Don’t automatically use an ordinary sauce squeezy bottle for dry aniseed sprinkles: the squeezy bottles we looked at are designed for sauces, while aniseed sprinkles are dry, sugar-coated seeds. A compact shaker is a more logical option to test for quick serving, but only choose an opening after checking that your exact variety flows through without clogging and can be dispensed in a controlled way. If you’re serving them loose, also consider food-contact suitability, hygienic handling and allergen information.
During short busy periods, you want to add aniseed sprinkles without the faff of transferring them from one container to another. As they’re dry granules, the key question is whether they flow through the opening in a controlled way.
A compact shaker takes up less space than a large storage bottle. A 0.2 L sugar shaker gives you a specific size to assess, but test the flow with your chosen sprinkles first.
If you’re serving toppings unpackaged, information about any allergens present must be available before purchase. The De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles we looked at contain wheat and cereals containing gluten; make sure the information stays with the correct variety when you refill the dispenser.
First, choose a dispensing method that works for dry aniseed sprinkles. Then consider the opening, the space you have available and how you’ll fill and clean it.
Best for: A separate liquid topping alongside the aniseed sprinkles.
Consider: A sauce nozzle is not a proven dispensing opening for dry aniseed sprinkles.
Best for: A small serving station, provided your chosen sprinkles pass through the opening well in a practical test.
Consider: The product name alone doesn’t prove that a sugar shaker is suitable for whole or crushed aniseed sprinkles.
Best for: Keeping the product identity, label information and advice to store in a dry place with your stock.
Consider: The packaging won’t necessarily dispense the sprinkles precisely or without spills.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled dispensing | Test the opening repeatedly with the exact variety, whole or crushed; check for blockages and sudden bursts. | When serving quickly, I want to add the topping smoothly and avoid using too much. Controlled dispensing is the top priority for around 45% of consumers. |
| Space and capacity | Match the capacity to the counter space available and the number of portions you’ll serve between refills. | On a small counter, I want to save workspace without having to refill constantly. A compact set-up matters most to around 33% of consumers. |
| Safe food handling | Check that it’s suitable for food contact, and have procedures in place for cleaning, product identification and allergen information. | If I’m serving aniseed sprinkles unpackaged, I want the correct product information next to the dispenser and to be able to refill it hygienically. This process is the top priority for around 22% of consumers. |
XXLhoreca describes the Vogue and Araven squeezy bottles we looked at as being for sauces. A larger capacity or a nozzle you can trim doesn’t tell you whether dry aniseed sprinkles will come out in a controlled way.
Before choosing a dispenser, try the exact variety of sprinkles several times using the intended fill level and serving motion.
A sugar shaker’s opening may work differently with whole and crushed aniseed sprinkles. The Hendi 0.2 L shaker we looked at hasn’t been specifically tested with either variety.
If possible, check the opening and test the flow with the variety you’ll actually be serving.
If you’re serving aniseed sprinkles unpackaged, you still need to provide information about any allergens present. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority also says that food businesses must work in accordance with a HACCP food safety plan or an approved hygiene code.
Keep the dispenser linked to up-to-date product and allergen information, and include filling and cleaning in your serving station procedures.
The brand of aniseed sprinkles you’ll be putting in the dispenser; Albert Heijn lists pink and white, as well as crushed, varieties.
A brand offering a glass sugar shaker with a stainless steel spout that could be tested as a compact option.
A brand offering a transparent sauce squeezy bottle we looked at, with a wide neck and screw cap.
A brand offering a 1 L polyethylene sauce squeezy bottle we looked at, with measurement markings.
Don’t choose an ordinary sauce squeezy bottle as a dispenser for dry aniseed sprinkles without testing it first. The bottles we looked at are described as being for sauces; check that the opening doesn’t clog and the flow stays manageable with the exact variety you’ll be using.
Choose a capacity based on the space available and the number of portions you’ll serve between refills, rather than simply going by bottle size. The Hendi 0.2 L sugar shaker is a compact reference point, but you’ll still need to assess the opening and your filling and cleaning procedures.
Yes. If the dispenser comes into direct contact with the sprinkles, it must be intended for food contact. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority points out that such items must meet the applicable Dutch requirements for food contact materials.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that information about any allergens present must be available before purchase if aniseed sprinkles are sold unpackaged. The De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles we looked at contain wheat and cereals containing gluten; check the current packaging for each variety and keep the information available at the serving point.
