If you want to offer guests a wholegrain option, don’t choose based on the word ‘cornflakes’: check which grains appear in the ingredients and compare the nutritional information per 100 g. Bran flakes, wholegrain wheat flakes and classic cornflakes each have a different role on the buffet. Whatever you choose, also check the sugar and salt content, and make allergen information easy to access.
If you present a flake as a wholegrain option, you should be able to confirm this from the ingredients label. Also check the stated proportion of wholegrain cereals: the product category alone doesn’t tell you enough.
When offering a range of flakes, fibre, total and added sugars, and salt each need separate consideration. Compare values per 100 g before adding products to the buffet.
When buffet products change, the information provided to guests must continue to match the contents of the buffet container. Keep the current packaging with the product, and consider the serving spoons guests use too.
First decide whether the buffet should include a familiar cornflake, a clearly labelled wholegrain option, or both. Then compare the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens for each product.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholegrain cereals and fibre | Look for wholegrain cereals and their proportion, if stated, in the ingredients; compare fibre per 100 g. | If I put a wholegrain option on the buffet, I want to be able to explain that choice using the label. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers buying for a hotel buffet. |
| Sugars, sweeteners and salt | Compare sugars and salt per 100 g, and check the ingredients for added sugars or sweeteners. | Hotels offering a range of breakfast flakes want to choose a nutritional profile that suits their buffet. Around 29% of these consumers give this the highest priority. |
| Allergens on the buffet | Check the current allergen information for each product and make sure it remains available with the correct buffet container. | When I refill an open buffet container, I want to be sure guests can get information about its contents. This is the most important buying consideration for around 21% of these consumers. |
| A familiar option | Decide whether to offer a classic cornflake alongside a wholegrain wheat or bran flake; don’t treat them as the same product. | Guests should be able to find a familiar breakfast option as well as a less familiar flake. Around 14% of these consumers make this range consideration their top priority. |
The product name doesn’t tell you whether wholegrain cereals have been used. According to Kellogg's product information, classic Corn Flakes contain 3,0 g of fibre per 100 g; Albert Heijn lists 15 g per 100 g for AH Bran flakes volkoren. These are different types of flakes.
Use a wholegrain claim on the ingredients label as your first check, then compare the fibre per 100 g.
Wholegrain on its own says nothing about the amount of sugar or salt. Albert Heijn lists 12 g of added sugars per 100 g for AH Bran flakes volkoren; Jumbo’s product information lists maltitol and 1,15 g of salt per 100 g for Special Flakes.
Check the nutritional information and ingredients list too, so you can assess sugar, sweeteners and salt separately.
Wheat and barley are present in the flakes discussed here. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, food businesses must inform customers about allergens present in the products they offer.
Keep the current product packaging to hand, match the information to the correct buffet container, and check it again whenever you change products.
These examples show why you should compare the individual flake, not just the brand name: bran flakes, wheat and rice flakes, and cornflakes have different ingredients.
AH Bran flakes volkoren is an example of a wheat and bran flake with an explicit wholegrain claim.
Jumbo Special Flakes combines wholegrain wheat with rice, making it a different type of flake from classic cornflakes.
Kellogg's Corn Flakes is an example of a classic cornflake and a familiar choice for the buffet.
These Joybuy products are cruesli, for a buffet looking to offer a different type of breakfast cereal alongside cornflakes. Treat them as a separate buffet option, not as classic cornflakes; always check the current packaging for ingredients, nutritional information and allergens before serving.
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A cruesli with nuts and seeds to consider as an alternative to cornflakes. Before adding it to the buffet, check the current packaging for ingredients, nutritional information and allergens.
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A cruesli with raisins and hazelnuts for a buffet offering more than one type of breakfast cereal. Make sure the information for guests matches the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging.
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A nutty cruesli to consider as an additional option alongside cornflakes. Check the current packaging to see which ingredients and allergens you need to list with the buffet container.
No, the name cornflakes doesn’t confirm that wholegrain cereals have been used. Check the ingredients and look for an explicit wholegrain claim. Kellogg's product information lists maize for classic Corn Flakes; Albert Heijn and Jumbo both list wholegrain wheat in the alternatives discussed here.
Guests must be able to find out which allergens are present in the breakfast flakes on offer. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority reminds food businesses of their duty to provide this information. For unpackaged buffet products, make the information accessible before consumption and, if explaining it verbally, make it clear that guests can ask you.
No. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g instead. Albert Heijn lists 13 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Bran flakes volkoren, of which 12 g are added sugars. Jumbo lists 1,3 g of sugars per 100 g for Special Flakes, but also includes the sweetener maltitol in the ingredients.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for the product you choose. Albert Heijn recommends storing AH Bran flakes volkoren in a cool, dark, dry place and keeping the pack tightly closed; Kellogg's recommends storing Corn Flakes in a dry place. When refilling, check that the product name and allergen information still match the contents of the buffet container.
