Choose aniseed sprinkles to suit your preferred colour, aniseed flavour and use, and check separately whether the chocolate for your Christmas treat carries a Fairtrade claim. Read the chocolate packaging to see which ingredients the certification applies to: a Fairtrade claim for the chocolate does not automatically cover the aniseed sprinkles too. Check the ingredients and allergen information for both products if you’re making the treat for others.
If you’re making biscuits, choux buns or cupcakes with chocolate and aniseed sprinkles, you can choose the chocolate separately based on its Fairtrade claim. The sprinkles remain a separate finishing ingredient.
If you want to use the familiar sprinkles on rusks, bread or cakes, you don’t need to confuse that choice with the certification of any chocolate you serve alongside them. Check both packages separately.
If a Fairtrade claim or an allergy is a concern, the information on the specific packaging matters more than a general brand or retailer claim. Check the ingredients and allergen information for both the chocolate and the sprinkles.
For a Christmas treat with aniseed sprinkles and chocolate, first decide which ingredient needs to meet your Fairtrade preference. Then choose sprinkles that suit your purpose, and read the labels on both components before buying.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade claim | Read the certification details and explanation on the chocolate packaging. Does the claim apply to the finished product or to a named ingredient, such as cocoa? | I want to be able to say exactly what the Fairtrade claim applies to in my Christmas treat. For around 44% of consumers, having a verifiable claim is the main priority. |
| Traditional aniseed sprinkles | Choose your preferred colour and use; assess the chocolate as a separate ingredient. | I want to keep the aniseed flavour and appearance of the sprinkles on my baked goods, even if I choose the chocolate separately. Around 33% of consumers give this the highest priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest labels on both the sprinkles and the chocolate, especially if you’re buying for others. | If I’m sharing the treat, I need to know what it contains before choosing. This check matters most to around 23% of consumers. |
A certification mark on the chocolate doesn’t automatically say anything about separately bought sprinkles. Describing the whole treat this way could therefore give the wrong impression.
Describe each component separately, and check the sprinkles’ own packaging for any certification.
Fairtrade Netherlands explains that, for a composite product, the information on the packaging tells you which ingredients the claim applies to. An ingredient claim may refer specifically to cocoa, for example.
Read the explanation alongside the certification mark, including on the back of the packaging, before applying the claim to your treat.
Statements about own-label cocoa or seasonal chocolate don’t necessarily apply to other brands or to the sprinkles sold by the same retailer.
Use such a statement to guide your search, then check the label of the product you actually choose.
A treat with chocolate and sprinkles contains two separate products. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority notes that allergen information must be clearly stated on the labels of prepacked foods.
Check both packages if you need to take allergies into account, and keep them with the treat in case others want to check the ingredients.
These brands offer options for aniseed sprinkles or the separate chocolate component. A statement about cocoa in a particular range doesn’t prove that every product from that brand carries the same certification.
A brand to consider if you want traditional aniseed sprinkles for bread or decoration.
Worth considering if you’re looking for a chocolate product containing cocoa from the PLUS own-label range to go with your sprinkles.
A retailer where you can assess aniseed sprinkles alongside separately chosen own-label chocolate.
Worth considering if you’re looking at own-label seasonal chocolate as a separate ingredient around Christmas.
Worth considering if you want to choose a separate chocolate bar or seasonal chocolate to go with your sprinkles.
These chocolate bars suit the idea of buying sprinkles and chocolate as separate components for a Christmas treat. They aren’t aniseed sprinkles; check the latest Fairtrade claim on each bar and decide whether its ingredients suit your recipe.
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A dark chocolate bar to consider as a separate chocolate component alongside aniseed sprinkles. The product description states that it is Fairtrade; check the packaging to see which ingredients the claim applies to.
Check the cocoa percentage on the packaging if it matters for your recipe. The product description says the bar contains soya and may contain milk; check the latest allergen information.
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A milk chocolate bar with pecans and caramel to choose as a separate chocolate component alongside aniseed sprinkles. The product description states that it is Fairtrade; check the packaging to see which ingredients the claim covers and whether the bar suits your recipe.
The product description says the bar contains pecans, milk and soya, and may contain traces of peanuts and eggs. Check the latest allergen information if you’re making the treat for others.
Don’t assume they are based on a Fairtrade claim on chocolate you buy to go with them. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list De Ruijter sprinkles as separate products. If certification of the sprinkles themselves matters to your choice, check the latest packaging.
The certification mark and the explanation on the packaging tell you which ingredients the Fairtrade claim applies to. Fairtrade Netherlands describes a mark with an arrow for products containing multiple ingredients. If the claim refers to a specific Fairtrade ingredient, check which one is named, such as cocoa.
You can scatter the sprinkles over a layer of chocolate before it sets. Jumbo uses this method for choux buns with chocolate and sprinkles. Choose the chocolate separately based on the packaging information, and follow the product and recipe instructions for preparation and storage.
Read the allergen information on both the chocolate and the sprinkles packaging. This is particularly important if you’re sharing the treat with someone for whom certain ingredients matter; a cocoa certification mark doesn’t replace this check.
Don’t count on the same seasonal variety being available all year. Lidl and ALDI describe chocolate ranges around Christmas, but check the specific product and its label when you buy it. Outside the season, you can also assess a chocolate bar separately based on its Fairtrade claim.
