Regular aniseed sprinkles are not a proven lower-sugar choice. If reducing sugar is your priority, compare the nutritional information per 100 g for a specific alternative topping. Chocolate sprinkles labelled as lower in sugar are a different type of product from aniseed sprinkles. If you mainly want to keep the aniseed flavour, also consider how much you use: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, 15 g of aniseed sprinkles contains 11,9 g of sugars.
They are looking for a sandwich topping for a secondary school lunch and want to compare sugar content. For them, the nutritional value per 100 g and the amount used on a slice of bread matter more than a different flavour or package.
They want to know how regular aniseed sprinkles fit into a lunch when the aniseed flavour or the sprinkles themselves matter. The portion used is also relevant, but regular aniseed sprinkles should not be considered a lower-sugar product.
They want to quickly check whether a product they have found really is aniseed sprinkles or a different type of sandwich topping. The exact variant and current label matter more than the category a shop lists it under.
First decide whether less sugar is a must-have or whether you mainly want to keep the flavour of aniseed sprinkles. Then consider how much you use and how the topping fits into the whole school lunch.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Less sugar | Compare the sugars per 100 g in similar toppings and consider how much you use on one slice of bread. | If I want to cut down on sugar, I want to see a difference in the nutritional information, not just in the product name. Around 46% of consumers say that a demonstrably lower sugar content is their priority. |
| The whole lunch | Consider what else is in the lunch and what role a sweet topping plays in it. | For a regular school lunch, I want to think about more than just the sprinkles: bread, vegetables and fruit matter too. Around 27% of consumers put the overall make-up of the lunch first. |
| Exact variant | Check the product name, ingredients, nutritional information and, where relevant, allergens on the packaging. | When comparing shops, I want to quickly establish which product I am buying and what the label says. For around 27% of consumers, clear, up-to-date product information is the top priority. |
Being listed in a sugar-conscious topping category does not make chocolate sprinkles the same as aniseed sprinkles. For example, Albert Heijn includes AH milk chocolate sprinkles, less sugar, AH dark chocolate sprinkles, less sugar, and Céréal milk chocolate sprinkles, less sugar, in one such selection. Check the current packaging to compare the exact variants and their nutritional information.
The De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles listed by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS are regular aniseed sprinkles. The sugar-conscious toppings also listed by Albert Heijn are different types of product, including chocolate sprinkles.
Check the exact product name and compare the nutritional information before choosing a product because it has a lower sugar content.
Portion sizes on labels can vary. This means portion values do not necessarily show which of two similar products contains less sugar for the same amount.
First compare products per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, then consider how much you actually use.
A category name does not tell you what each individual variant contains. If you have a food allergy, you also need the allergen information for the exact product.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging before use. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information for prepacked products must appear on the label.
A different topping does not tell you what else is in the school lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also recommends wholegrain products, vegetables and fruit as part of school meals.
First decide what the basis of the lunch will be, then choose whether a sweet topping fits and how much to use.
De Ruijter features in the aniseed sprinkles listings at Albert Heijn and Jumbo; PLUS lists De Ruijter crushed aniseed sprinkles.
Here, Albert Heijn is both a retailer of aniseed sprinkles and a seller of other types of sandwich topping listed as sugar-conscious choices.
Albert Heijn includes Céréal milk chocolate sprinkles, less sugar, in its selection of sugar-conscious toppings.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, 15 g of aniseed sprinkles contains 11,9 g of sugars. Use this as a guide and check the nutritional information on the packaging for a specific variety.
Compare sugars per 100 g in similar products, then consider how much you use on a slice of bread. Bear in mind that chocolate sprinkles are a different type of product from aniseed sprinkles, and may also differ in flavour and ingredients.
No. The label alone does not tell you how much sugar the product contains per 100 g. Read the current nutritional information and compare it with a suitable product of the same type.
Check the allergen information for the exact variety on the packaging. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, this information must appear on the label of prepacked products; for products sold unpackaged, it must be made available in another way.
