Only choose a chocolate biscuit for a vegan diet once you’ve checked that both the vegan label or ingredients list and the sugar information meet your needs: a sugar claim says nothing about milk or eggs. Also check the polyols per 100 g and any ‘may contain’ warnings. If you strictly avoid certain ingredients, you’ll need to consider these separately.
You’re looking for a biscuit without animal-derived ingredients and also want to check its sugar content. For you, a vegan label or carefully checked ingredients list and the nutritional information are two separate checks.
You’re mainly after chocolate in your biscuit, but you also compare sugars, sweeteners, polyols and the rest of the nutritional information. A sugar claim on the front of the pack isn’t enough.
As well as sugars, you check sweeteners such as maltitol and isomalt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes polyols as a separate group of sweeteners, so the amount and any warning on the label may affect your choice.
Check vegan suitability and sugars separately. Then compare the nutritional values of biscuits per 100 g, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends for similar products.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should consider this? |
|---|---|---|
| Vegan suitability and sugars | Check for a vegan label or look for ingredients such as milk and eggs. Also check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. | I want a chocolate biscuit without animal-derived ingredients, and I don’t want a sugar claim to distract me from checking what’s in it. This combination would be the main purchasing concern for around 42% of consumers. |
| Sweeteners and polyols | Check which sweeteners have been used, how many polyols are listed per 100 g and whether the pack carries a warning about consumption. | If I’m watching my sugar intake, I also want to know how many polyols I’ll get in a serving. Around 33% of consumers would consider this first. |
| Other nutritional values | Compare energy, fibre, saturated fat and salt per 100 g. Then use the serving size to judge how it fits into your own eating habits. | If I eat a biscuit regularly, I want to look beyond the sugar information alone. Around 25% of consumers would prioritise a broader comparison of the labels. |
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Verkade San Francisco zero contains milk ingredients, despite the ‘0% added sugar’ claim.
First check for a vegan label or review the ingredients, then check the sugars in the nutritional information separately.
Albert Heijn lists 26 g of polyols per 100 g for Céréal Chocolate Chip Cookie zonder suikers, along with a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
When deciding which serving size is right for you, also read the polyols information, ingredients and warning on the pack.
A serving on one label may not be the same size as a serving on another. That’s why the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing similar products per 100 g.
First compare the nutritional values on the same basis, then consider how much you actually want to eat.
Jumbo listed 45.5 g of sugars per 100 g for its Vegan Chocolade Cranberry Haverkoek. A vegan product name doesn’t tell you how much sugar a biscuit contains.
Check the current ingredients and nutritional information for the specific product before making your choice.
The own-label range shows what an explicitly vegan biscuit with few sugars can look like, although it isn’t a chocolate biscuit.
Chocolate Chip Cookie zonder suikers is an example for anyone looking for a chocolate cookie who wants to check vegan suitability separately.
San Francisco zero shows why a claim about added sugar isn’t the same as a vegan label.
A vegan product name can help you find what you’re looking for, but it doesn’t replace checking the sugar content.
No. A sugar claim says nothing about animal-derived ingredients. For example, Albert Heijn lists milk ingredients in Verkade San Francisco zero, despite the ‘0% added sugar’ claim. So check vegan suitability and sugars separately.
Also compare energy, polyols, fibre, saturated fat and salt per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this standard amount to compare similar products; then check the serving size you plan to eat.
The warning indicates that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Albert Heijn lists both polyols and this warning for AH Digestive 0% suiker. Check the amount and warning on the pack of the product you choose.
Store the biscuits in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also follow the storage instructions on the pack.
