Shoppers avoiding gluten
Look for an explicit gluten-free label, not just the familiar custard-cream name. Sainsbury's standard Custard Creams list wheat flour and wheat starch.
Who needs which label checks?
Households avoiding both gluten and milk
Check for both claims on the product you intend to buy. Tesco and Sainsbury's list their respective Free From Custard Creams as gluten free and milk free; confirm the current pack when shopping.
Shoppers managing another named allergy
A gluten-free claim does not answer questions about every other allergen. Read the current ingredients and any precautionary allergen wording for the particular person who will eat the biscuits.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the allergen that must be avoided, then check the current pack for any additional requirements. Portion packs and nutrition information can help distinguish suitable options once those checks are made.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for an explicit gluten-free claim and read the current ingredients. The UK Food Standards Agency defines gluten free as no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold. | I need a custard cream labelled gluten free, rather than a conventional one containing wheat flour or wheat starch. |
| Milk avoidance | If milk must also be avoided, check for a separate milk-free claim and read the allergen information. Tesco and Sainsbury's list both claims for their Free From Custard Creams; a lactose-free claim alone does not establish milk-allergy suitability. | Someone in my household avoids milk as well as gluten, so both requirements matter when I choose a pack. |
| Current allergen information | Read the physical pack's ingredients, emphasised allergens and any precautionary wording. Coeliac UK notes that cereals containing gluten must be emphasised in the ingredients list. | For a specific allergy, I need to check the pack I am buying, not rely on a previous purchase or an online description. |
| Pack format and nutrition | Check whether individual packs are useful and compare the stated portion size and nutrition panel if sugars or saturated fat matter to your choice. Tesco lists five 25 g portion packs for Schär Custard Creams. | Individual packs would suit how I carry the biscuits; I also want to compare the nutrition information separately from the free-from claims. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming every custard cream is gluten free
Sainsbury's standard Custard Creams list wheat flour and wheat starch, so the biscuit type alone cannot establish gluten-free suitability.
Choose an explicitly gluten-free product and read its current ingredients.
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Treating gluten free as free from every allergen
A gluten-free claim does not establish whether a biscuit meets a separate milk or other allergen requirement.
Match the pack's claims, ingredients and allergen information to the exact allergen being avoided.
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Relying on an earlier pack or online listing
Product information and formulations can change, making an earlier label or saved listing an unreliable substitute for the pack in hand.
Read the current ingredients, emphasised allergens and any precautionary wording each time you buy.
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Using a free-from claim as a nutrition comparison
A gluten-free or milk-free claim describes an allergen-related characteristic; it does not establish how the biscuit compares for sugars or saturated fat.
If those figures matter to you, compare the nutrition panels using the same basis, such as per 100 g or per serving.
Relevant brand and range references
Tesco Free From
Tesco lists a 125 g Free From Custard Creams pack with gluten-free and milk-free claims.
- The Tesco listing also describes the biscuits as suitable for vegans.
- Check the current pack for any additional allergen requirement; the listed claims do not cover every allergy.
Sainsbury's Free From
Sainsbury's lists a 125 g Free From Custard Creams pack described as gluten and milk free.
- The product listing identifies rice flour and maize flour in the biscuits.
- Check its current nutrition panel separately if sugars or saturated fat affect your choice.
Schär
Schär describes its 125 g Custard Creams as gluten and wheat free.
- Tesco lists the pack as five individual 25 g portions.
- Do not use a lactose-free claim in place of a current-pack check for a milk allergy.
Joybuy product options
This Joybuy option is a portion-packed, gluten-free custard cream for shoppers considering that pack format.
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Schär Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
For shoppers looking for gluten-free custard creams in individual portions, Tesco lists this 125 g Schär pack as five 25 g portion packs. Schär describes the biscuits as gluten and wheat free. Check the current pack's allergen information for any separate milk or other allergy requirement; lactose free is not the same claim as milk free.
Questions about gluten-free custard creams
Does gluten free mean suitable for every food allergy?
No. The UK Food Standards Agency defines gluten free by a limit of no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the food as sold; the claim does not establish that the custard cream is free from milk or another allergen. Check the current pack against the specific allergy.
How can I check a conventional custard cream for gluten-containing ingredients?
Read the current ingredients list and look for emphasised cereals containing gluten. Coeliac UK explains that these cereals must be emphasised in the ingredients list; Sainsbury's standard Custard Creams, for example, list wheat flour and wheat starch.
Which listed custard creams have both gluten-free and milk-free claims?
Tesco Free From and Sainsbury's Free From Custard Creams are listed by their respective retailers as both gluten free and milk free. Check the physical pack before purchase for its current ingredients and allergen information.
Does lactose free mean a custard cream suits someone with a milk allergy?
Do not rely on lactose free alone for a milk allergy: it is not an explicit milk-free claim. Check the current ingredients and milk-allergen information for the person who will eat the biscuits.