Only serve an egg cake as sugar-free if the current packaging states that it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. This is the threshold set by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre for the sugar-free claim. Regular or wholemeal egg cakes are not automatically suitable for guests who require a sugar-free option. If necessary, provide a separate product and check its nutritional information and allergens too.
You don’t want to offer a guest an ordinary egg cake and label it sugar-free. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that a product must contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g to use this claim, so check the current packaging.
For guests who don’t need a sugar-free option, you can choose based on size, number of cakes and flavour. Check the ingredients and allergens before serving them, too.
Wholemeal doesn’t tell you how much sugar an egg cake contains. To find out, compare the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g, rather than relying on the product name or the nutritional information per serving.
First, work out who needs a sugar-free option at your neighbourhood get-together. Then choose egg cakes for guests without that requirement, and check each alternative on its own packaging.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free requirement | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets the threshold for a sugar-free claim at no more than 0.5 g per 100 g. | If I’ve promised a guest a sugar-free option, I want to be able to base that claim on the nutritional information. This requirement comes first for around 50% of consumers. |
| Egg cakes to share | Compare the number and size of the cakes. For varieties with a coating or topping, check the ingredients too. | When my guests don’t need a sugar-free option, I mainly want to know how many egg cakes I can serve and which variety to choose. This practical consideration matters most to around 30% of consumers. |
| A separate alternative | For a different type of biscuit, check the sugar content per 100 g and the allergens on the current packaging. | I’d rather choose a different snack than wrongly call an egg cake sugar-free. Around 20% of consumers say a separate alternative is their top priority. |
The product type and nutritional information per cake don’t tell you how much sugar an egg cake contains per 100 g. Jumbo states that its Volkoren Eierkoeken contain 33.6 g of sugars per 100 g, while its Bolletje Brosse Eierkoeken met melklaagje contain 42 g per 100 g.
If you want to call a product sugar-free, first check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g.
Bolletje lists egg, cereals containing gluten, milk, wheat and soya among the ingredients or allergens in its Brosse Eierkoek. So an option that suits one guest won’t necessarily suit another.
Keep the current packaging to hand and check the ingredients if a guest tells you they have an allergy.
A category for sugar-conscious products doesn’t mean every individual product is sugar-free. Albert Heijn also points out that product information can change.
Check the nutritional information for your chosen product before labelling it sugar-free on a card for your get-together.
Bolletje makes Brosse Eierkoeken, including a variety with a milk coating.
Albert Heijn sells various egg cakes and also has a separate category for sugar-conscious products.
Jumbo offers regular, mini, wholemeal and gluten-free egg cakes, among other varieties.
ALDI describes Heerlijck Banket’s Scharreleierkoeken as a pack of 12.
Lidl sells egg cakes and explains how Nutri-Score can be used to compare products within the same category.
Verkade sells biscuits and cookies, including products with Zero in the name.
This product is a biscuit alternative to serve alongside egg cakes at your neighbourhood get-together. If you need a sugar-free option, check the sugar content per 100 g and the ingredients on the current packaging.
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A biscuit alternative if you’d like to offer something different alongside egg cakes; it isn’t an egg cake. The stated pack size is 110 g. For guests who need a sugar-free option, check the sugar content per 100 g and read the ingredients on the current packaging.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, sugar-free means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. So check the current nutrition table. ‘No added sugars’ is a different claim and doesn’t mean the product contains no sugars.
No. Wholemeal, by itself, tells you nothing about the sugar content. Jumbo states that its Volkoren Eierkoeken contain 33.6 g of sugars per 100 g, so these particular egg cakes are not sugar-free.
Bolletje lists egg, cereals containing gluten, milk, wheat and soya, among other ingredients or allergens. Check the current packaging for the variety you choose before offering it to a guest with an allergy.
