Hosts comparing sugar
If crackers will sit alongside sweet toppings, comparing the crackers’ total sugars per 100g gives you a consistent starting point. Check the topping separately.
Who is choosing crackers?
Hosts serving guests with dietary requirements
A guest who needs a gluten-free option or must avoid an allergen needs a suitable product first. Read the current pack before adding it to a shared platter.
Cheese-and-topping platter planners
Plain crackers can provide a base for several toppings, while a flavoured biscuit changes the pairing. Compare the nutrition and allergen information for the particular varieties you plan to serve.
What should you check before buying?
Start with any guest’s dietary requirements, then compare the eligible crackers’ labels on the same per-100g basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced-sugar claim | Look for the claim on the pack and the similar product used for comparison. The reduced-nutrient claim on legislation.gov.uk requires a reduction of at least 30%. | I want to know whether ‘reduced sugar’ is an actual comparison claim, rather than a description based on savoury flavour. |
| Total sugars | Use total sugars per 100g when comparing similar crackers; per-piece values can reflect different piece sizes. Check sweet toppings separately. | Before adding jam or chutney, I want to compare the crackers themselves on a consistent basis. |
| Allergens and gluten | Read the current pack’s ingredients, allergen statement and any precautionary wording. Check a gluten-free designation where a guest requires one. | A guest needs a cracker that meets their particular dietary requirements, with its own serving space and utensils if needed. |
| Toppings and flavour | Decide whether a plain base or a flavoured biscuit suits the toppings. Compare each variety’s label rather than treating a selection pack as one recipe. | For several cheeses and spreads, I would choose the cracker and toppings together rather than assume every biscuit in a mixed pack works the same way. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Taking a small per-cracker figure as a reduced-sugar claim
Piece sizes differ, so that figure is not a consistent way to compare packs. Legislation.gov.uk sets a separate requirement for a reduced-nutrient claim: at least 30% less than a similar product.
Compare total sugars per 100g for similar crackers, and check the current pack for the claim and its comparison basis.
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Assuming gluten-free also means less sugar
Gluten suitability and total sugars answer different questions. A gluten-free designation does not establish how its sugar figure compares with another cracker.
Meet the guest’s gluten-free requirement first, then compare the nutrition panels of suitable options.
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Treating a selection pack as one cracker recipe
Sainsbury’s describes its Biscuits for Cheese Selection as containing 10 varieties, so one variety’s label should not be assumed to describe every piece.
Check the information for each variety you intend to serve, or choose a separately labelled cracker when you want to compare one recipe.
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Using an older listing for a guest’s allergen check
Allergen declarations and precautionary statements are product-specific. An online description is not a substitute for checking the pack you will serve.
Read that pack before preparing the platter, and keep products and utensils separate where a guest’s requirements call for it.
Brand references for the tea table
These references concern particular listed products, not every cracker made by each brand.
Jacob's
Original Cream Crackers are presented as a plain base for toppings; a separate High Fibre variety contains added fibre and wheat bran.
- Sainsbury’s lists 0.6g sugars per 100g for the specific Original Cream Crackers 200g pack.
- The checked cream-cracker listings contain wheat. Check the exact variant and current pack for guests avoiding it.
Carr's
Table Water Crackers are described as a simple-flavoured base for toppings.
- The plain style may suit a platter with several cheeses or spreads.
- The checked 125g product contains wheat and carries a precautionary sesame statement; read the current pack for the variety being served.
Ritz
Original Crackers are presented for sharing with cheese, spreads and dips.
- The round cracker format offers another serving choice when its flavour suits the toppings.
- Tesco Groceries lists 8.5g total sugars per 100g for Ritz Original Crackers 150g; its ingredients include sugar and glucose-fructose syrup.
Sainsbury's
The checked own-label range includes a specifically described gluten-free cracker and a mixed selection for cheese.
- The Free From Crackers listing describes a gluten-free product for hosts who need that designation.
- The Biscuits for Cheese Selection contains different varieties; check the information for each one rather than assuming they share a nutrition profile.
Joybuy crackers and biscuit options
These options include plain crackers, gluten-free oatcakes and crispbread, and a digestive biscuit. They serve different places on an afternoon-tea table, so compare the current labels before choosing.
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Jacob's Cream Crackers 300g
A plain cream cracker to consider when serving a choice of toppings. This product contains wheat; check its own pack for the sugar figure rather than using one from a different pack size.
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Nairn's Gluten Free Cheese Oatcakes 180g
These cheese oatcakes offer a gluten-free-labelled option for a savoury platter. Check the current milk and oat information for guests with additional dietary requirements, and compare the pack’s total sugars per 100g separately.
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Carr's Table Water Biscuits 125g
A simply flavoured table water biscuit for cheese or spreads. It contains wheat and may contain sesame; use the current pack to check its nutrition and allergen declarations.
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Schar Gluten Free Crispbread 150g
This gluten-free-labelled crispbread is an alternative base for toppings. Check the current pack’s soy precautionary information if a guest needs to avoid soy, and assess sugar using its own per-100g panel.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
A digestive biscuit rather than a plain savoury cracker, so consider it separately when planning toppings. It contains wheat; read the current pack for its sweeteners, nutrition information and warning about excessive consumption.
Common questions
Does a savoury cracker count as reduced sugar?
No: flavour alone does not establish a reduced-sugar claim. The reduced-nutrient claim set out on legislation.gov.uk requires at least 30% less than a similar product, so check the claim and its comparison basis on the pack.
How can I compare sugar figures on cracker packs?
Compare total sugars per 100g for similar crackers, rather than relying on figures per piece. For specific listed packs, Sainsbury’s gives 0.6g per 100g for Jacob's Original Cream Crackers 200g, while Tesco Groceries gives 8.5g per 100g for Ritz Original Crackers 150g; those different styles do not, by themselves, establish a reduced-sugar claim.
Is a gluten-free cracker necessarily lower in sugar?
No. A gluten-free designation addresses a different requirement from the amount of sugar in the product. Choose a cracker that meets the guest’s dietary needs, then use the eligible products’ per-100g nutrition panels to compare sugars.
What should I check before serving crackers to guests with allergies?
Read the allergen and precautionary statements on the current physical packs, and ask guests about their particular requirements. The checked cracker examples differ in their wheat and sesame information; keep products and serving utensils separate where needed.