Ginger-biscuit shoppers checking sugars
If ginger flavour matters as much as a sugar-free claim, compare the sugars-per-100 g figure on the particular ginger biscuit, not just the wording on the front of the pack.
Who is choosing an elevenses biscuit?
People counting carbohydrates
A sugars figure is only one part of the nutrition panel. Simpkins lists 63.1 g total carbohydrate per 100 g alongside 0.5 g sugars per 100 g.
Gluten-free ginger-biscuit shoppers
Check gluten suitability and sugars separately. Tesco Free From Ginger Nuts are labelled gluten-free but list 38.2 g sugars per 100 g.
What should you check on the label?
Start with the ginger flavour and sugar claim you need, then compare the nutrition panel and allergen information for that exact biscuit.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read sugars per 100 g. The sugar-free claim criterion in the annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, published by legislation.gov.uk, is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g of food. Traditional Sweets lists Simpkins at 0.5 g; Joybuy lists Gullón Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties at 1.0 g. | I want ginger flavour and need to distinguish a sugar-free claim from a no-added-sugar description. |
| Carbohydrate | Compare total carbohydrate per 100 g and the portion you intend to eat. Traditional Sweets lists 63.1 g carbohydrate per 100 g for Simpkins, including 22.7 g polyols per 100 g. | If I count carbohydrates, the sugars figure alone will not tell me the total carbohydrate in my biscuit portion. |
| Allergens | Read the full on-pack allergen statement. Simpkins lists wheat flour; Joybuy lists milk, oats, soya and wheat for Gullón Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties. | I need to check my own allergen requirements independently of any sugar-related wording. |
| Biscuit type | Check that the product is a ginger biscuit, rather than another biscuit carrying a sugar-free description. Tesco lists its Free From Ginger Nuts as gluten-free and at 38.2 g sugars per 100 g. | For my tea break, ginger flavour matters; a digestive would be a different choice even if its sugar description appealed to me. |
Label mix-ups to avoid
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Treating “no added sugar” as “sugar-free”
The descriptions are not interchangeable: Joybuy lists 1.0 g sugars per 100 g for Gullón Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties, which it describes as having no added sugars.
For a sugar-free claim, compare the pack’s sugars-per-100 g figure with the 0.5 g criterion stated in Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
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Reading “sugar-free” as “carbohydrate-free”
Traditional Sweets lists 63.1 g total carbohydrate per 100 g for Simpkins No Added Sugar Ginger Biscuits, despite listing 0.5 g sugars per 100 g.
If you count carbohydrates, use the total carbohydrate figure and your portion size, rather than the sugar claim alone.
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Using “gluten-free” to judge sugar content
Tesco Free From Ginger Nuts are labelled gluten-free, but Tesco lists 38.2 g sugars per 100 g.
Check the gluten-free claim and the sugars figure as separate parts of your choice.
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Overlooking allergens while comparing sugars
Traditional Sweets lists wheat flour in Simpkins biscuits. Joybuy lists milk, oats, soya and wheat in Gullón Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties.
Use the current pack’s allergen statement to assess the particular biscuit you plan to buy.
Relevant biscuit ranges
Simpkins
Traditional Sweets lists Simpkins No Added Sugar Ginger Biscuits 150 g at 0.5 g sugars per 100 g.
- A ginger-biscuit option at the sugar-free claim criterion stated in Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
- The listing also gives 63.1 g carbohydrate per 100 g and includes wheat flour.
Gullón Zero
Joybuy describes Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties as a no-added-sugars oat ginger biscuit with dark chocolate.
- An option if no-added-sugar wording, oats and chocolate suit the biscuit you want.
- Joybuy lists 1.0 g sugars per 100 g, as well as milk, oats, soya and wheat among the allergens.
McVitie's
McVitie's Ginger Nuts are a conventional ginger-biscuit option.
- Keeps the choice focused on a ginger nut rather than a different biscuit type.
- Sainsbury's lists 28.9 g sugars per 100 g and wheat among the ingredients.
Tesco Free From
Tesco lists its Free From Ginger Nuts 180 g as gluten-free, wheat-free, milk-free and egg-free.
- Addresses a gluten-free ginger-biscuit requirement.
- Tesco lists 38.2 g sugars per 100 g; the ingredients include soya.
Joybuy biscuit option
This sugar-free-labelled digestive is an option for elevenses if you can forgo ginger flavour. It is not a ginger nut.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
A digestive rather than a ginger biscuit, for an elevenses choice where ginger flavour is not essential. The product name describes it as sugar-free; check the pack’s nutrition and allergen information against your requirements.
Common questions
What sugars figure should I check for a sugar-free ginger biscuit?
Check sugars per 100 g: the sugar-free claim criterion in the annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, published by legislation.gov.uk, is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g of food. Read the figure on the particular pack rather than treating “no added sugar” as the same claim.
Does a sugar-free description tell me the total carbohydrate?
No. Traditional Sweets lists 63.1 g carbohydrate per 100 g for Simpkins No Added Sugar Ginger Biscuits alongside 0.5 g sugars per 100 g. Check total carbohydrate and the portion you intend to eat if you count carbohydrates.
Are gluten-free ginger nuts also sugar-free?
Not necessarily. Tesco labels its Free From Ginger Nuts gluten-free but lists 38.2 g sugars per 100 g. Check the gluten-free claim and nutrition panel separately.
Are Gullón Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties sugar-free?
Joybuy describes these oaties as having no added sugars, but lists 1.0 g sugars per 100 g. That is above the 0.5 g-per-100 g sugar-free claim criterion stated in Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.