Do not assume that an ordinary or Free From custard cream is sugar-free: the Tesco and Sainsbury’s packs described below contain more sugars per 100 g than the 0.5 g limit for a sugar-free claim in Great Britain. If that limit matters for your night-shift snack, a labelled sugar-free sandwich biscuit or vanilla wafer is a different kind of biscuit to consider; if you want a custard cream specifically, check the current pack’s sugars declaration rather than treating a substitute as the same product.
If you are packing a biscuit for a work break, check the sugars declaration on the pack you will buy. In Great Britain, the sugar-free claim has a limit of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g, as set out in the legislation published by legislation.gov.uk. A biscuit can be part of a break without standing in for a meal; the British Dietetic Association’s shift-work guidance also discusses drinks and lighter meals during night shifts.
If the filled-biscuit format matters more than an exact custard-cream flavour, compare the filling and biscuit before switching. The sugar-free sandwich biscuits and vanilla wafer described here differ from a conventional custard cream in flavour or texture.
Decide whether sugar-free is a firm requirement before comparing flavours. Then check the particular pack for its sugars declaration, portion information and ingredients.
Consider it: when meeting the sugar-free requirement matters more than buying a custard cream.
Trade-off: the checked Diablo vanilla-and-cocoa combinations and OREO chocolate biscuit with vanilla filling are different flavours from a custard cream.
Consider it: when vanilla filling appeals but a wafer texture is acceptable.
Trade-off: the Siro product listed by Sainsbury’s is a wafer, not a custard cream.
Consider it: when you want a custard cream and are willing to set aside the sugar-free requirement.
Trade-off: Tesco’s listed 400 g custard creams contain 28.3 g of sugars per 100 g, so they are not a sugar-free alternative.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Read sugars per 100 g, not just the product name. For a sugar-free claim in Great Britain, legislation published by legislation.gov.uk sets a limit of 0.5 g per 100 g; check a Free From claim separately. | I want a biscuit that meets the sugar-free requirement, rather than one that is free from gluten or milk. Tesco lists 19.9 g of sugars per 100 g for its 125 g Free From custard creams; Sainsbury’s lists 24.9 g per 100 g for its Free From pack. |
| Break-time portion | Compare sugars per biscuit as well as per 100 g when a serving figure is given. Tesco’s listed 400 g custard creams give 3.4 g of sugars per biscuit. | For a night break, I’d like to know what the portion I pack contains. The British Dietetic Association’s shift-work guidance discusses taking breaks with drinks and lighter meals or snacks. |
| Ingredients | Check allergens, sweeteners and any pack warning on the exact substitute. Diablo lists wheat, milk and soya for its 44 g vanilla-filled cocoa sandwich biscuits; Sainsbury’s Siro wafer listing gives 31 g of polyols per 100 g and warns about excessive consumption. | A sugar-free label does not tell me whether a biscuit contains an ingredient I need to avoid or a sweetener I want to check. |
| Flavour and format | Compare the biscuit, filling and texture, not just the sugar-free wording. Diablo’s listed variants pair cocoa and vanilla in different ways, while the listed Siro product is a vanilla wafer. | I’m happy to switch snacks only if the flavour and texture work for my break; a wafer or cocoa sandwich biscuit is not a custard cream. |
Tesco’s listed Free From custard creams are described as gluten- and milk-free but contain 19.9 g of sugars per 100 g. Sainsbury’s listed Free From pack contains 24.9 g per 100 g.
Check what the Free From wording refers to, then read sugars per 100 g on the pack.
The checked sugar-free alternatives include cocoa sandwich biscuits and a vanilla wafer. The OREO and Siro listings also carry warnings that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects.
Compare the flavour and texture, and read the sweetener, allergen and warning information on the product you choose.
Joybuy’s McVitie’s Tasties custard-cream listing gives 30.6 g of sugars per 100 g and states that the listed product is no longer available.
Check both the current product information and its sugars declaration before relying on a listing for your purchase.
These examples show why a familiar name or Free From range is not, by itself, a sugar-free claim.
Joybuy’s listing identifies a 300 g McVitie’s Tasties custard-cream pack.
Tesco lists a 300 g Crawford’s custard-cream pack.
Tesco lists both conventional custard creams and a separate Free From pack.
Sainsbury’s lists Free From vanilla-flavour custard creams.
ASDA lists a 400 g pack of conventional custard creams.
M&S lists Extra Cream Custard Creams.
Diablo lists sugar-free cream-sandwich biscuits as substitutes, not custard creams.
This Joybuy option is a sandwich-biscuit substitute for a night-shift snack, not a custard cream. Check its current pack details against your sugar-free requirement before buying.
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For a night-shift break, this is a sandwich-biscuit option rather than a custard cream. The product name identifies a 97 g pack; check the current sugars-per-100 g declaration and ingredients if sugar-free status or allergens determine your choice.
No. Free From refers to the ingredients or allergens specified on that pack, not automatically to sugars. Tesco describes its listed 125 g Free From custard creams as gluten- and milk-free and gives 19.9 g of sugars per 100 g.
No. Sugar-free describes sugar content, not an absence of sweeteners or calories. Diablo lists maltitol as a sweetener for its 44 g vanilla-filled cocoa sandwich biscuits; read the nutrition and ingredients information for the specific pack.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you buy. For its listed 400 g custard creams, Tesco says to store them in a cool, dry place and use an airtight container once opened.
No. The Department for Education’s school-food guidance concerns food and drink provided to pupils in state-funded schools in England, not an adult’s work snack. The Department of Health and Social Care’s England-specific HFSS guidance concerns qualifying retail promotions and placement; a biscuit’s category alone does not establish its classification under those rules.