Who is this choice relevant for?

If you’re looking for strictly sugar-free biscuits

You want to choose a biscuit that meets the ‘sugar-free’ claim for a Valentine’s Day gesture. ‘No added sugars’ isn’t enough: check the sugars per 100 g as well.

If you want to give or share a treat

Whether you’re serving them with coffee or tea or putting together a small Valentine’s Day gift, look for a flavour the recipient will enjoy. Digestives, speculoos biscuits with almonds and coconut biscuits all offer different flavours and ingredients.

If you need to consider the ingredients

As well as the sugar content, allergens, dietary requirements and sweeteners matter to the person eating the biscuits. The ‘sugar-free’ claim tells you nothing about these.

What should you look for when choosing?

For a Valentine’s Day treat, check the sugars per 100 g first. Then decide which flavour is right and read the ingredients and other nutritional information before choosing.

What to consider What to check Who it matters to
Sugar-free claim Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g: to carry the EU ‘sugar-free’ claim, a product must contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. I want to be sure the biscuit really meets the sugar-free claim for my Valentine’s Day treat, rather than simply containing no added sugars; this check is a priority for around 42% of consumers.
Flavour and biscuit style Compare options such as digestives, speculoos with almonds and coconut biscuits. Also consider whether the packaging is suitable for the occasion you have in mind. For a small gift or to enjoy with a cup of coffee, I want to choose a flavour the recipient will like. For around 25% of consumers, flavour is the deciding factor.
Ingredients and polyols Read the latest allergen information and check which sweeteners are used; look out for warnings about excessive consumption. If the person I’m sharing the biscuits with avoids certain ingredients, I need to look beyond the sugar content; around 33% of consumers make checking ingredients their priority.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘no added sugars’ means ‘sugar-free’

    According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, products with no added sugars may still contain naturally occurring sugars. The EU ‘sugar-free’ claim has a specific limit of no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.

    If sugar-free is a must, check the ‘of which sugars’ row per 100 g on the packaging.

  • Looking only at the sugars

    A low sugar content doesn’t tell you how much energy, fat or other carbohydrates a biscuit contains. Albert Heijn lists 465 kcal per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% suiker; Jumbo lists 427 kcal per 100 g for Céréal Kokos.

    Compare biscuits per 100 g for energy, carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat, fibre and salt. Then consider the portion you plan to serve.

  • Checking allergens and polyols only after buying

    The biscuits discussed differ in their allergens and contain polyols. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that a high intake of polyols can cause issues such as flatulence and diarrhoea.

    Read the latest ingredient and allergen information, especially if you’re giving the biscuits to someone else, and take any warnings about excessive consumption into account.

Brands to consider

The following product ranges show how sugar content, flavour and ingredients can vary. Compare the variants listed individually rather than judging the brand as a whole.

Albert Heijn

AH Digestive 0% suiker is a digestive biscuit that Albert Heijn describes as sugar-free and sweetened with sweeteners.

  • Albert Heijn lists 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g and describes this variant as vegan and lactose-free.
  • The biscuit contains wheat, maltitol and isomalt. Albert Heijn warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect; check the current packaging.

Céréal

The Céréal variants discussed offer a choice of speculoos with almonds or coconut.

  • Albert Heijn lists 0.4 g of sugars per 100 g for Céréal Speculoos stukjes amandel; Jumbo lists 0 g per 100 g for Céréal Kokos.
  • The speculoos variant contains almonds, egg, milk, soya and cereals containing gluten, among other ingredients. Both variants listed contain maltitol; check the latest ingredients list for the one you choose.

Verkade

Verkade San Francisco zero is a tea biscuit labelled ‘0% added sugar’, but it isn’t one of the sugar-free options discussed here.

  • This variant may be worth considering if you’re specifically looking for a biscuit with no added sugars.
  • Albert Heijn lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g. That’s above the EU limit for the ‘sugar-free’ claim; the product also contains cereals containing gluten, milk and soya.

Related Joybuy products

Related products will appear soon.

Frequently asked questions

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

Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a biscuit can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g to carry the ‘sugar-free’ nutrition claim. Check the ‘of which sugars’ entry in the nutrition table per 100 g.

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

No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a product with no added sugars may still contain naturally occurring sugars. For a strictly sugar-free option, the stated amount of sugars must also be within the EU limit of 0.5 g per 100 g.

What should I check besides the sugar content?

Compare biscuits by their ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g, including energy, carbohydrates, fat, fibre and salt. Then consider the portion you plan to serve: the sugar-free claim alone says nothing about the rest of the nutritional profile.

Why do some packs warn against excessive consumption?

Some of the biscuits discussed contain polyols, such as maltitol or isomalt, and their product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also mentions flatulence and diarrhoea as possible effects of a high intake of polyols; check the warning on the pack you choose.

Which allergens should I check when giving biscuits as a gift?

Check the allergens for the specific variant on the latest packaging, not just the sugar-free claim. Albert Heijn lists wheat in AH Digestive 0% suiker and wheat, almonds, egg, milk, soya and barley, among other allergens, in Céréal Speculoos stukjes amandel.