If you want to keep the familiar aniseed topping, choose aniseed sprinkles and check the Fairtrade status of a separate chocolate component. If you’d rather have chocolate sprinkles than the flavour and appearance of aniseed sprinkles, chocolate vermicelli could be an alternative, provided the packaging confirms the certification you want for that product. Whichever you choose, check the allergens in every part of the snack.
Wants to be able to identify which chocolate at the neighbourhood get-together is Fairtrade certified. According to Fairtrade Netherlands, the FAIRTRADE Mark and the accompanying claim should appear together on the packaging; a general sustainability promise about a shop or brand isn’t enough to cover the product you’ve chosen.
Wants the familiar aniseed flavour and look on a party snack. Jumbo, for example, describes chocolate-coated sponge fingers with aniseed sprinkles; you choose and check the chocolate for a combination like this separately.
Serves snacks to guests with different dietary needs, so checks the labels on the topping, chocolate and base. Albert Heijn’s ingredient information lists wheat starch in De Ruijter Blue and White aniseed sprinkles; Poiesz says that Fairtrade Original Dark Chocolate Sprinkles may contain milk.
There are two ways to approach aniseed sprinkles and the desire for Fairtrade chocolate at a neighbourhood get-together: keep the aniseed sprinkles as a topping and choose the chocolate separately, or use chocolate vermicelli instead. Serving aniseed sprinkles on their own doesn’t meet the wish to include chocolate as well.
Choose this if: the aniseed flavour and the familiar look of aniseed sprinkles on the snack matter to you.
Bear in mind: the chocolate’s Fairtrade status doesn’t automatically apply to the aniseed sprinkles or the rest of the snack. A chocolate-dipped snack also takes some preparation.
Choose this if: you want chocolate you can sprinkle on, and the packaging for your chosen vermicelli confirms the Fairtrade certification you’re looking for.
Bear in mind: chocolate vermicelli isn’t the same as aniseed sprinkles; you’ll lose the aniseed flavour and traditional look.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who this matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade status of the chocolate | Look for the certification mark and accompanying claim on the packaging of the chocolate you’ve chosen. If you’re looking at a product listing, check that the certification explicitly applies to that variant. | If I need to be sure the chocolate is Fairtrade, I don’t want a claim for one ingredient to be applied to the whole snack. Around 46% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
| Preparation and presentation | Decide whether to serve aniseed sprinkles on a base with separately chosen chocolate, or use chocolate vermicelli as a different topping. Allow for the preparation involved if you’re adding a layer of chocolate. | For a platter of easy-to-serve snacks, I want to know in advance how much work the chosen presentation involves and whether the aniseed sprinkles will still be visible. This would be the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the latest allergen information for the aniseed sprinkles, chocolate and base; also check for warnings about possible traces. | If guests tell me they have allergies, I want to be able to say exactly what’s in each assembled snack. This would be the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn describes De Ruijter Feestmuisjes as sugar-coated aniseed seeds; the listed ingredients for the blue and white varieties don’t include chocolate. So a chocolate claim tells you nothing about these aniseed sprinkles.
Only describe a snack as aniseed sprinkles with Fairtrade chocolate if you’ve checked the certification of the chocolate used separately.
Information about certified cocoa in a supermarket’s own-brand range doesn’t prove that an aniseed-sprinkle product from another brand, or every chocolate bar in the shop, has the same certification.
Read the claim on the packaging of the exact chocolate variant you’ve chosen for the get-together.
A snack made with aniseed sprinkles, chocolate and a biscuit or other baked item combines several ingredients. The allergen information for one component doesn’t cover the finished snack.
Check every packet, keep them handy during the get-together and clearly tell guests which allergens the snack may contain.
ALDI lists Fairtrade certification for a specific Choceur dark chocolate with whole almonds. This tells you nothing about the certification or ingredients of other Choceur varieties.
If you choose a different flavour or packet, check the Fairtrade information and allergens again.
A good option if the familiar look of aniseed sprinkles is central to your party snack.
A brand to consider if chocolate vermicelli is an acceptable alternative to aniseed sprinkles for you.
A possible separate chocolate component if the exact variety works with your party snack.
This chocolate bar suits the option of keeping the aniseed sprinkles and choosing the chocolate separately. It isn’t aniseed sprinkles or chocolate vermicelli, so decide how you’d like to serve the bar and check the Fairtrade claim on the packaging before associating it with your party snack.
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For anyone who wants to pair aniseed sprinkles with a separately chosen chocolate bar; the product information doesn’t suggest using this bar as a sprinkle-on topping.
Milk chocolate with pecan and caramel, 180 g. The product information describes the chocolate as Fairtrade; check the certification mark and accompanying claim on the current packaging. If you’re serving guests with allergies, read the label too: this variety lists milk, soya, pecan and wheat, and may contain egg and peanuts.
No: the blue and white aniseed sprinkles and Feestmuisjes described by Albert Heijn are sugar-coated aniseed seeds, not chocolate products. If you want Fairtrade chocolate with your snack, check a separate chocolate product of your choice.
You can scatter aniseed sprinkles over a snack with a layer of chocolate; Jumbo describes this combination with sponge fingers. First check the Fairtrade claim and allergens for the chocolate you want to use, and take the ingredients in the base into account.
Chocolate vermicelli is a good choice if you want a topping you can sprinkle on and don’t need the aniseed flavour. Check the Fairtrade claim and label on the vermicelli you’ve chosen; a listing in a shop’s range isn’t a substitute for checking the product itself.
Check the current packaging for every component, including the base. Albert Heijn lists wheat starch in De Ruijter Blue and White aniseed sprinkles; Poiesz says that Fairtrade Original Dark Chocolate Sprinkles may contain milk. If you’re assembling the snacks yourself, tell guests about the ingredients you’ve actually used.
No, a claim for the chocolate doesn’t automatically apply to the aniseed sprinkles, biscuits or other components. Following Fairtrade Netherlands’ guidance, read the certification mark together with the claim on the packaging so you can see exactly what it applies to.
