If you’re looking for genuinely sugar-free currant buns for a garden party, choose only a product whose nutritional information lists no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g: according to EUR-Lex, that’s the limit for the ‘sugar-free’ claim. The standard currant buns for which Albert Heijn and Jumbo publish nutritional values contain 25 g and 24 g of sugars per 100 g respectively. If you mainly want to avoid added sugars, check the ingredients list separately from the total sugars, and check the current packaging for allergen information for your guests too.
You want a currant bun that meets the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ nutrition claim. According to EUR-Lex, this means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. So check the total sugars in the nutritional information, not just the added sugars.
You distinguish between added sugars and the sugars naturally present in currants and raisins. The ingredients list helps answer the first question; the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g shows how much total sugar the product contains.
You want to know how many buns are in a pack and which ingredients and allergens are listed on the label. If you’re shopping before the garden party, check the storage or freezing instructions too.
First, decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is a strict requirement or whether you mainly want to avoid added sugars. Then compare the packaging and allergen information with what your guests need.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Genuinely sugar-free | Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. According to EUR-Lex, the ‘sugar-free’ claim is limited to no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If I want to offer a guest something sugar-free, the currant bun must genuinely meet that threshold. This strict requirement is the top priority for around 44% of consumers. |
| Added sugars | Check the ingredients list as well as the total sugars per 100 g; no added sugars does not mean sugar-free. | I want to avoid added sugars, but I’m not excluding sugars from currants and raisins. This is the most important consideration for around 33% of consumers. |
| Guests and portions | Check the number of buns, the current allergen information and, if you’re shopping in advance, the storage instructions. | I need to buy enough buns for my guests and check which ingredients they need to avoid. Around 23% of consumers prioritise these practical and allergen-related considerations. |
Currants and raisins contain sugars themselves. So a currant bun with no added sugars can still exceed the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ claim.
If sugar-free is a requirement, check the total sugars per 100 g. If you want to avoid added sugars, check the ingredients list too.
Albert Heijn lists 25 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Rozijnen krentenbollen; Jumbo lists 24 g per 100 g for Jumbo Rozijnen Krentenbollen. These standard varieties do not meet the threshold for ‘sugar-free’.
Don’t offer a standard currant bun as sugar-free. If someone has a strict requirement, only choose a product after checking the nutritional information on the specific pack.
Ingredients and allergens can vary between products or packs. Albert Heijn therefore recommends checking the packaging; Lidl also refers customers to the label for ingredients, allergens and nutritional values of food products.
Before serving, check the packaging of the product you actually bought, especially if a guest needs to avoid an allergen.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may be present in bakery products through baker’s salt, at up to 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. That doesn’t mean every currant bun contains iodised salt. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt for the variant checked; Jumbo lists baker’s salt.
If the iodine information is relevant to your choice, check the ingredients list on the specific pack and, if needed, ask the retailer or manufacturer for more product information.
These examples show the product information you can compare for standard currant buns; the brand name alone doesn’t tell you whether a variety is sugar-free.
Albert Heijn offers products including AH Rozijnen krentenbollen.
Jumbo offers Rozijnen Krentenbollen in a pack of six.
Lidl describes currant buns in a pack of six.
PLUS offers standard currant buns in packs including six and eight.
ALDI offers standard raisin currant buns in a pack of six.
No, not necessarily: sugars from currants and raisins count towards the total. According to EUR-Lex, the ‘sugar-free’ claim may only be used when a product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. So check the ‘of which sugars’ figure in the nutritional information too.
No. Albert Heijn lists 25 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Rozijnen krentenbollen, while Jumbo lists 24 g per 100 g for its Rozijnen Krentenbollen. Both figures are above the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ claim; check the current packaging of your chosen variety when you buy it.
You can’t tell from the product category or the words ‘baker’s salt’ alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority permits iodine compounds in bakery products through baker’s salt, up to a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. Check the ingredients list for the specific currant bun or ask the retailer for more information.
Check the allergen information on every pack you plan to serve. The product information for Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s standard varieties lists ingredients including wheat and milk; check for allergens and possible traces on the product you actually bought.
You can if the packaging for your chosen variety gives you instructions to do so. For the currant buns it checked, Albert Heijn says to freeze them on the day of purchase and use them within one month; PLUS gives the same instructions for its eight-pack. Follow the instructions on the packaging you buy.
