The typical digestive biscuit contains coarse brown wheat flour (which gives it its distinctive texture and flavour), sugar, vegetable oil, wholemeal, high-fructose corn syrup (sometimes referred to as "glucose-fructose syrup") or partially inverted sugar syrup, raising agents (usually sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid and malic acid) and salt. Dried whey, oatmeal, cultured skimmed milk and/or emulsifiers such as E472e may also be added in some varieties.
A biscuit averages around 70 calories, although this sometimes varies according to the factors involved in its production.
Digestive biscuits may not however be suitable for nut or soya allergy sufferers due to peculiar production methods. Also, such biscuits may contain milk and wheat gluten.