Information › Ingredients › Sweeteners
Sweeteners: what they are and where they are in Dutch supermarket food
Updated on 4 November 2026
At a glance
- Kind
- Ingredient, not an allergen
- Also as
- zoetstof, aspartaam, sucralose, acesulfaam, E95…
- Without sweeteners
- 38,864 products
- Contain it
- 3,060 products
- Supermarkets
- AH, Jumbo, PLUS, Dirk and Hoogvliet
What are sweeteners?
Sweeteners sweeten with few or no calories: aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame-K, steviol glycosides. You find them mostly in light and zero products.
Recognise
On a Dutch label as
- zoetstof
- aspartaam
- sucralose
- acesulfaam
- E95
- E96
May also be it
- steviol glycosides (E960)
- polyols such as maltitol and sorbitol
Not sweeteners
- sugar
- honey
We look for these Dutch words in the ingredient list itself, also between brackets. If in doubt, read the pack.
Shopping
Per shelf where sweeteners are common (the shops’ own Dutch shelf names)
Examples without sweeteners
- Vifit Drinkyoghurt perzikVifit · 500 mlDirk € 1,39Hoogvliet € 1,39Albert Heijn € 1,59Jumbo € 1,59PLUS € 1,59Contains: Cow's milk, Lactose, Milk
- Mogu Mogu BlackcurrantMogu Mogu · 320 mlDirk € 1,79Hoogvliet € 1,79Albert Heijn € 1,85Jumbo € 1,85PLUS € 1,85No allergens listed
- Appelsientje SinaasappelsapAppelsientje · 1 literDirk € 2,85Hoogvliet € 2,85Albert Heijn € 2,99Jumbo € 2,99PLUS € 2,99No allergens listed
- Schär Salinis glutenvrijSchär · 60 gDirk € 1,35Albert Heijn € 1,39Jumbo € 1,39Hoogvliet € 1,39PLUS € 1,39Contains: SoyMay contain traces: Sesame
- Taksi Tropisch fruitTaksi · 300 mlDirk € 0,95Hoogvliet € 0,98Albert Heijn € 0,99Jumbo € 0,99PLUS € 0,99Contains: Cow's milk, Lactose, Milk
- Innocent Super smoothie berry energiseInnocent · 300 mlDirk € 2,69Hoogvliet € 2,77Albert Heijn € 2,79Jumbo € 2,79 1+1PLUS € 2,79No allergens listed
All 38,864 products without sweeteners (in Dutch)
Which supermarket has the most without?
On the shelves where sweeteners are common: the share of products without it.
- Jumbo60%340 of 566
- Albert Heijn56%450 of 807
- Hoogvliet52%250 of 481
- Dirk52%315 of 607
- PLUS48%535 of 1,118
Brands without sweeteners
On the shelves where sweeteners are common, none of their products names it.
- innocent 23
- Schär 22
- Smaakt 21
- Almhof 20
- Biotoday 17
- Upfront 15
- Kuhne 15
- Oasis 13
- Danio 13
- Alpro 13
- Zonnatura 12
- Kühne 11
What to look for in the shop
- Read the ingredient list: it is there by its Dutch name or its E number, the same in every language.
- Watch compound ingredients between brackets: it is sometimes in there.
Good to know
Recently without sweeteners (7)These products named sweeteners on an earlier label, and no longer do.
What are sweeteners mostly in?Most often in the shelves ‘Frisdranken’ (72% contains it), ‘Cola’ (72% contains it) and ‘Vruchtensappen’ (40% contains it).
Most often in the shelves ‘Frisdranken’ (72% contains it), ‘Cola’ (72% contains it) and ‘Vruchtensappen’ (40% contains it). There is choice without it there too: 63 products on ‘Frisdranken’, for example.
How do sweeteners read on a Dutch label?As zoetstof, aspartaam, sucralose, acesulfaam, E95 and E96.
As zoetstof, aspartaam, sucralose, acesulfaam, E95 and E96. We look for those words in the ingredient list itself, also in compound ingredients between brackets.
How many products contain sweeteners?3,060 of the 41,924 products with an ingredient list, about 7%.
3,060 of the 41,924 products with an ingredient list, about 7%. The other 38,864 do not name it.
Which supermarket has the most products without sweeteners?On the shelves where sweeteners are common: Jumbo (60% without), Albert Heijn (56% without), Hoogvliet (52% without), Dirk (52% without) and PLUS (48% without).
On the shelves where sweeteners are common: Jumbo (60% without), Albert Heijn (56% without), Hoogvliet (52% without), Dirk (52% without) and PLUS (48% without).
A choice of your own, not an allergy
Sweeteners are not an allergen: whether you eat or use them is up to you. We show what the ingredient list says, so you can choose. Recipes change: if in doubt, the pack in your hand decides.
More ingredients under Ingredients; allergens under Allergies.
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