Choose traditional Dutch aniseed sprinkles if you want a familiar aniseed topping for a work meeting: the ingredients listed by Jumbo for the De Ruijter varieties reviewed contain no cocoa. If verifiable Fairtrade cocoa is a requirement, look for a separate chocolate product and check the certification on the packaging. Fairtrade Original Dark Chocolate Sprinkles are chocolate sprinkles, not Dutch aniseed sprinkles. When serving, check the latest allergen information too.
You want to be able to establish exactly what the Fairtrade mark on your chosen chocolate treat applies to. Check the logo and the explanation on the packaging: according to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo with a white background may refer only to a certified ingredient.
You’re looking for a topping for rusks, yoghurt or cakes, for example. Dutch aniseed sprinkles offer a familiar look; chocolate sprinkles are a different product, even though you can use both as toppings.
You want to know what’s in the treat before serving it, especially if it’s put out without its packaging. The ingredients listed by Jumbo for the De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles reviewed include wheat starch. Check the packaging of the product you choose and keep the information to hand.
Choose these: if aniseed flavour and a familiar topping for rusks or cakes are your priorities.
Trade-off: the ingredients listed by Jumbo for the De Ruijter varieties reviewed contain no cocoa, so aniseed sprinkles don’t serve as a chocolate topping.
Choose these: if cocoa is a requirement and chocolate sprinkles work as a topping for what you plan to serve. Fairtrade Original lists cocoa ingredients for its Dark Chocolate Sprinkles.
Trade-off: chocolate sprinkles don’t have the aniseed flavour or appearance of Dutch aniseed sprinkles. Check the packaging to see which Fairtrade claim applies to the product you choose.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Read the ingredients and check the Fairtrade logo on the packaging, including whether the claim applies to the product or an ingredient. | If a verifiable Fairtrade claim on cocoa is a purchasing requirement, I don’t want to confuse it with a general sustainability claim. This is the top priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Presentation and serving | Decide whether whole or crushed aniseed sprinkles suit your chosen treat and how you’ll serve it. | For rusks or cakes, I want a familiar aniseed topping that works with the presentation. This matters most to around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the latest ingredients, allergens and any warnings such as ‘may contain’; keep the information available when serving. | When I serve treats on a platter, I want to be able to answer questions about allergens. This is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
The ingredients listed by Jumbo for the De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles reviewed include sugar, aniseed and wheat starch, but no cocoa. These varieties therefore don’t meet a requirement for chocolate.
Before buying, decide whether you want an aniseed topping, a chocolate treat with a verifiable Fairtrade claim, or both as separate products.
Albert Heijn says that cocoa in its own-brand products is Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade certified. This doesn’t confirm a Fairtrade claim for De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles or for every chocolate product in the shop.
Check the certification on the packaging of the exact variety you’re buying. According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo with a white background may apply only to a certified ingredient.
The De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles reviewed list wheat starch; Fairtrade Original says its Dark Chocolate Sprinkles may contain milk. These details are harder to check without the packaging.
Keep the label with the treat and check the exact variety you bought. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority requires allergen information to be available to consumers when applicable unpackaged foods are offered for sale.
These brands and retailers can help you distinguish between the two product options; being mentioned here says nothing about the certification of any individual product you buy.
A brand for traditional Dutch aniseed sprinkles, including whole and crushed varieties.
A separate chocolate option: Dark Chocolate Sprinkles 380 g, not a variety of aniseed sprinkles.
A retailer with product information about De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles.
A retailer with its own cocoa policy for own-brand products.
A retailer with product information about crushed De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles.
The ingredients listed by Jumbo for the blue and white varieties reviewed, as well as the crushed De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles, contain no cocoa or chocolate. They include sugar, aniseed and wheat starch, among other ingredients, so don’t choose them to meet a requirement for Fairtrade chocolate.
Read the Fairtrade logo and accompanying explanation on the latest packaging of the product you’ve chosen. According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo with a white background may indicate that only an ingredient is certified, not necessarily the whole product.
Check the packaging of the exact variety you’re serving. The De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles listed by Jumbo contain wheat starch; Fairtrade Original says its Dark Chocolate Sprinkles may contain milk.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must be available to consumers when unpackaged food is offered for sale in a business setting covered by the rules. If this is an informal work meeting, first establish which serving context applies. In any case, keep the packaging available so attendees can check the ingredients and warnings.
