Choose a biscuit labelled ‘sugar-free’ if keeping sugar very low is your priority: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, this claim means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. ‘No added sugars’ means something different. When comparing snacks for the holidays, also check the nutritional information per portion, polyols and allergens.
For a snack on a holiday day out, you want a biscuit that meets the sugar-free claim, not simply a product with no added sugars. Compare the sugars listed per 100 g and the nutritional information per portion.
If you’re sharing biscuits at home or taking them with you, ‘0% sugar’ is no substitute for checking portion size, energy, carbohydrates, polyols and allergens.
If fibre matters more to you than a strictly sugar-free biscuit, wholegrain ontbijtkoek with no added sugars may be another option. Check the sugar content, though: the two product categories and claims are not the same.
If you’re specifically looking for sugar-free, start with the claim. Then compare portions and, when choosing snacks for the family, check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Read the exact claim and the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; ‘no added sugars’ does not rule out sugars that occur naturally. | I want a biscuit with very little sugar, not just a pack labelled ‘no added sugars’. Around 40% of consumers put this strict sugar limit first. |
| Portion and nutritional information | Compare energy, total carbohydrates and sugars on the same basis: per 100 g and per portion. A sugar-free claim, on its own, says nothing about the amount of energy or carbohydrates. | When packing snacks, I want to know what the portion I’ve chosen contains, even if the pack says ‘0% sugar’. For around 30% of consumers, checking the portion and nutritional information matters most. |
| Ingredients for the family | Check the current packaging for allergens, ‘may contain’ warnings, polyols and portion size. Some products carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. | If I’m taking biscuits for several family members, I want to check in advance that the ingredients are suitable for them. Around 30% of consumers put suitability for the family first. |
The claims do not mean the same thing. Albert Heijn lists Verkade San Francisco zero as containing 0% added sugar, but also 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g.
If your aim is to find a strictly sugar-free biscuit, check both the claim and the sugar content per 100 g.
According to Albert Heijn, AH Digestive 0% sugar contains 465 kcal and 63 g of carbohydrates per 100 g, as well as 0.3 g of sugars.
Compare total carbohydrates and energy per portion you eat, not just the ‘of which sugars’ figure.
Ingredients vary from one biscuit to another. Some products containing polyols carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect; allergens also need to be checked for each variant.
Check the current packaging before handing out biscuits, especially if anyone has a relevant allergy.
Albert Heijn says that ingredients, nutritional information and allergy details can change when products are updated.
Use a product page to compare options, then check the pack you’ve bought before eating the biscuits.
The differences below apply to the products mentioned, not necessarily to a brand’s entire range.
AH Digestive 0% sugar is a biscuit for anyone specifically looking for a sugar-free claim.
The No Sugars Coconut and Speculoos with almond pieces variants offer different flavours in the biscuit category.
San Francisco zero suits anyone mainly looking for a biscuit with no added sugar.
The wholegrain ontbijtkoek with no added sugars is an alternative for anyone looking for ontbijtkoek rather than biscuits.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. The claim says nothing about total energy, carbohydrates or allergens; check the rest of the nutritional information and the ingredients for those details.
No. A product with no added sugars may still contain sugars that occur naturally. For example, Albert Heijn lists Verkade San Francisco zero as containing 0% added sugar and 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g.
Store them in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises for sugar-free biscuits. Also follow the storage instructions on the pack you’ve bought.
