If you want to offer a sugar-free biscuit at a Dutch doughnut stall, choose a product whose current nutritional information supports the claim. Simply adding less sugar or using a recipe without table sugar isn’t enough. The Céréal variety reviewed here is speculoos with almond pieces and lists 0.4 g of sugars and 29 g of polyols per 100 g. If you sell biscuits loose, you must also make allergen information available to customers.
You want the wording on your stall sign to be supported by the nutritional information for the product you’re offering. If you sell the biscuits loose, you must also be able to tell customers which allergens they contain.
You’re looking for a biscuit with little sugar to enjoy alongside your Dutch doughnuts, and want to know which sweeteners and ingredients it contains before buying. A speculoos variety with almonds and maltitol won’t necessarily suit everyone’s preferences or allergies.
You want to choose the spices and portion size yourself. If you want to describe your homemade biscuits as sugar-free, you’ll also need evidence of the sugar content in the finished product and information about the allergens in your recipe.
Start with the claim and the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. Then decide whether you’ll be offering packaged biscuits or baking your own. If you sell biscuits loose, pay particular attention to allergen information.
| What to look for | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Check the current ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and distinguish between ‘sugar-free’ and ‘no added sugars’. Under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the ‘sugar-free’ claim is permitted only if a product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If I ask specifically for a sugar-free biscuit at the stall, I want to see what the claim is based on. For around 36% of consumers, this certainty matters most. |
| Allergens when selling loose | Keep the allergen information for the product you’re selling available at the point of sale, and update it if the recipe changes. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the requirement to provide allergen information for non-prepacked foods. | Anyone buying a loose biscuit who needs to avoid an ingredient will want to check which specific grains and nuts it contains before buying. For around 29% of consumers, this information comes first. |
| Sweeteners and portions | Check which sweetener has been used and look at the nutritional information per 100 g as well as the portion size. The Céréal speculoos reviewed here lists maltitol and 29 g of polyols per 100 g. | I want to know what makes the biscuit sweet before I have a portion, especially if I’m keeping an eye on polyols. This is the most important question for around 21% of consumers. |
| Baking your own | Record the ingredients and allergens for each recipe. If you want to describe your biscuits as ‘sugar-free’, make sure you have evidence of the sugar content per 100 g in the baked biscuit. A recipe title alone isn’t enough. | If I’m baking for the stall, I want to choose the spices and size of the biscuits myself, even if it means extra preparation. For around 14% of consumers, having this control is what makes the difference. |
According to the product information, the Céréal variety reviewed here contains 0.4 g of sugars, as well as 404 kcal and 20 g of fat per 100 g. The sugar-free claim alone says nothing about its overall nutritional value.
Check the full nutrition table, ingredients and portion size. Don’t link the claim to a general promise about health.
The Céréal product information lists 29 g of polyols per 100 g and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Let customers check the ingredients and warning on the current packaging, and bear the size of each portion in mind.
According to the product information, the speculoos variety reviewed here contains almonds, wheat, barley, egg, milk and soya, among other ingredients. Customers must be told about any allergens in non-prepacked foods.
Keep information for the exact product you’re selling available at the point of sale. Name the specific types of nuts and cereals containing gluten, and update the information if the product or recipe changes.
Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists 38.1 g of sugars per 100 g for Lotus Biscoff Original. This variety therefore doesn’t meet the stated threshold for a sugar-free claim.
If you sell traditional speculoos, keep it clearly separate from biscuits you describe as sugar-free.
These names can help you identify a particular speculoos variety, find retailer information or explore a traditional flavour option. They don’t indicate current stock availability.
The Céréal Speculoos with almond pieces reviewed here is a packaged variety sold as having ‘no sugars’.
Jumbo lists the 110 g Céréal variety and also publishes a recipe for sugar-free speculoos.
Albert Heijn lists Céréal Speculoos with almond pieces, with no sugars, in its range information.
Lotus Biscoff Original is a traditional speculoos variety for anyone looking for that flavour, not a sugar-free alternative.
No. Using less sugar isn’t enough to make this claim. Under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a product can be called ‘sugar-free’ only if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Support the claim with the nutritional information for the exact biscuit you’re offering.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘no added sugars’ means that no sugars or other products have been added for their sweetening properties; sugars may still be naturally present. So, if you’re looking for a sugar-free option, also check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says customers must be able to access information about allergens in non-prepacked foods. Check the ingredients of the biscuit you’re actually selling and name the specific types of cereals containing gluten and nuts. The Céréal variety reviewed here contains wheat, barley and almonds, among other ingredients.
Check the sweetener, the amount of polyols and the warning on the packaging. The Céréal variety reviewed here lists maltitol and 29 g of polyols per 100 g; the product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
