Meeting refreshment organisers
Compare sugars on the same per-100g basis, then consider whether the crackers suit the toppings and how they will be served.
Who is choosing the crackers?
Hosts accommodating food allergies
Check the exact cracker packs and toppings you plan to serve, and keep their ingredient and allergen information available to guests.
What should you check?
Start with the nutrition panel for a like-for-like sugar comparison, then check salt, ingredients and serving format for the meeting you are arranging.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | Compare total sugars per 100g, not just a per-cracker figure. The NHS low-sugar benchmark for food is 5g or less per 100g. | I want to compare packs fairly, even when the crackers differ in size or look savoury. |
| Salt and other values | Read salt per 100g separately. Tesco lists 0.83g per 100g for its Cream Crackers 300g, while ASDA Groceries lists 1.5g per 100g for Carr's Table Water Crackers 125g. Check energy and saturated fat separately if relevant. | A low sugar figure alone does not tell me which pack fits the other nutrition preferences at this meeting. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Read the ingredients, allergen statements and precautionary warnings on the exact packs served. Check toppings separately; a vegan statement does not establish allergen suitability. | Guests may need information about both the crackers and what is served with them. |
| Serving format | Match cracker size and style to the toppings. For planning quantities, ASDA Groceries describes approximately 36 biscuits in the Carr's Table Water Crackers 125g pack; follow the opened-pack storage instructions on the product you use. | For a topping station, I need crackers guests can serve easily and a practical way to store any opened packs. |
Common selection mistakes
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Calling a low-sugar cracker ‘reduced sugar’
A low total-sugars figure describes the pack as it is; it does not show a reduction against a comparable cracker or an earlier recipe.
Use the pack’s total-sugars figure per 100g. If you use ‘low in sugar’, check it against the NHS benchmark of 5g or less per 100g for food.
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Assuming low sugar also means low salt
Crackers that meet the NHS low-sugar benchmark can have different listed salt values; ASDA Groceries lists 1.5g salt per 100g for Carr's Table Water Crackers 125g.
Compare salt separately, using the same per-100g basis across packs.
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Checking crackers but not toppings
The cracker and topping each bring their own ingredients and allergen information. A sugar figure cannot establish whether either suits a guest’s restriction.
Check the packaging for everything served and keep that information available; arrange an appropriate alternative when a guest identifies a restriction.
Brand and product-line references
These figures describe the named packs, not every cracker made by each brand.
Jacob's
Original Cream Crackers 300g provide a plain base for toppings.
- ASDA Groceries lists 0.6g sugars per 100g for this pack.
- The listed salt figure is 1.3g per 100g, and the crackers contain wheat.
Carr's
Table Water Crackers 125g are smaller crackers to consider for a topping station.
- ASDA Groceries lists 1.5g sugars per 100g and approximately 36 biscuits per pack.
- The pack lists 1.5g salt per 100g, contains wheat and may contain sesame.
Tesco
Cream Crackers 300g are a plain own-label option.
- Tesco lists 1.3g sugars and 0.83g salt per 100g for this pack.
- The crackers contain wheat; check the pack and any toppings for guests’ requirements.
Sainsbury's
Cream Cracker 300g is another plain cracker to compare by its label.
- Sainsbury's lists 1.1g sugars per 100g for this pack.
- It lists 1.34g salt per 100g. Its allergy advice also says it is unsuitable for customers with allergies to milk, rye, barley or oats because of manufacturing methods.
Asda
Classic Cream Crackers 300g and Multigrain Crackers 185g are distinct packs with different ingredients and sugar figures.
- ASDA Groceries lists 1.5g sugars per 100g for the Classic Cream Crackers and 3.8g per 100g for the Multigrain Crackers.
- The Multigrain Crackers list glucose syrup and sugar among their ingredients, along with sulphites; ‘multigrain’ does not describe their sugar content.
Ritz
Original Crackers Box 150g offers a flavoured sharing style rather than a plain topping base.
- Consider the style when guests want flavoured crackers to eat on their own.
- ASDA Groceries lists 8.5g total sugars per 100g, above the NHS low-sugar benchmark. The pack contains wheat and may contain milk.
Joybuy product options
These options include plain cream crackers for a topping station, a flavoured cracker and sweet biscuits better considered separately from savoury crackers. Compare the exact pack labels before deciding what to serve.
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Jacobs Cream Crackers 300g
Plain cream crackers to consider when setting out several toppings. Joybuy lists 0.6g sugars and 1.3g salt per 100g for this 300g pack; check the actual packaging for ingredients and allergens.
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Jacobs Cream Crackers Twin Pack 2x200g
The 2x200g format offers two packs of plain cream crackers for a meeting topping station. Check this twin pack’s own nutrition and allergen label rather than applying figures from the 300g pack.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
These are digestive biscuits, not plain savoury crackers. If you are serving biscuits alongside meeting refreshments, check this pack’s nutrition panel, ingredients and allergen warnings separately from your cracker choices.
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Jacob's Bites Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream Crackers 125g
The sweet chilli and sour cream flavour makes these 125g crackers an option to serve on their own rather than as a neutral base for toppings. Check the pack’s sugars per 100g and allergen information before serving.
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Gullon Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties 285g
The dark chocolate and ginger flavour makes these 285g oat biscuits a separate sweet refreshment, not a plain cracker for savoury toppings. Check the product label for its nutrition values, ingredients and allergen warnings.
Questions about serving crackers
Does ‘low sugar’ mean a cracker’s sugar content has been reduced?
No. The NHS low-sugar benchmark describes food with 5g or less of total sugars per 100g; it does not establish a reduction against another product or recipe. Use the exact pack’s per-100g figure when comparing options for the meeting.
What should I check if a guest has a food allergy?
Check the actual cracker and topping packaging, including ingredients and precautionary allergen warnings, and keep that information available to guests. Do not treat a low-sugar figure or a vegan statement as confirmation that a product is suitable for a particular allergy.
How should I store crackers opened before the meeting?
Follow the instructions on the pack you serve. Tesco’s Cream Crackers 300g, for example, instructs customers to store the crackers in an airtight container once opened.