If you’re looking for a strictly sugar-free canoe biscuit for New Year’s Eve, check the sugars per 100 g: two canoe biscuits listed by Albert Heijn contain 37 g and 39 g respectively, so neither is a suitable choice. If the canoe shape isn’t essential, you could consider a different biscuit with no added sugars. Verkade San Francisco Zero is one such biscuit, but according to Verkade it contains 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g, so it isn’t the same as sugar-free.
You want a biscuit that genuinely meets your sugar-free requirements, regardless of words such as ‘Zero’ on the packaging. The canoe biscuits listed by Albert Heijn don’t meet the mark based on their sugar content.
You’re looking for something to enjoy with coffee or tea around New Year’s Eve, and you’re happy with a different type of biscuit. Verkade describes San Francisco Zero as having no added sugars; also check the total sugars and allergens.
You’re specifically looking for a butter biscuit with almond paste and don’t need it to be sugar-free. Check the nutritional information per 100 g, the serving size and the allergens before choosing.
Decide whether sugar-free is a must-have before you consider whether a different type of biscuit could work instead of a canoe biscuit.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly sugar-free | Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g on the packaging. Zoetstoffen.eu says that ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g per 100 g. | If sugar-free is a must-have for me, I don’t want to rely on a ‘Zero’ name. Around 40% of consumers put this requirement first. |
| No added sugars | Check the exact claim and also read the total sugar content per 100 g. | For something to have with coffee, I’m happy with a different type of biscuit as long as it has no added sugars; it doesn’t have to be strictly sugar-free. This is the main priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Traditional canoe biscuit | Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per serving; if you’re sharing them at a celebration, check the allergens list too. | Above all, I want to serve a canoe biscuit with almond paste, while keeping my guests in mind when I choose. A traditional canoe biscuit is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
These claims don’t mean the same thing. Verkade lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g for San Francisco Zero, while Zoetstoffen.eu says that ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g per 100 g.
If you need something strictly sugar-free, check the total sugar content per 100 g instead of relying on the name or claim alone.
Albert Heijn lists 39 g of sugars per 100 g for AH butter canoe biscuits. This makes them unsuitable for a strictly sugar-free selection.
Before buying, read the nutrition table and ingredients list on the pack you’ve chosen.
Albert Heijn lists egg, milk, soya, almond and cereals containing gluten among the allergens in its butter canoe biscuits. This matters if any of your guests need to avoid these ingredients.
Check the current packaging before serving the biscuits and bear your guests’ needs in mind.
Albert Heijn warns that ingredients and nutritional information can change. So, if your choice depends on sugar content or allergens, a product page you looked at previously isn’t enough.
Check the packaging again when you buy the product to make sure it meets your requirements.
AH butter canoe biscuits are an example of a traditional canoe biscuit with almond paste, not a sugar-free version.
San Francisco Zero is a different type of biscuit for anyone happy to choose something other than a canoe biscuit and looking for a product with no added sugars.
If a canoe biscuit isn’t essential, you could also consider a biscuit. Check the sugar content and ingredients on the packaging; a biscuit isn’t sugar-free just because of its product name.
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A biscuit to consider if you don’t necessarily want canoe biscuits for New Year’s Eve.
Pack size: 216 g. If you need something strictly sugar-free, don’t rely on ‘Sugar-Free’ in the product name: check the sugars per 100 g and the allergens on the current packaging.
‘No added sugars’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘sugar-free’. Zoetstoffen.eu says that a solid food labelled ‘sugar-free’ can contain no more than 0.5 g of sugar per 100 g, so check the total sugars in the nutrition table too.
No. Albert Heijn lists 39 g of sugars per 100 g for AH butter canoe biscuits and 37 g per 100 g for an earlier listing of AH butter canoe biscuits. Neither meets the limit of 0.5 g per 100 g that Zoetstoffen.eu gives for ‘sugar-free’.
First compare the nutritional values per 100 g, so different serving sizes don’t skew the comparison. Voedingscentrum recommends comparing labels on this basis; then check the serving size on the packaging if you want to know what’s in one biscuit.
Albert Heijn recommends storing them in a cool, dry place and putting them in a sealed tin once opened. Check the storage instructions and date on the pack you buy too.
