contain maltitol. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre notes that large amounts of polyols can cause digestive discomfort.
Read the ingredients and any warning on the packaging, and take the number of biscuits you plan to eat into account.
According to Jumbo, the Speculoos variety contains almonds, barley, egg, milk, soya and wheat. The Coconut variety contains wheat and also lists the possible presence of other allergens.
Check the label on the pack you’re buying, especially if the biscuits are for a child or guest with an allergy.
For this occasion, Céréal offers a Speculoos variety with almond pieces and a Coconut variety; Jumbo lists maltitol as a sweetener in both.
Under European Union Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the claim ‘sugar-free’ may be used for a solid food if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the nutritional information per 100 g on the packaging.
No. A sugar-free claim refers to sugars and says nothing on its own about energy content. Compare energy, fat, carbohydrates and portion size too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that a sugar-free biscuit does not automatically have a favourable overall nutritional profile.
Check the ingredients, portion size and any warning on the packaging. Maltitol is a polyol; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, large amounts of polyols can cause digestive discomfort.
You’ll need to assess each variety and the current packaging separately. According to Jumbo, the Speculoos variety contains almonds and wheat, among other ingredients; the Coconut variety contains wheat and lists the possible presence of nuts, egg, milk, sesame and soya, among other allergens.
