Who is this for?

Parents comparing biscuit sugar

Compare the exact custard cream and the number of biscuits you plan to serve. A relatively lower sugar figure does not, by itself, make a pack a reduced-sugars product.

Families managing milk allergy

Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information before considering its sugar figures. Conventional custard creams in this comparison list milk ingredients; a free-from biscuit is a separate product with its own label to check.

After-school club snack planners

For food provided under England’s state-funded school-food standards, the Department for Education’s snack rules also cover after-school clubs. That is a different decision from choosing a biscuit to eat at home.

What should you check?

Start with any allergen or school-provision requirements, then compare the exact snack and portion you intend to offer.

Priority What to check Your needs
Sugar comparison Compare sugars per 100 g on the exact packs, then read the per-biscuit figures. Tesco lists 28.3 g per 100 g and 3.4 g per biscuit for its 400 g custard creams. I want to compare biscuit recipes without confusing pack size with the sugar in the portion served.
Snack choice Read energy and saturates alongside sugars on the same label basis. If the biscuit itself is optional, consider the NHS’s suggested swap to fruit or prepared vegetables. Changing the type of after-school snack matters more to me than finding a different custard cream.
Milk ingredients Check the purchased pack’s ingredients, emphasised allergens and any precautionary information. Assess a specifically free-from product on its own label, not by its sugar figure. If milk must be avoided, I need to establish whether this exact biscuit meets that requirement before serving it.
Portion and storage Use the per-biscuit figure for the number actually served. Follow the pack’s instructions after opening; Tesco and ASDA specify an airtight container for the conventional packs examined. I plan the number of biscuits offered and want to store the remaining pack as directed.
School provision Establish who provides the snack. The Department for Education’s standards for covered provision in England restrict snacks during the school day, including after-school clubs, while allowing biscuits at lunchtime. I am choosing food for an English school or after-school club, rather than a snack eaten at home.

Common buying mistakes

  • Calling a relatively lower-sugar biscuit ‘reduced sugars’

    Retailer-declared figures can compare the particular packs examined, but their order does not establish a substantiated reduced-sugars claim.

    Compare the exact packs per 100 g and check the purchased pack for any claim rather than assigning one from a small comparison.

  • Assuming free-from means less sugar

    ASDA lists 3.5 g sugars per biscuit for its Free From custard creams and 3.4 g for its conventional 400 g pack. Milk avoidance and sugar comparison answer different questions.

    Check allergen suitability first when relevant, then compare sugars per 100 g and per biscuit for the products you are considering.

  • Applying school snack rules to a biscuit eaten at home

    England’s Department for Education school-food standards concern covered school provision, including after-school clubs; they do not make every after-school snack a school-provided snack.

    Establish who supplies the food and where it is served before applying the school-food requirements.

Brand and product-line references

These figures describe specific listed packs, not every custard cream sold under each brand.

Sainsbury’s

A conventional 200 g custard cream pack for comparing declared sugars.

  • Sainsbury’s lists 26.5 g sugars per 100 g and 3.3 g per biscuit for this pack.
  • Its lower figure than the other four conventional listings examined is not a reduced-sugars claim or a market-wide comparison.

Tesco

A conventional 400 g pack with both per-100 g and per-biscuit figures.

  • Tesco lists 28.3 g sugars per 100 g and 3.4 g per biscuit.
  • The listed ingredients include milk whey; check the current pack if milk must be avoided.

ASDA

Its conventional 400 g custard creams and separately labelled Free From 125 g custard creams address different requirements.

  • ASDA lists 29 g sugars per 100 g for the conventional pack and 3.5 g per biscuit for the Free From pack.
  • The conventional pack contains milk. Free-from labelling should not be treated as a sugar-reduction claim; check the exact pack for allergen suitability.

Crawford’s

A branded conventional custard cream listed by Tesco in a 300 g pack.

  • Tesco lists 30.7 g sugars per 100 g and 3.6 g per biscuit for this pack.
  • The listed recipe includes whey solids from milk; the nutrition figures should not be extended to other Crawford’s recipes.

M&S

Extra Cream Custard Creams are a distinct filling variation.

  • M&S lists 40.2 g sugars per 100 g for its Extra Cream product.
  • That figure applies to the listed variation, not every M&S custard cream; its ingredients include milk.

McVitie’s

Tasties Custard Creams are a branded 300 g listing, not an established reduced-sugars option.

  • The Joybuy listing declares 30.6 g sugars per 100 g for this product.
  • The listed ingredients include milk and wheat; check the current pack for the product you intend to serve.

Joybuy custard cream option

This gluten-free custard cream is an option to examine when choosing a biscuit for an after-school snack; check its current pack separately if milk avoidance is required.

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g pack

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g

For an after-school biscuit where gluten-free labelling matters, compare the current pack’s nutrition and check its ingredients before serving, especially if milk must be avoided.

Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does less sugar than another custard cream mean ‘reduced sugars’?

No. The listed sugars per 100 g let you compare those particular biscuits, but a relative difference in this comparison does not substantiate a reduced-sugars claim for a pack. Check the exact product’s labelling rather than treating the lowest figure as a claim.

Is the ‘of which sugars’ figure the same as free sugars?

No. The label states total sugars; the NHS distinguishes free sugars from sugars naturally present in milk, fruit and vegetables. Use the biscuit’s declared figure to compare labelled portions, not as a direct measurement of its free sugars.

Are milk-free custard creams automatically lower in sugar?

No. ASDA lists 3.5 g sugars per biscuit for its Free From custard creams, compared with 3.4 g for its conventional 400 g pack. Check sugar figures and the current pack’s allergen information as separate parts of the decision.

Can an English school provide custard creams at an after-school club?

For provision covered by England’s current state-funded school-food standards, the Department for Education’s snack restriction includes after-school clubs; the standards distinguish biscuits allowed at lunchtime. This does not govern a parent serving a biscuit at home. The Department for Education says proposed updated standards are subject to Parliamentary approval for September 2027.

How should an opened pack of custard creams be stored?

Follow the purchased pack’s instructions. The examined conventional Tesco and ASDA listings say to keep the biscuits somewhere cool and dry and use an airtight container after opening.