Choose breakfast cereal for your weekly shop only if you need it to be ‘sugar-free’ when it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g: this is the threshold for the nutrition claim under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. According to the product information on Joybuy, Quaker Cruesli Zero Sugar Added Aardbei & Perzik contains 4.4 g of sugars per 100 g, while Brinta Havermout contains 0.8 g; neither meets that threshold. If your main aim is to avoid added sugars, a product with that specific claim may suit you, but also compare total sugars, fibre and allergens on the current label.
You want ‘sugar-free’ to be accurate according to the nutrition table, too. So, for solid breakfast cereals, rule out products containing more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; ‘no added sugars’ on its own isn’t enough.
You’re looking for breakfast cereal to last several days and are happy with naturally occurring sugars. In that case, the exact claim, total sugar content and ingredients all matter for everyone in your household.
You want to combine porridge oats with ingredients such as yoghurt, milk or fruit. If you have allergies or intolerances, also check the listed cereals and any possible traces.
For your weekly shop, first decide whether you need a strictly sugar-free product or mainly want to avoid added sugars. Then compare similar breakfast cereals per 100 g and check the label for everyone who’ll be eating them.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly sugar-free | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g: under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the ‘sugar-free’ claim requires a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g. | If I want breakfast cereal that is literally sugar-free, a claim about added sugars alone isn’t enough. This strict requirement comes first for around 34% of consumers. |
| No added sugars | Read the exact claim and also compare total sugars per 100 g; naturally occurring sugars are included in this figure. | I don’t want added sugars, but naturally occurring sugars are fine by me. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this distinction. |
| Fibre and oat base | Compare fibre and sugars per 100 g, and read the ingredients list if you’re looking for a simple base. | For a breakfast I’ll add to myself, I want to know what’s in the base. This need takes priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Suitable for your household | Check the allergen information and storage instructions before stocking up. | If several people are eating from the same pack, I need to take their allergies and preferences into account. This matters most to around 13% of consumers. |
A product with no added sugars may still contain naturally occurring sugars. If you’re looking for a strictly sugar-free product, you could therefore choose one that doesn’t meet your requirement.
Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. Use the maximum threshold of 0.5 g per 100 g if you mean the ‘sugar-free’ nutrition claim.
A claim or a nutrition value per serving doesn’t tell you the same thing as the full nutrition information per 100 g. Serving sizes can also vary.
Compare similar products per 100 g for sugars, fibre, saturated fat and salt, and read the ingredients list.
With crunchy muesli and porridge oats, the cereals, nuts or possible traces listed can determine whether everyone in your household can eat the product.
Read the current allergen information for each variety before buying several packs.
Quaker Cruesli Zero Sugar Added is crunchy muesli for anyone looking for a ‘no added sugars’ claim. It’s available in varieties including strawberry and peach, and nuts.
Brinta Havermout is made from 100% oat flakes, which you can combine with ingredients such as milk, yoghurt or fruit.
Albert Heijn offers, among other things, granola and crunchy muesli with a claim about no added sugar.
Kellogg's All-Bran Fibre Plus is a breakfast cereal worth comparing if fibre content is important to your choice.
No. Under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the ‘sugar-free’ claim can only be used for a solid product if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. The Voedingscentrum explains that a product with no added sugars may still contain naturally occurring sugars.
Compare similar breakfast cereals per 100 g, so different serving sizes don’t skew the comparison. Check ‘of which sugars’, fibre, saturated fat, salt and the ingredients; the Voedingscentrum also recommends using values per 100 g when comparing labels.
No, not according to the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ claim: the product information on Joybuy lists 4.4 g of sugars per 100 g for this variety. ‘No added sugars’ means something different from the total amount of sugars.
Read the allergen information on the specific pack, even if you’ve bought the same brand before. The product information on Joybuy lists nuts and possible traces of milk for Quaker Cruesli Noten; for Brinta Havermout, it lists oats and possible traces of rye and wheat.
