Who is this choice relevant to?

Organisers prioritising less sugar

You’re looking for a sweet spread for a work meeting with a verifiable lower-sugar claim. If necessary, you’d rather choose a different flavour or type of product than crushed aniseed sprinkles.

Teams looking for a traditional treat

You specifically want the aniseed flavour and fine, sprinkleable texture of crushed aniseed sprinkles, for example on rusk. Treat them as a sweet treat, rather than a product confirmed to be lower in sugar.

Organisers catering for all their guests

You want to know which allergens and sweeteners a spread contains before you buy it. An alternative with less sugar isn’t automatically suitable for someone who needs to avoid milk, wheat, soya or certain sweeteners.

What should you consider when choosing?

Traditional crushed aniseed sprinkles

Choose these: if the aniseed flavour and fine sprinkles are central to the treat.

Trade-off: Real Dutch Food lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes; Foodstore Andaluz lists milk and wheat as allergens.

Chocolate sprinkles with less sugar

Choose these: if you want a sprinkleable topping but don’t need the aniseed flavour.

Trade-off: Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers is chocolate sprinkles, not aniseed sprinkles. Albert Heijn warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Fruit spread or jam

Choose this: if a spreadable fruit topping on bread or rusk works for your meeting.

Trade-off: you’ll be choosing a different flavour and texture from aniseed sprinkles. For Hero Jam zero aardbeien, Albert Heijn warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Point to consider What to check when buying Who should consider this?
Demonstrably less sugar Compare sugars per 100 g and per serving. If there’s a lower-sugar claim, check which product it’s being compared with. I want to be able to choose less sugar, even if that means not serving aniseed sprinkles. For around 50% of consumers, a demonstrable reduction in sugar is the priority.
Aniseed flavour and presentation Decide whether you need the distinctive flavour and fine, sprinkleable texture, or whether another sweet spread would work too. For our treat, I want to keep the familiar flavour and appearance of crushed aniseed sprinkles. For around 30% of consumers, that traditional presentation matters most.
Allergens and sweeteners Read the current ingredients and allergen information, and look out for warnings on products containing polyols. I want to make sure no guest has to skip the only sweet option because of its ingredients. Suitability for guests comes first for around 20% of consumers.

What could you get wrong?

  • Mistaking another lower-sugar spread for crushed aniseed sprinkles

    Chocolate sprinkles are still easy to sprinkle, and fruit spread goes well on rusk, but neither has the aniseed flavour and fine texture of crushed aniseed sprinkles.

    Before choosing, decide whether the product type, sprinkleable format or demonstrable reduction in sugar is your main requirement.

  • Assessing a lower-sugar claim without checking the comparison

    A comparative claim tells you something about a reference product; it doesn’t mean that any two types of bread topping contain the same amount of sugar. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a reduced-sugar claim requires at least a 30% reduction compared with a similar product.

    Check which product is used for comparison, as well as the sugars per 100 g and the serving size you plan to offer.

  • Checking the ingredients only after buying

    Foodstore Andaluz lists milk and wheat in De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes. Soya and possibly milk are relevant for Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers; products containing polyols may also carry a warning about excessive consumption.

    Check the current packaging and make sure guests can see which ingredients are in the products on offer. Consider providing a clearly different alternative if one choice isn’t suitable for everyone.

Brands and product ranges to consider

De Ruijter

Gestampte Muisjes for anyone specifically looking for traditional aniseed sprinkles. Foodstore Andaluz lists a 270 g pack.

  • The product is a good fit for a treat featuring crushed aniseed sprinkles.
  • Real Dutch Food lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g; Foodstore Andaluz lists milk and wheat as allergens. This product is therefore not confirmed as a lower-sugar option.

Céréal

An alternative in the chocolate sprinkles category if a sprinkleable topping matters more than aniseed flavour.

  • Albert Heijn says Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers contains 88% less sugar than standard dark chocolate sprinkles; this comparison doesn’t apply to crushed aniseed sprinkles.
  • The product contains maltitols and soya, and may contain milk. Albert Heijn warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Hero

Hero Jam zero aardbeien is a spreadable fruit topping, not a substitute for the flavour or texture of aniseed sprinkles.

  • Albert Heijn describes this fruit spread as having no added sugars.
  • The spread contains sweeteners, including maltitol syrup. Albert Heijn states that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Jumbo's

Fruit spreads are a spreadable option when crushed aniseed sprinkles aren’t essential.

  • Jumbo compares its fruit spreads with traditional jam and states that they contain 50% less sugar and at least 30% more fruit.
  • Fruit spread doesn’t offer aniseed flavour or a sprinkleable texture. Check the nutritional information and allergens on the packaging for the variety you choose.

ALDI

ALDI Netherlands’ bread toppings selection includes fruit spreads and chocolate sprinkles, among other alternatives to use on bread.

  • The selection helps you distinguish fruit spreads and chocolate sprinkles as alternatives to aniseed sprinkles.
  • Assess each product based on its own ingredients, nutritional information and any lower-sugar claim; the product category alone doesn’t tell you anything about these.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are crushed aniseed sprinkles a lower-sugar choice for a work meeting?

Don’t treat the De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes mentioned here as a confirmed lower-sugar product: Real Dutch Food lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g. If you want a demonstrable reduction in sugar, check the claim for a specific alternative and bear in mind that its flavour or format will be different.

What does ‘less sugar’ mean on a comparative label?

Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a reduced-sugar claim requires at least a 30% reduction compared with a similar product. So check both the product used for comparison and the nutritional information for the spread you plan to serve.

What should I look out for when serving spreads with sweeteners to a group?

Check the sweeteners, allergens and warnings on the current packaging. For Céréal Hagelslag puur minder suikers and Hero Jam zero aardbeien, Albert Heijn notes a possible laxative effect if consumed in excess.

Is sweet bread spread suitable for every work meeting?

Sweet spreads can be an optional treat, but they don’t have to be the only choice for guests. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against choosing sweet spreads too often, as these products can sometimes contain a lot of sugar, salt or saturated fat. Check the nutritional information for the specific product.