Who is this choice important to?

Buffet planner with a strict sugar-free requirement

You want to avoid labelling chocolate sprinkles with less sugar as sugar-free on the buffet card. To check, compare the sugars per 100 g on the label with the EU threshold of 0.5 g per 100 g.

Host who wants to serve less sugar

You want to offer rusks with chocolate sprinkles and are happy for the topping to still contain sugars. Céréal Hagelslag Puur and AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker list different sugar values, so comparing them per 100 g is useful.

Buffet planner with questions about ingredients

If your guests need to consider milk, lactose, soya or sweeteners, look beyond the front of the pack. Check the ingredients and allergens for each variety on the current packaging.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether sugar-free is a strict requirement or whether less sugar is enough. Then compare the nutritional information and ingredients of the varieties you’re considering for the buffet.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
What sugar-free means Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. Under European Union Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a food can only be called sugar-free if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. If I label the buffet card ‘sugar-free’, the chocolate sprinkles must meet that threshold. Getting the label right is the top priority for around 36% of consumers.
Amount of sugars Compare sugars per 100 g; also check which standard product a claim such as ‘less sugar’ is compared with. I want to reduce the amount of sugars in the chocolate sprinkles without requiring them to be sugar-free. This is the main consideration for around 29% of consumers.
Ingredients and allergens Check the ingredients, allergens and any sweeteners listed for each variety on the packaging. If guests ask about milk, soya or sweeteners, I want to be able to show them what’s in the chocolate sprinkles I’ve chosen. This information matters most to around 21% of consumers.
Buying for the buffet Check the retailer, current stock and pack size before planning how much to buy. I need to have enough of my chosen variety at home before Boxing Day. Around 14% of consumers give this practical aspect of buying the highest priority.

Common buffet mistakes

  • Calling ‘less sugar’ ‘sugar-free’

    A relative reduction in sugar doesn’t mean a product meets the EU threshold for the sugar-free claim. Céréal Hagelslag Puur and AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker both contain more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.

    Use ‘chocolate sprinkles with less sugar’ if that is how the product is described, and only put ‘sugar-free’ on a buffet card after checking the value per 100 g.

  • Reading only the front of the pack

    The varieties compared contain maltitols, milk and soya. A claim about sugar doesn’t tell guests which ingredients or allergens the chocolate sprinkles contain.

    Keep the packaging available at the buffet and check the ingredients and allergens for every variety you serve.

  • Assuming a product page confirms stock

    Jumbo marks its milk variety with less sugar as no longer available in its online range, while Albert Heijn marks the Venz variety reviewed as discontinued. An earlier visit to a product page is therefore no basis for planning your shopping.

    Check availability shortly before buying and reassess the sugars and ingredients if you choose a replacement.

  • Assuming every bakery product contains iodised baker’s salt

    The Voedingscentrum says that baker’s salt contains iodine, but bakers aren’t required to use it. According to the Voedingscentrum, organic bread usually contains non-iodised salt.

    If you have questions about the rusks or bread you’re serving, check the information for that specific product rather than making assumptions based on the chocolate sprinkles.

Brands and varieties compared

The differences below apply to the chocolate sprinkle varieties named, not to a brand’s entire range.

Céréal

Céréal offers dark and milk chocolate sprinkles with less sugar. According to Céréal, its dark variety contains 7.7 g of sugars per 100 g.

  • The dark variety gives you a specific sugar value to compare with other chocolate sprinkles.
  • It isn’t sugar-free and lists maltitols and soya; it may contain milk.

Albert Heijn

AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker is a 250 g dark chocolate variety. Albert Heijn lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g and claims 30% less sugar than its regular dark chocolate sprinkles.

  • The nutritional value and the basis for the reduction claim can be compared for this variety.
  • This variety isn’t sugar-free and lists milk and lactose.

Jumbo

Jumbo lists Céréal Hagelslag Puur in its chocolate sprinkles selection. Its own Jumbo Hagelslag Melk Minder Suiker is a different variety.

  • Jumbo’s own milk variety lists 42.6 g of sugars per 100 g.
  • Jumbo marks this milk variety as no longer available in its online range; check whether you can currently buy it before planning to use it.

Venz

According to Albert Heijn, the Venz Hagelslag melk 30% minder suiker variety reviewed contains 48 g of sugars per 100 g.

  • The listed sugar value makes it clear that ‘less sugar’ doesn’t mean ‘sugar-free’ for this variety.
  • Albert Heijn marks this variety as discontinued and lists wheat, milk, lactose and soya.

De Ruijter

De Ruijter Hagelslag Puur is a regular dark chocolate sprinkles variety. Jumbo lists 64 g of sugars per 100 g.

  • The listed value gives you a point of reference when comparing regular chocolate sprinkles with varieties containing less sugar.
  • This variety isn’t sugar-free and lists milk and soya.

Matching products on Joybuy

Matching products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are chocolate sprinkles with less sugar also sugar-free?

No. A claim about less sugar isn’t the same as being sugar-free. Under European Union Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the sugar-free claim allows a maximum of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; check this value on the packaging.

What’s the difference between Céréal Puur and AH puur minder suiker?

Céréal lists 7.7 g of sugars per 100 g for its dark chocolate sprinkles, as well as maltitols; Albert Heijn lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker. Neither value meets the sugar-free threshold. As well as the sugar value, check the ingredients of the variety you choose.

Which allergens should I check in chocolate sprinkles for the buffet?

Check the allergens on every pack you buy. Céréal Puur lists soya and possible traces of milk, while AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker lists milk and lactose; other varieties may have a different composition.

Does the rusk on the buffet always contain iodised baker’s salt?

Don’t assume it does; check the information for the rusks you’re serving. The Voedingscentrum says that baker’s salt contains iodine, but using it isn’t compulsory.

Can I add the Jumbo or Venz variety with less sugar to my shopping list?

First check whether the specific variety is available. Jumbo marks Jumbo Hagelslag Melk Minder Suiker as no longer available in its online range, and Albert Heijn marks the Venz variety reviewed as discontinued. If you choose a replacement, check the sugars per 100 g and the ingredients again.