Do not describe an ordinary or Free From bourbon as sugar-free: the checked examples exceed the sugar-free claim limit of 0.5 g sugars per 100 g set out by legislation.gov.uk. If guests can accept a different biscuit, Diablo lists a cocoa sandwich biscuit with vanilla filling at 0.4 g sugars per 100 g; check the delivered pack and buffet allergen information before serving it. Keep conventional bourbons separate for guests who want that format without a sugar-free claim.
You need to check the sugar-free claim, the serving format and the allergen information before putting a biscuit on a self-service buffet. A biscuit that looks like a bourbon does not necessarily meet the requested sugar condition.
You may need to distinguish sugar-free from no added sugar and Free From wording. Total carbohydrate is a separate figure to check on the nutrition label.
You need information for the exact biscuit being served, as well as the hotel’s serving arrangement. The checked Diablo sandwich biscuits declare wheat, milk and soya; sugar-free does not mean allergen-free.
Decide whether the sugar-free claim or the bourbon format is essential, then check the exact product’s nutrition, ingredients and serving arrangements. Legislation.gov.uk sets the sugar-free claim limit at no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g of food; the Department of Health and Social Care notes that nutrition-law arrangements differ between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Check sugars per 100 g on the delivered pack against the 0.5 g claim limit set out by legislation.gov.uk. Neither no added sugar nor Free From wording establishes that figure. | I need a biscuit the hotel can accurately describe as sugar-free, rather than one whose name merely suggests less sugar. |
| Bourbon format | Check both the outer biscuit and filling. Diablo’s 176 g extra-dark cocoa sandwich biscuit has vanilla filling; its vanilla sandwich biscuit has cocoa filling. Neither is identified as a bourbon. | If the familiar cocoa-biscuit-and-filling format matters more than a sugar-free claim, I want a conventional bourbon offered under its own description. |
| Serving format | Confirm the supplied pack and how portions will be presented. Diablo describes its checked 176 g sandwich biscuits as individually wrapped two-packs. | For self-service breakfast, I want guests and staff to be able to identify the biscuit being offered. |
| Allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen information; the checked Diablo biscuits declare wheat, milk and soya. Assess how biscuits are served alongside other foods. The Food Standards Agency says allergen information must be provided for prepacked and non-prepacked food. | I need to know what is in the biscuit and how it is served, particularly if I must avoid an ingredient. |
| Carbohydrate | Read total carbohydrate separately from sugars. Diablo lists 66 g carbohydrate per 100 g for its extra-dark cocoa sandwich biscuit, alongside 0.4 g sugars per 100 g. | A sugar-free label alone does not answer my question about the biscuit’s total carbohydrate. |
| Other dietary requirements | Check Free From products against the requirement they are intended to meet. Tesco’s checked Free From bourbon lists 21.9 g sugars per 100 g; Asda’s lists 18 g per 100 g. | If I am looking for a biscuit without a particular allergen, I still need its sugar figure checked separately. |
Joybuy’s Gullón Zero Cookies and Cream listing gives 2.4 g sugars per 100 g, while Gullón’s UK page also uses sugar-free wording. The listed figure exceeds the 0.5 g-per-100 g sugar-free claim limit set out by legislation.gov.uk.
Check the sugars-per-100 g figure on the exact delivered product before using a sugar-free buffet label.
Free From addresses a different dietary requirement. The checked Tesco and Asda Free From bourbons list 21.9 g and 18 g sugars per 100 g respectively.
Describe each biscuit according to its actual ingredients and nutrition rather than treating an allergen-related label as a sugar claim.
The checked Diablo sandwich biscuits declare wheat, milk and soya. Diablo lists 66 g total carbohydrate per 100 g for its extra-dark cocoa sandwich biscuit, despite its 0.4 g sugars per 100 g.
Make the exact pack’s ingredient, allergen and nutrition information available, and consider how the biscuit will be served on a shared buffet.
These named products illustrate why biscuit format, sugar figures and Free From claims need separate checks; they are not all sugar-free options.
Diablo lists two 176 g sugar-free sandwich-biscuit formats that differ in their outer biscuit and filling.
Gullón’s Zero Cookies and Cream is a cocoa sandwich-biscuit option labelled no added sugar.
Tesco Free From Bourbon Creams address a different dietary requirement from sugar-free selection.
Sainsbury’s Bourbon is a conventional bourbon comparator when that biscuit format is the priority.
Asda lists both a conventional bourbon and a Free From bourbon.
M&S Extra Cream Bourbon Creams retain the conventional bourbon format.
Waitrose Essential Bourbon Creams are another conventional bourbon reference.
This sandwich cookie is an option to examine if a different format from a bourbon is acceptable. Check its delivered nutrition and allergen label before describing it to buffet guests as sugar-free.
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A 97g sandwich-cookie option to consider for the buffet instead of a bourbon. Check the delivered pack’s sugars per 100 g, ingredients and serving format before making a buffet claim.
No. Free From describes a different dietary characteristic. The checked Tesco and Asda Free From bourbons list 21.9 g and 18 g sugars per 100 g respectively, above the 0.5 g-per-100 g sugar-free claim limit set out by legislation.gov.uk.
Not on the strength of no-added-sugar wording alone. Legislation.gov.uk sets a sugar-free claim limit of no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g of food. Joybuy’s checked Gullón Zero Cookies and Cream listing gives 2.4 g per 100 g, so that listing does not establish a sugar-free claim; check the delivered product and the rules applicable to the hotel’s location.
No. Diablo lists 66 g total carbohydrate per 100 g for its extra-dark cocoa sandwich biscuit alongside 0.4 g sugars per 100 g. Read both figures on the exact biscuit’s nutrition label rather than using its sugar claim to describe its total carbohydrate.
Keep the biscuit’s identity and allergen information available and assess the serving arrangement for cross-contact. Diablo describes its checked 176 g sandwich biscuits as individually wrapped two-packs, but wrapping does not replace the need for allergen information appropriate to how the food is supplied. The Food Standards Agency says businesses must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food.
Follow the delivered biscuit pack’s storage and best-before instructions. The checked Sainsbury’s bourbon specifies cool, dry storage, but its instruction should not be assumed to apply to another product.