If you’re looking for a savoury ingredient for a fish dinner, chocolate flakes aren’t the product category to start with: Albert Heijn lists them under sweet spreads. If you mean a topping for bread or dessert and want less sugar, first decide whether you’re looking for flakes or chocolate sprinkles. Then compare the sugars per 100 g and check what any claim is based on; ‘less sugar’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘low sugar’.
You’re looking for a substantiated sugar claim on chocolate toppings. Read the nutritional information per 100 g and, for ‘less sugar’, check what the product is being compared with. That’s a different question from whether the product is ‘low sugar’.
You’re looking for a sweet spread or topping and choosing between options such as milk, dark, white or a mix. The flavour alone won’t tell you how much sugar the specific variety contains.
First, decide which course you’re buying something for. For a sweet finish, you could look at a topping; for a savoury dish, you’ll need to look beyond the chocolate flake category.
First, decide whether you’re looking for something for the savoury dish or a sweet finish. If you choose a chocolate topping, compare the same type of product, then check the claim and nutritional information for the exact variety.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Check the sugars per 100 g and, for ‘less sugar’, find out what the product is being compared with. | I want less sugar in my chocolate topping and want to know what the claim is based on. For around 40% of consumers with this shopping need, verifiable sugar reduction would be the priority. |
| Flavour and product type | Choose between flakes and chocolate sprinkles, then check the exact flavour and ingredients of the flakes. | When I’m looking for a sweet spread, flavour and type matter more to me than a sugar claim. That would be the main consideration for around 30% of these consumers. |
| Use with dinner | Decide whether you need a dessert topping, something else sweet or a savoury ingredient. | For my fish dinner, I want to avoid buying a product for the wrong course. Whether the category is suitable would be the first question for around 30% of these consumers. |
A sugar claim on chocolate sprinkles tells you nothing about the ingredients in chocolate flakes or biscuits. They’re different products for different uses.
Decide which product you’re looking for, then compare the nutritional information per 100 g within that product category.
A more intense chocolate flavour isn’t a sugar claim. According to Albert Heijn, De Ruijter Special vlokken intens puur contains 40 g of sugars per 100 g; the Voedingscentrum sets a maximum of 5 g per 100 g for the ‘low sugar’ claim on solid foods.
Check the nutrition table for the exact variety rather than judging by the flavour name.
Albert Heijn lists chocolate flakes under sweet spreads. Comparing flakes like these won’t help if you’re looking for an ingredient for the savoury dish.
First decide whether you need something for the fish dish itself, a dessert or a spread for another occasion.
Albert Heijn’s range includes different chocolate flake brands and flavours. If you’re comparing sugar content, always check the exact product packaging, not just the brand.
Albert Heijn stocks milk, dark and white chocolate flakes, Vlokfeest and varieties with a more intense dark chocolate flavour, among other options.
Albert Heijn’s flake category includes Tijgervlokken melk & vanille and Krokovlokken puur & vanillesmaak, among other products.
Albert Heijn lists Choca Vlokken and Choca Vlokmix in its range of flakes.
Albert Heijn’s own-brand chocolate flakes include milk and dark varieties alongside other brands in the same category.
No, these are different claims. The Voedingscentrum sets a maximum of 5 g of sugars per 100 g for the ‘low sugar’ claim on solid foods. Jumbo compares the ‘30% less sugar’ claim on its milk chocolate sprinkles with Jumbo hagelslag melk; that claim doesn’t make the sprinkles chocolate flakes.
Only if the rules for nutrition claims are met, according to the Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit. Check which claim is used for the exact product, read the nutritional information that goes with it and, if it’s a comparison, check what it’s being compared with.
If you’re looking for a savoury ingredient for the fish dish, chocolate flakes aren’t the obvious choice: Albert Heijn lists them under sweet spreads. If you’re looking for something for dessert after dinner, first decide what kind of topping you want to use.
Check the allergen information for the exact variety you’re buying. Albert Heijn lists milk and soya in De Ruijter Special vlokken intens puur; don’t assume the same applies to other flakes.
