Shoppers looking for a low-fat biscuit
A reduced-sugar message does not answer your main question. Compare total fat and saturated fat per 100g first, then use the per-biscuit figures to work out the portion you intend to eat.
Who needs to check the label?
The same biscuit can raise different questions depending on whether fat content, portion size or an ingredient requirement drives your choice.
Shoppers comparing custard creams
Use the per-100g nutrition panel for a like-for-like comparison. A different pack size or a smaller stated serving can otherwise make the figures harder to compare.
Shoppers with an ingredient requirement
Check the exact pack for the ingredients you need to avoid. A free-from custard cream may meet a stated ingredient requirement, but its fat, saturated fat and sugars still need separate checks.
What matters when choosing?
Start with fat per 100g to answer the low-fat question, then check sugars, your intended portion and ingredient suitability. The NHS defines low fat as 3g or less per 100g and high fat as more than 17.5g per 100g.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat and saturates | Compare both values per 100g. The NHS defines high saturated fat as more than 5g per 100g; a lower figure than another biscuit does not itself make a product low in fat. | I'm looking for a low-fat product, so I need its total fat figure rather than a sugar claim to answer that question. |
| Sugars | Check sugars per 100g alongside fat and saturates. The NHS defines high sugars as more than 22.5g per 100g; a reduced-sugar claim alone does not establish the fat content. | If I'm comparing sugar as well, I want to see the actual nutrition values rather than rely on the wording on the pack. |
| Portion | Check the stated values per biscuit and how many biscuits you plan to eat. Sainsbury's and Tesco provide per-biscuit fat, saturates and sugars for their conventional custard creams. | One biscuit may not be my whole snack, so I'll use the figures for the number I intend to eat. |
| Ingredients | Read the exact pack's ingredient and allergen statements. For example, Asda declares wheat and milk for its conventional Custard Creams and lists possible traces of other ingredients. | I need to confirm that this particular pack meets my ingredient requirements; a free-from label does not answer the separate nutrition question. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading reduced sugar as low fat
Sugar and fat are separate entries on the nutrition panel. The conventional custard creams in this comparison exceed the NHS high-fat threshold, regardless of which sugar figure a shopper focuses on.
Compare total fat and saturates per 100g before deciding whether a biscuit meets your low-fat requirement; assess sugars separately.
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Counting one biscuit when you plan to eat several
A per-biscuit value describes that stated serving, not the whole snack if you eat more than one.
Decide on the number of biscuits first, then multiply the stated per-biscuit values by that number.
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Treating free-from as a nutrition claim
Sainsbury's Free From Custard Creams are labelled milk-free and gluten-free, but contain 16.8g fat, 13.0g saturates and 24.9g sugars per 100g. Those figures need assessing independently of their ingredient suitability.
Use a free-from declaration for the requirement it actually states, and read the nutrition panel for fat, saturates and sugars.
Brand and product-line references
These figures describe the specified custard cream products, not every biscuit made or sold by each brand. Compare the current pack when making a purchase.
Sainsbury's
Its conventional Custard Creams and Free From Custard Creams serve different ingredient needs.
- Sainsbury's lists 19.0g fat per 100g for its conventional Custard Creams, the lowest fat figure among the five conventional products compared here.
- That product still exceeds the NHS high-fat threshold. Its milk-free and gluten-free Free From Custard Creams contain 16.8g fat and 13.0g saturates per 100g, so free-from does not mean low fat.
Tesco
Tesco Custard Cream Biscuits are a conventional 400g product.
- Tesco lists per-100g and per-biscuit nutrition values, allowing both product and portion comparisons.
- The stated 20.5g fat, 12.8g saturates and 28.3g sugars per 100g do not describe a low-fat biscuit under the NHS threshold.
McVitie's
McVitie's Tasties Custard Creams Biscuits are listed as a 300g conventional product.
- The Joybuy product listing provides per-100g nutrition figures for this named variant.
- That listing states 21.5g fat, 13.5g saturates and 30.6g sugars per 100g, above the NHS high-fat and high-saturates thresholds.
Crawford's
Crawford's Custard Creams are listed by Tesco as a 300g conventional product.
- Tesco gives fat, saturates and sugars on a per-100g basis for comparison.
- The listed values are 21.6g fat, 13.7g saturates and 30.7g sugars per 100g; the fat figure exceeds the NHS high-fat threshold.
Asda
Asda Custard Creams are a conventional 400g product.
- Asda lists per-100g nutrition values and identifies wheat and milk in its allergen information.
- The listed values are 22g fat, 13g saturates and 29g sugars per 100g. Asda also lists possible traces of rye, barley, oats and sesame.
A Joybuy custard cream option
This gluten-free custard cream is relevant if ingredient suitability is part of your choice. Check its current nutrition panel separately if you are looking for a low-fat biscuit.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A gluten-free custard cream to consider when comparing ingredient suitability. The 125g pack name does not tell you whether the biscuits are low in fat; check fat and saturates per 100g on the current label.
Questions about custard creams
Does reduced sugar make a custard cream low in fat?
No: sugar and fat are separate nutrition values. The NHS defines low fat as 3g or less per 100g, while the conventional custard creams listed by Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Joybuy and Marks & Spencer in this comparison contain 19.0g to 23.4g fat per 100g. Check the fat figure on any reduced-sugar product you are considering.
Which label figures should I compare first?
For a low-fat requirement, compare total fat and saturated fat per 100g first, then check sugars separately. Use per-biscuit figures to assess the number you intend to eat, rather than assuming the pack's stated serving matches your portion.
Which conventional custard cream has the lowest fat figure in this comparison?
Sainsbury's lists 19.0g fat per 100g for its conventional Custard Creams, the lowest figure among the five conventional products compared here. That is still above the NHS high-fat threshold of more than 17.5g per 100g, not a low-fat claim.
Are free-from custard creams low in fat?
A free-from label does not establish that. Sainsbury's lists its milk-free and gluten-free Free From Custard Creams at 16.8g fat and 13.0g saturates per 100g. Check ingredient suitability and nutrition as separate questions.
What should I check if I need to avoid an ingredient?
Read the ingredient and allergen statements on the exact pack you intend to buy. For example, Asda declares wheat and milk for its conventional Custard Creams and lists possible traces of rye, barley, oats and sesame; do not assume another custard cream has the same ingredients or warnings.