If sugar-free custard creams are the priority, do not substitute a Free From pack solely because of its name: Sainsbury’s lists 24.9 g sugars per 100 g for its Free From custard creams, and Asda lists 25 g per 100 g. A biscuit labelled Zero Sugar may offer a different choice, but a sandwich cookie is not a custard cream; check its current nutrition label, ingredients and pack size before buying for a large household.
If the shopping list specifies sugar-free custard creams, start with the sugars figure per 100 g, not the size of the pack or a Free From label. Once a biscuit meets the household’s requirement, its pack size and stated serving information can help you decide how many to buy.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list 125 g Free From custard-cream products with stated dietary exclusions or vegan suitability. Those descriptions address different needs from sugar reduction: Sainsbury’s and Asda publish sugars figures well above the sugar-free claim threshold.
A sugar-free claim does not tell you the total carbohydrate per serving. Diabetes UK notes that polyols, a group of sweeteners, can contribute varying amounts of carbohydrate and calories. Check the particular product’s label and follow the person’s own diabetes-care advice.
Decide whether the requirement is sugar-free, a particular dietary exclusion or simply enough custard creams for the household; each calls for a different label check.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Look for a sugar-free claim and compare the nutrition panel’s sugars figure per 100 g. The sugar-free claim condition published on legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for a solid food; a Free From label does not establish this. | I’m shopping specifically for sugar-free biscuits, so a gluten-free or milk-free custard cream is not an automatic substitute. |
| Carbohydrate and sweeteners | Read total carbohydrate per serving as well as sugars per 100 g, and check the ingredients for sweeteners such as polyols. Diabetes UK notes that polyols vary in the carbohydrate and calories they provide. | For someone managing diabetes, I need the figures for the portion they will eat, not just the claim on the front of the pack. |
| Allergens | Check the current ingredients list and any relevant precautionary allergen statement. GOV.UK says regulated allergens present as ingredients must be emphasised on prepacked-food labels; a precautionary statement addresses a different, potential cross-contamination risk. | If a family member must avoid an ingredient, I’ll read the pack each time rather than rely on a previous purchase. |
| Pack size | Compare pack weights and the label’s serving basis before deciding how many packs cover the shop. Tesco lists a 400 g standard Custard Cream Biscuits pack and a separate 125 g Free From product; pack size says nothing about sugar-free status. | We need enough biscuits for several people, but a larger standard pack does not solve a sugar-free requirement. |
Sainsbury’s 125 g Free From custard creams list 24.9 g sugars per 100 g; Asda’s 125 g version lists 25 g per 100 g. Their dietary-exclusion labels therefore do not answer a sugar-free shopping request.
Choose a Free From pack for its stated suitability only after checking the current label. For sugar-free shopping, check the claim and sugars-per-100 g figure before adding multiple packs.
Diabetes UK notes that polyols can contribute carbohydrate and calories. It also cautions that some sugar-free snacks can affect blood glucose and may have a laxative effect.
Check total carbohydrate, serving size, sweeteners and any pack warnings. Where diabetes management matters, use the person’s individual care advice rather than the sugar-free claim alone.
An earlier purchase or online description may not match the pack being eaten, which matters particularly when someone must avoid an allergen.
Read the current ingredients, emphasised allergens and any relevant precautionary statement on each pack. GOV.UK explains how allergens are identified in prepacked-food ingredient lists.
These are examples of particular custard-cream ranges; a brand name or Free From range does not itself establish that a biscuit is sugar-free.
Tesco lists a 400 g standard Custard Cream Biscuits pack and a separate 125 g Free From Custard Creams pack.
Sainsbury’s lists 125 g Free From Custard Creams alongside standard 200 g Custard Creams.
Asda’s 125 g Free From custard creams are labelled gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
M&S describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as containing vanilla cream and real custard powder.
This sandwich-cookie option is for shoppers willing to consider a biscuit other than custard creams. Its 97 g pack should be assessed against the quantity needed for a large family shop.
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This is a sandwich cookie rather than a custard cream. For a large household, compare the 97 g pack with the quantity you need, and check the current label for sugars per 100 g, total carbohydrate, sweeteners and allergens before buying multiples.
No. Free From can describe exclusions such as gluten or milk rather than sugar. Sainsbury’s lists 24.9 g sugars per 100 g for its Free From custard creams, and Asda lists 25 g per 100 g for its version; check the sugars figure when sugar-free is the requirement.
The sugar-free claim condition published on legislation.gov.uk allows the claim for a solid food containing no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g. Read the current nutrition panel’s per-100 g figure rather than inferring the result from Free From or from a small per-biscuit figure.
No. Diabetes UK notes that polyols can contribute carbohydrate and calories and that sugar-free snacks can still affect blood glucose. Check the product’s total carbohydrate, portion size and ingredients, alongside the person’s individual diabetes-care advice.
Read the current pack’s full ingredients list, emphasised allergens and any relevant precautionary allergen statement. GOV.UK says regulated allergens present as ingredients must be emphasised on prepacked-food labels; checking the pack matters even when the household has bought the product before.
Follow the instructions on that pack. For its standard Custard Creams, Sainsbury’s says to store the biscuits in an airtight container once opened for best quality.