If you’re looking for strictly sugar-free
You want the nutritional information to show that a chocolate biscuit meets the ‘sugar-free’ threshold. A claim that no sugar has been added isn’t enough.
Who is this relevant to?
If you want chocolate and are keeping an eye on sugars
You’re specifically looking for a chocolate biscuit, and also comparing sugars per 100 g, ingredients and serving size.
If you need to check allergens and sweeteners
You want to know whether ingredients such as wheat, milk, egg or soya, and the sweeteners used, are suitable for the people who’ll be eating them. If you’re selling biscuits loose from a stall, you must also make allergen information available to customers.
What should you look for?
First decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is a firm requirement. Then compare only biscuits that also meet your requirements for chocolate, ingredients and serving customers.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Genuinely sugar-free | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ claim is no more than 0.5 g per 100 g; ‘no added sugar’ means something different. | If I specifically want to offer a sugar-free chocolate biscuit, the nutritional information needs to support that choice. For around 44% of consumers, verified sugar-free options are the top priority. |
| Chocolate and nutritional value | Check that the biscuit actually contains chocolate and compare the sugars per 100 g. For serving size, also look at the nutritional information per biscuit. | I want to keep the chocolate flavour without accidentally choosing a regular chocolate biscuit when I’m watching sugars. Around 33% of consumers say this combination is their top priority. |
| Allergens and sweeteners | Check the ingredients, allergen information and warnings on the current packaging. If you’re selling unpackaged biscuits, make the required allergen information available before purchase. | When I offer biscuits loose to customers, I want to be able to check what’s in them and answer questions about allergens. For around 23% of consumers, this check matters most. |
Common mistakes
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘sugar-free’
Verkade San Francisco Zero lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g, according to Albert Heijn. That’s above the 0.5 g per 100 g threshold the Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives for ‘sugar-free’.
If you’re looking for a strictly sugar-free option, use the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g.
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Going by the front of the pack alone
For Céréal Minder Suikers Choco Delight Puur, Jumbo lists ingredients including wheat, oats, milk, egg and soya, as well as 24 g of polyols per 100 g. Meeting the sugar threshold doesn’t remove the need to check these details.
Before offering the biscuit, also check the ingredients, allergens, warnings and serving information.
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Offering a regular chocolate biscuit as a sugar-free alternative
Lotus Bakeries lists 39.6 g of sugars per 100 g for Lotus Speculoos with chocolate. The fact that a product contains chocolate doesn’t mean its sugar content is comparable to other chocolate biscuits.
Keep a choice based on flavour separate from one where ‘sugar-free’ is a requirement.
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Forgetting allergen information when selling loose
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, sellers of unpackaged food must give customers information about 14 allergens.
Make sure customers can get allergen information for every biscuit sold loose before they buy it.
Relevant brands and retailer
Céréal
Céréal Minder Suikers Choco Delight Puur is a biscuit with a dark chocolate tablet. Jumbo’s product information lists 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
- Jumbo lists 45 kcal per biscuit and 24 g of polyols per 100 g. This information helps you assess the serving size and the sweeteners used.
- The listed ingredients include wheat, oats, milk, egg and soya; the product may also contain nuts and sesame.
Verkade
San Francisco Zero is worth considering if you’re looking for a biscuit with no added sugar and chocolate isn’t a requirement.
- Albert Heijn labels this variant ‘0% added sugar’.
- According to Albert Heijn, the biscuit contains 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g and isn’t a chocolate biscuit. The product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Speculoos with chocolate is an option for its flavour, not a substitute when ‘sugar-free’ is a requirement.
- Lotus Bakeries’ product information confirms that this variant contains chocolate.
- Lotus Bakeries lists 39.6 g of sugars per 100 g for this variant.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn is a source of product information here, not a biscuit brand. Its information on Verkade San Francisco Zero can help you compare ingredients and nutritional values.
- The product page shows nutritional information, ingredients and allergens for the Verkade variant mentioned.
- Albert Heijn notes that product information can change, so check the label on the pack you buy as well.
Products on Joybuy
Matching products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
When can a chocolate biscuit be called ‘sugar-free’?
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ claim is no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure in the nutritional information for the specific biscuit.
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean the same as ‘sugar-free’?
No. Albert Heijn lists both ‘0% added sugar’ and 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Verkade San Francisco Zero, putting this biscuit above the threshold for ‘sugar-free’ set by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. It’s also not a chocolate biscuit.
Which chocolate biscuit meets the sugar threshold?
According to Jumbo, Céréal Minder Suikers Choco Delight Puur contains a dark chocolate tablet and has 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the current packaging when you buy it, including the allergen and sweetener information.
What should an oliebollen stall consider when selling biscuits loose?
If biscuits are offered unpackaged, the stall must be able to give customers information about any allergens they contain. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority outlines an obligation to provide information about 14 allergens. Make sure this information is available before purchase and check which allergens are present in the specific biscuit.
Does the Nutri-Score tell me whether a biscuit suits my needs?
The Nutri-Score is designed to compare products of the same type, according to the Dutch Government. If you have a requirement such as ‘sugar-free’, you’ll also need to check the sugars per 100 g. If you’re offering biscuits to customers, check the ingredients, allergens and serving size too.