For a sugar-free afternoon snack, check for no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g—the sugar-free claim threshold published on legislation.gov.uk; ASDA Groceries lists Gullón Zero Original below that level. Choose plain if you do not want a chocolate coating, or check the exact nutrition and allergens of a sugar-free-labelled coated version if chocolate matters. Sugar-free does not mean carbohydrate-free: ASDA Groceries lists 9.0 g carbohydrate per 13.3 g Gullón Zero Original biscuit.
If sugar-free is a firm requirement for your afternoon biscuit, check the sugars figure on the exact pack. An ordinary digestive—or one described only as having no added sugar—is not automatically sugar-free.
The sugars figure alone does not describe the whole portion. If total carbohydrate matters to your snack choice, compare the per-biscuit amount as well as the serving size.
A sugar-free-labelled coated biscuit offers a different flavour and ingredient list from a plain one. Check the coated variant’s own nutrition and allergen information rather than treating the two as interchangeable.
Start with sugars per 100 g, then compare the portion information, ingredients and coating on the exact biscuit you intend to buy.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Check sugars per 100 g against the 0.5 g limit for a sugar-free claim published on legislation.gov.uk. “No added sugar” has a different definition. ASDA Groceries lists Gullón Zero Original at less than 0.5 g per 100 g, but its own standard digestives at 16 g. | I want a digestive that meets my sugar-free requirement, not a standard biscuit with a similar name or appearance. |
| Snack portion | Compare total carbohydrate and the stated biscuit size. ASDA Groceries lists 9.0 g carbohydrate per 13.3 g Gullón Zero Original biscuit; Joybuy lists 430 kcal per 100 g for the same 400 g product. | For an afternoon portion, I want to know what one biscuit contributes beyond its sugars figure. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the supplied pack for sweeteners, allergens and warnings. Joybuy lists isomalt, maltitol and wheat for Gullón Zero Original, with possible milk and soya; Morrisons lists milk and wheat, with possible nuts and soya, for the dark-chocolate version. | If an ingredient or allergen matters to me, I need the information for the exact plain or coated variant. Both retailer listings carry an excessive-consumption warning. |
| Plain or coated | Check whether the biscuit has a coating and compare each variant’s own nutrition. Morrisons describes the 270 g Zero Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Digestives as having a 24% sugar-free dark-chocolate coating; that does not establish the same carbohydrate or energy values as the plain biscuit. | I would choose plain to avoid a coating, or consider the coated biscuit when chocolate flavour matters alongside a sugar-free description. |
Retailer listings give different sugars figures for conventional and sugar-free digestives. For example, Tesco Groceries lists 14.6 g sugars per 100 g for Tesco Digestives, while ASDA Groceries lists less than 0.5 g per 100 g for Gullón Zero Original.
Compare sugars per 100 g on the exact product rather than relying on the biscuit name or shelf position.
ASDA Groceries lists 9.0 g carbohydrate per 13.3 g Gullón Zero Original biscuit. Its listing also carries an excessive-consumption laxative-effect warning.
Use the per-biscuit information when choosing a portion, and heed the warning on the pack.
The checked plain Gullón Zero Original contains wheat and may contain milk or soya. Morrisons lists milk and wheat in the dark-chocolate version, with possible nuts or soya.
Read the supplied pack for the particular variant, especially when buying for someone with an allergy.
These product listings help distinguish sugar-free digestives from conventional alternatives; a brand’s inclusion here does not mean every biscuit it makes is sugar-free.
The Original 400 g and dark-chocolate 270 g digestives are listed as sugar-free by ASDA Groceries and Morrisons respectively.
Original Digestives are a conventional-biscuit comparison, not a sugar-free selection.
Tesco Digestives 400 g provide an own-brand conventional comparison.
Asda lists both its own conventional digestives and the separately branded Gullón Zero Original.
Sainsbury's Digestives 400 g are another conventional-biscuit comparison.
M&S Digestive Biscuits 400 g are a conventional option containing demerara sugar.
Crawford's Digestives 400 g are a conventional comparison.
This Joybuy option is a plain digestive for shoppers who want a sugar-free afternoon biscuit without a chocolate coating.
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A plain, uncoated option for a sugar-free afternoon biscuit. The Joybuy listing states less than 0.5 g sugars and 68 g carbohydrate per 100 g; ASDA Groceries lists 9.0 g carbohydrate per 13.3 g biscuit. It contains wheat and the sweeteners isomalt and maltitol, may contain milk or soya, and carries an excessive-consumption laxative-effect warning.
No. The nutrition-claim definitions published on legislation.gov.uk set a limit of 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for a food described as sugar-free. “No added sugar” instead concerns whether sugars or foods used for sweetening have been added. Check the product’s sugars per 100 g if sugar-free is your requirement.
No. ASDA Groceries lists 9.0 g carbohydrate in a 13.3 g Gullón Zero Original biscuit. University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust’s snack guidance advises looking at total carbohydrate and portion size when these matter to your food choices.
No. The listed Gullón Zero Original contains wheat and may contain milk or soya; Morrisons lists milk and wheat in its Zero Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Digestives, with possible nuts or soya. Read the supplied pack for the exact variant before eating it.
A sugar-free label does not exempt biscuits from England’s school-food category rule. For food covered by the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014, Schedule 4 says biscuits must not be provided otherwise than as part of a school lunch. Department for Education guidance dated 14 September 2026 describes changes proposed for September 2027 as subject to Parliamentary approval, not as rules already in force.
They are ready to eat. The ASDA Groceries listing says to keep the pack cool and dry, away from sunlight, and to close it after opening.