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McVitie's Jaffa Cake nutrition: sugar, calories, saturated fat, fibre and more
How much sugar is in McVitie's Jaffa Cake? Each biscuit weighs 12g and contains 6.7g of free sugar. It is moderate in sugar compared with the highest-sugar biscuits, and is made from refined flour.
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Sugar, calories and saturated fat by portion
The figures below show total sugar, calories and saturated fat for one to four biscuits, and for the full pack.
Single biscuit
1 biscuit
1 biscuit (12g)
6.7g
sugar
46
kcal
0.3g
sat fat
6.7g free sugar. 28% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
2 biscuits
2 biscuits
2 biscuits (24g)
13.4g
sugar
92
kcal
0.6g
sat fat
13.4g free sugar. 56% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
3 biscuits
3 biscuits
3 biscuits (36g)
20.1g
sugar
138
kcal
0.9g
sat fat
20.1g free sugar. 84% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
4 biscuits
4 biscuits
4 biscuits (48g)
26.8g
sugar
184
kcal
1.2g
sat fat
26.8g free sugar. 112% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
Full pack
Full pack (24 biscuits)
288g entire pack
160.8g
sugar
1104
kcal
7.2g
sat fat
160.8g free sugar in the full pack. 536% of the adult daily limit of 30g.
Sugar
McVitie's Jaffa Cake contains 6.7g of free sugar per biscuit. Each biscuit weighs 12g. Three biscuits deliver 20.1g of free sugar and 138 calories. The Jaffa Cake is legally classified as a cake, not a biscuit, for VAT purposes, though it is universally sold in the biscuit aisle. At 0.3g of saturated fat per piece, it has the lowest saturated fat of any chocolate-containing biscuit in this guide.
All added sugar in Jaffa Cake counts as free sugar under NHS guidelines. Sugar from jam, chocolate, caramel, fondant or iced toppings all counts in the same way as sugar added to the biscuit dough itself.
At 6.7g per biscuit, Jaffa Cake is moderate in sugar. Three biscuits deliver 20.1g of free sugar, which is 84% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
Moderate in sugar with 84 percent of the daily limit from three biscuits
McVitie's Jaffa Cake contains 6.7g of free sugar per biscuit (12g). Three biscuits deliver 20.1g of free sugar, 84 percent of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10 and 106 percent for a child aged 4 to 6. The Jaffa Cake is legally classified as a cake, not a biscuit, for VAT purposes, though it is universally sold in the biscuit aisle. At 0.3g of saturated fat per piece, it has the lowest saturated fat of any chocolate-containing biscuit in this guide.
NHS recommended daily free sugar limits
Age 4 to 6No more than 19g per day
Age 7 to 10No more than 24g per day
Age 11 and overNo more than 30g per day
Source: NHS. Free sugars include all added sugars and do not include sugars naturally present in whole fruit, vegetables, or milk.
The table below shows 3 biscuits as a percentage of the daily free sugar limit for each age group.
Free sugar as % of daily NHS limit: 3 Jaffa Cake (20.1g sugar)
Age
Daily limit
3 biscuits
Age 4 to 6
19g
106%
Age 7 to 10
24g
84%
Age 11 and over
30g
67%
Adult
30g
67%
Source: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015). Red = High (over 75% of daily limit). Amber = Moderate (20 to 74%).
Calories
Each Jaffa Cake contains 46 calories. Three biscuits deliver 138 calories. The full pack of 24 biscuits contains 1104 calories.
For a child aged 4 to 6, three biscuits represent approximately 10 percent of their estimated daily calorie requirement. The calorie figure alone does not capture the full nutritional picture; the sugar and saturated fat content are equally important to consider.
Calories: Jaffa Cake by number of biscuits
1 biscuit
46 kcal
2 biscuits
92 kcal
3 biscuits
138 kcal
4 biscuits
184 kcal
46 kcal per biscuit.
Saturated fat
Jaffa Cake contains 0.3g of saturated fat per biscuit. Three biscuits deliver 0.9g of saturated fat, 5 percent of the adult daily guideline of 20g.
The saturated fat content is moderate for a biscuit. As with most biscuits, the fat comes from vegetable oil used in the dough and any chocolate or cream components.
Recommended daily maximum saturated fat intake
Age 4 to 6No more than 10g per day
Age 7 to 10No more than 13g per day
Age 11 to 17No more than 17g per day
AdultNo more than 20g per day
Source: NHS/SACN dietary fat guidelines. Saturated fat consumption is linked to raised LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk.
Fibre
Jaffa Cake contains 0.3g of fibre per biscuit. Three biscuits provide 0.9g of fibre, a small contribution toward the adult daily target of 30g.
Most biscuits made from refined flour are low in fibre. If increasing fibre intake is a priority, oat-based or wholegrain biscuits typically offer more.
Protein
Jaffa Cake contains 0.7g of protein per biscuit. Three biscuits provide 2.1g of protein. Biscuits are not a significant protein source; protein in a child's diet comes primarily from dairy, meat, fish, eggs and pulses.
Fibre and protein per biscuit
Fibre0.3g of 30g target
1%
Protein0.7g of 24g target
3%
Adult fibre target: 30g per day (SACN). Child protein target shown: 24g per day (guide for a 7 to 10 year old).
Whole grain and processing
Jaffa Cake is made from refined flour, and falls into NOVA group 4 under the food processing classification system used in nutrition research.
Whole grain
Jaffa Cake is made from refined flour rather than whole grain. This is typical of most biscuits and is reflected in the low fibre content of 0.3g per biscuit. The bran and germ layers of the grain that contain most of the naturally occurring fibre are removed during the refining process.
Processing (NOVA classification)
Jaffa Cake falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed foods. This reflects the combination of refined ingredients, added sugar, flavourings, and industrial processing methods used to produce the final product. The NOVA group 4 classification applies to the vast majority of packaged biscuits, regardless of whether they contain wholegrain ingredients.
Salt
Jaffa Cake contains 0.06g of salt per biscuit. Three biscuits contain 0.2g of salt. Salt is not the primary nutritional concern for most biscuits; the sugar and saturated fat content are more significant.
Frequently asked questions
Each Jaffa Cake weighs 12g and contains 6.7g of free sugar. Three biscuits deliver 20.1g of free sugar, 84 percent of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
Each Jaffa Cake contains 0.3g of saturated fat. Three biscuits deliver 0.9g, 5 percent of the adult daily guideline. For a child aged 7 to 10 whose guideline is 13g, three biscuits deliver 7 percent.
A child aged 4 to 6 (19g daily limit) would reach their limit at 3 biscuits. A child aged 7 to 10 (24g limit) would reach their limit at 4 biscuits.
No. Jaffa Cake is made from refined flour rather than whole grain. The fibre content is low at 0.3g per biscuit.
Yes. Under the NOVA classification system, Jaffa Cake falls into group 4, ultra-processed foods. This applies to the majority of packaged biscuits and reflects the combination of refined ingredients, added sugar and industrial processing involved in their manufacture.
At 6.7g per biscuit, Jaffa Cake is moderate. Plain options like Rich Tea (1.5g) or Digestives (2.8g) contain less, while chocolate-coated, cream-filled or jam-filled biscuits typically contain more.
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Nutrition data from UK product labels and manufacturer nutrition declarations. Daily limits: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015); SACN dietary fat guidelines; SACN fibre and protein Dietary Reference Values. For guidance only, not medical advice.
