Choose crushed aniseed sprinkles if you want an aniseed flavour and a fine sprinkling texture for a baking recipe with children. If Fairtrade-certified cocoa is essential, choose a chocolate product and check the certification on the packaging. Chocolate vermicelli is not a like-for-like substitute for aniseed sprinkles, so whichever you choose, check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the pack.
Want to bake with children and need the chocolate to be demonstrably Fairtrade-certified? Choose the chocolate product first, then check the certification on the pack. Consider crushed aniseed sprinkles separately if their aniseed flavour also suits the recipe.
If you specifically want crushed aniseed sprinkles for the dough or as a fine topping, the way you plan to use them will determine your choice. For example, Albert Heijn uses crushed aniseed sprinkles as an ingredient and to dust the worktop in a taaitaai recipe.
If you’re baking for a child with a food allergy, check the ingredients and clearly highlighted allergens on the packaging you’re using. When comparing sweet toppings, also look at the nutritional values and sugars per 100 g.
Choose these if: your recipe calls for the aniseed flavour and fine texture of crushed aniseed sprinkles, whether used in or on your bake.
Bear in mind: choosing this product does not in itself confirm that the cocoa is Fairtrade-certified; check for any certification on the specific pack.
Choose this if: verifiable Fairtrade-certified cocoa matters more to you than the aniseed flavour of the sprinkles.
Bear in mind: chocolate vermicelli and crushed aniseed sprinkles are different products, with different flavours and textures in your recipe.
When baking with children, first decide which flavour and use your recipe calls for. If Fairtrade cocoa is a must, check the certification on your chosen chocolate product. Either way, it’s important to read the label.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Look for the Fairtrade mark or an explicit Fairtrade statement on the specific chocolate product. Another sustainability mark does not automatically mean it’s Fairtrade. | I want to use chocolate and be able to see on the pack whether the cocoa meets my Fairtrade requirement. For around 42% of consumers, this verifiable Fairtrade choice comes first. |
| Aniseed flavour and baking use | Check whether the recipe uses crushed aniseed sprinkles in the dough, for dusting or as a decoration; chocolate vermicelli has a different flavour and texture. | If aniseed is central to the recipe, I don’t want to replace it with chocolate without realising. For around 33% of consumers, this use is the main reason for their choice. |
| Labels and sweet decorations | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any warnings on the pack. Compare the nutritional values and sugars per 100 g. | When baking for a child, I want to know what’s in the decoration and how much I’m using. Around 25% of consumers give checking the label and how the product is used the highest priority. |
Fairtrade International has a standard for cocoa and processed cocoa, but not every cocoa certification is Fairtrade. ALDI Netherlands also lists other certification schemes for its own-brand cocoa, including Rainforest Alliance and EU organic.
If Fairtrade specifically is a requirement, look for the mark or an explicit Fairtrade statement on the chocolate product you buy.
In an Albert Heijn recipe, crushed aniseed sprinkles are used as an aniseed ingredient and for dusting. Using chocolate vermicelli will change the flavour and texture of your bake.
Check what role the sprinkles play in your recipe, and use chocolate only if you’re happy to make that change.
Product information can change. If you have a food allergy, check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the product you’re actually using.
Before use, read the label, including clearly highlighted allergens and any cross-contamination warnings.
These brands and retailers offer different options for aniseed decorations and chocolate. Your choice depends on the specific product and its label.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo list De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes as a 270 g product.
Jumbo lists Fairtrade Original Chocoladehagelslag Puur 380 g in its Fairtrade range.
Albert Heijn lists De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes and uses crushed aniseed sprinkles in a taaitaai recipe.
Jumbo lists both De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes and Fairtrade Original Chocoladehagelslag Puur.
According to ALDI Netherlands, all Moser Roth chocolate and seasonal chocolate is Fairtrade-certified.
No, don’t assume that they are. If Fairtrade-certified cocoa is a condition of your purchase, check whether the specific product contains cocoa and whether the pack carries a Fairtrade mark or an explicit Fairtrade statement. The listings for De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes at Albert Heijn and Jumbo do not, in themselves, confirm this.
Yes, if their aniseed flavour and fine texture suit the recipe. Albert Heijn uses crushed aniseed sprinkles in a taaitaai recipe both in the dough and to dust the worktop. Choose chocolate instead only if you want a different flavour and texture.
Read the ingredients list and clearly highlighted allergens on the current packaging, as well as any cross-contamination warnings. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, 14 allergens must be listed on labels. This is especially important when baking for someone with a food allergy.
Check the nutritional values and sugars per 100 g on the pack, and decide how much decoration you’ll use in the recipe. Don’t compare crushed aniseed sprinkles and chocolate vermicelli on nutritional information alone: their flavours and uses are different too.
