Who is this choice relevant to?

Shoppers looking for strictly sugar-free options

You want a chocolate biscuit whose nutritional information lists no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. ‘No added sugars’ isn’t enough.

Planning a Christmas or coffee-time treat

You’re looking for a biscuit with a noticeable chocolate flavour and want to know how many you can serve. The type of chocolate and the pack size both matter.

Shoppers who check the ingredients

You check the allergen information and the polyols used to make sure they’re suitable for you or your guests, as well as checking the sugar content.

What should you look for when choosing?

If sugar-free is a firm requirement, start with the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. Then consider which biscuit suits the occasion and check the ingredients on the exact pack you’re buying.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Sugar-free or no added sugars Compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g with the limit of no more than 0.5 g for the sugar-free claim. This limit is set out in EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. For Christmas, I want a chocolate biscuit that genuinely meets the sugar-free limit, not just a pack with ‘zero’ on it. Around 50% of these consumers prioritise the sugar limit.
Chocolate and portions Check whether the biscuit contains chocolate pieces or has a chocolate coating, and how many biscuits are in the pack. For Christmas breakfast or with a coffee, I want a clearly chocolatey biscuit that’s easy to share. For around 30% of these consumers, chocolate and ease of serving are the main priorities.
Ingredients and polyols Read the allergen information, check which polyols are used and look out for a warning about excessive consumption. When I’m serving guests, I want to check first that the ingredients and allergen information are suitable for them. Ingredients and tolerance are the main priorities for around 20% of these consumers.

Common mistakes when choosing

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

    These claims don’t mean the same thing. Verkade lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g for San Francisco Zero, which is above the limit for the sugar-free claim under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. It’s also not a chocolate biscuit.

    If you need a strictly sugar-free option, always check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g, whatever the name on the front of the pack.

  • Looking only at the sugar content

    A sugar claim tells you nothing about allergens. For Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie zonder suikers, Albert Heijn also warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

    Before buying for a group, check the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the packaging of the variety you’ve chosen.

  • Assuming sugar-free means lower in calories

    The sugar content alone doesn’t tell you the full nutritional value of a biscuit.

    As well as sugars, compare the energy, fat and serving size in the nutritional information.

Brands to consider

Céréal

Offers several chocolate biscuits with a listed sugar content that falls within the sugar-free limit.

  • Céréal lists 0 g of sugars per 100 g for Chocolate Chip Cookies and Zandkoekjes met Chocolade & Hazelnootsmaak, and 0.5 g for Choco Delight Puur.
  • The varieties contain polyols; check the ingredients and allergens on each pack.

Verkade

San Francisco Zero shows why ‘no added sugars’ needs to be assessed separately from ‘sugar-free’.

  • Verkade describes this biscuit as having no added sugars.
  • The product information lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g; San Francisco Zero is also not a chocolate biscuit.

Lotus Biscoff

Lotus Speculoos met Chocolade is a chocolate variety for anyone who isn’t looking for a strictly sugar-free option.

  • The product specification describes a speculoos biscuit with chocolate.
  • Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists 39.6 g of sugars per 100 g, so this variety doesn’t meet the sugar-free claim.

Albert Heijn

This retailer’s product information can help you compare a specific pack of Céréal biscuits.

  • Albert Heijn describes Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie zonder suikers as a 130 g pack containing 12 biscuits.
  • Check the ingredients and allergens on the pack you buy; product information may change.

Bezgluten

Another option for shoppers who focus mainly on a gluten-free label when choosing chocolate biscuits.

  • Leef.nl describes Bezgluten’s chocolate biscuits as gluten-free and having no added sugar.
  • Leef.nl lists 1.8 g of sugars per 100 g, which is above the limit for the sugar-free claim.

Chocolate biscuits on Joybuy

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

When can a chocolate biscuit be called sugar-free?

Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a biscuit can carry the ‘sugar-free’ claim if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure in the nutritional information per 100 g.

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

No. Verkade describes San Francisco Zero as having ‘no added sugars’, but lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g. If the sugar-free limit matters to you, compare the sugar content per 100 g.

Why do some packs carry a warning about a laxative effect?

This warning may appear on biscuits containing added polyols: excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Albert Heijn includes it for Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie zonder suikers. Read the warning on the pack and bear the portion size in mind.

Are sugar-free chocolate biscuits also gluten-free or nut-free?

No, the sugar claim tells you nothing about allergens. The product information for Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookies lists wheat and the possible presence of other allergens. Always check the allergen information for the exact variety before buying.