Choose traditional aniseed sprinkles if you want the aniseed flavour to be the main consideration for a school lunch. If you specifically want Fairtrade cocoa, look for chocolate sprinkles with a Fairtrade label on the individual product. These are different types of bread topping, so check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the product you choose. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, chocolate sprinkles are not included in the Wheel of Five.
You’re looking for a bread topping with a Fairtrade label on the specific product. Albert Heijn and Jumbo display one on Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur, while PLUS lists ‘Fairtrade Cacao’ on certain chocolate sprinkles. Chocolate sprinkles are a different choice from aniseed sprinkles.
You want a sweet bread topping with an aniseed flavour. The ingredients list for the blue-and-white De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles listed by Holland Snack Express includes sugar, aniseed and wheat starch, among other ingredients. If you need to limit wheat, check the label on the pack you buy.
Don’t just look at a certification label; consider the portion and the rest of the lunch you’re packing. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre places chocolate sprinkles outside the Wheel of Five and uses 15 g per slice of bread as an example of an occasional daily choice.
Choose these if: you specifically want the aniseed flavour of aniseed sprinkles and Fairtrade cocoa isn’t a requirement.
The trade-off: aniseed sprinkles aren’t chocolate sprinkles; the blue-and-white De Ruijter version whose ingredients are listed by Holland Snack Express contains wheat starch.
Choose these if: a Fairtrade label on your chocolate topping matters more than the flavour of aniseed sprinkles.
The trade-off: you’re choosing a different type of topping; if you need to avoid milk, check the label of each product individually.
When choosing a bread topping for a secondary school lunch, your main priority might be a Fairtrade cocoa claim, the place of sweet toppings in the lunch, or the traditional aniseed flavour.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Look for the Fairtrade label on the specific pack; don’t assume it’s there based only on the retailer’s name or a general cocoa policy. | If I want to choose Fairtrade cocoa for a school lunch, I want to be able to identify the claim on the bread topping itself. Around 46% of consumers prioritise being able to check that their cocoa is Fairtrade. |
| Sweet toppings in the lunch | Check the nutritional information per 100 g and decide what portion you’ll use. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre considers chocolate sprinkles an occasional daily choice. | If you’re packing a sweet bread topping, you may want to keep it as a small part of the lunch alongside the other foods. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Aniseed flavour and ingredients | Don’t compare aniseed sprinkles with chocolate sprinkles as if they were the same product. If you have a dietary restriction, check the ingredients and allergens on the current pack. | If I choose aniseed sprinkles for their familiar flavour, I want to know whether the ingredients are suitable for the person eating the lunch. Around 18% of consumers prioritise this consideration of flavour and ingredients. |
The ingredients list for the blue-and-white De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles, as listed by Holland Snack Express, includes aniseed and wheat starch, but no cocoa. Their flavour and ingredients are therefore different from those of chocolate sprinkles.
First decide whether you want aniseed sprinkles or a bread topping with a Fairtrade cocoa claim. Then compare products within that category.
Lidl describes several certification routes for its own-brand cocoa, while ALDI lists Rainforest Alliance cocoa for a specific chocolate sprinkle product. This doesn’t mean that every pack from these retailers carries a Fairtrade label.
Check the claim on the packaging of the product you want to buy and decide whether the certification meets your own criteria.
A Fairtrade label doesn’t tell you how much sugar or fat a portion of chocolate sprinkles contains. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, chocolate sprinkles are not included in the Wheel of Five.
As well as checking the certification, read the nutritional information and consider the portion size and the other parts of the lunch.
The De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles mentioned here contain wheat starch. Albert Heijn says that Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur may contain milk, while PLUS lists milk and lactose for its milk chocolate sprinkles.
Before serving, read the ingredients list and allergen information on the exact pack you’ve bought, even if you’ve already looked at an online product page.
These names can help you tell aniseed sprinkles and chocolate sprinkles apart. A listing doesn’t mean that every product from a brand has the same ingredients or certifications.
A brand of aniseed sprinkles; Albert Heijn and Jumbo list various De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles in their ranges.
A brand of chocolate sprinkles that Albert Heijn and Jumbo list as Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur, 380 g.
A retailer whose own-brand chocolate sprinkles include a milk chocolate version and a mix listed by PLUS as containing ‘Fairtrade Cacao’.
A retailer that lists both De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles and Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur, 380 g.
A retailer that lists Fairtrade Original Chocoladehagelslag Puur, 380 g, and various De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles separately.
The blue-and-white De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles whose ingredients are listed by Holland Snack Express aren’t chocolate sprinkles: the list includes aniseed and wheat starch, among other ingredients, but no cocoa. If you specifically want Fairtrade cocoa, check the label on the chocolate bread topping you choose.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo list Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur, 380 g; PLUS lists ‘Fairtrade Cacao’ on its milk chocolate sprinkles and mix. Check the current packaging of the version you want to buy, as a label on one product doesn’t automatically apply to other chocolate sprinkles.
A Fairtrade label doesn’t tell you about the nutritional value of the sprinkles. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre places chocolate sprinkles outside the Wheel of Five and uses 15 g per slice of bread as an example of an occasional daily choice. For your lunch, consider the portion and the other foods you’re including.
It depends on the product: the blue-and-white De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles mentioned here contain wheat starch, Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur may contain milk, and the PLUS milk chocolate version mentioned here contains milk and lactose. So check the allergen information on the packaging of the exact product you’re using.
