Choose crushed aniseed sprinkles for King’s Day if you mainly want that familiar aniseed flavour. If you want less sugar, compare the nutritional information for similar products per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. You may need to choose a different type of topping. Chocolate sprinkles with a ‘less sugar’ claim are not the same product as crushed aniseed sprinkles.
You want a festive topping, but you check the nutritional information to see how much sugar it contains before deciding. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products per 100 g rather than relying on per-serving figures alone.
You’re specifically looking for crushed aniseed sprinkles to put on rusks or use as a topping. An alternative such as chocolate sprinkles may be worth considering if you want less sugar, but it’s a different type of product.
You want enough sprinkles for several treats, and you’re checking the net weight and presentation. For example, Jumbo lists De Ruijter Crushed Aniseed Sprinkles in a 270 g pack and Party Aniseed Sprinkles in a 330 g pack; pack size tells you nothing about the sugar content.
Decide whether sugar content, traditional aniseed flavour or presentation for a group matters most to you. Then check the label of the product you actually want to buy.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Less sugar | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g for similar products, and check what any ‘less sugar’ claim refers to. | If I want to use less sugar, I need to be able to compare the values on the labels, even if that means choosing a different type of topping. For around 42% of consumers, being able to check the sugar content in this way would be the top priority. |
| Aniseed flavour and product type | Check that the pack contains crushed aniseed sprinkles, and read the ingredients and allergen information. | I want to keep the aniseed flavour and use of crushed aniseed sprinkles, even if another topping carries a sugar claim. This product choice would come first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Presentation and quantity | Check the net weight and type of sprinkles; don’t assume a festive variety contains less sugar. | For a treat to share with several people, I want enough sprinkles to suit my King’s Day presentation. This would be the most important purchase consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn lists chocolate sprinkles with ‘less sugar’ under its sugar-conscious spreads. That doesn’t make them crushed aniseed sprinkles, and it tells you nothing about the nutritional value of regular aniseed sprinkles.
Decide whether aniseed flavour or a lower sugar content matters more to you. Then check the product name and compare the nutritional information for similar products per 100 g.
It’s difficult to compare per-serving figures when the serving sizes differ. The net weight of a pack also doesn’t tell you how much sugar the product contains per 100 g.
Compare ‘of which sugars per 100 g’ for similar products. Check the net weight separately to work out how many sprinkles you need.
If you’re buying for someone with a food allergy, the information on the product you choose matters. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked foods is shown on the label.
Read the current label before serving the treat, even if you’ve bought the product before.
According to the Dutch government, King’s Day falls on 27 April. The festive varieties available may differ from one year to the next and from shop to shop.
Check the products available and their current labels again for the King’s Day you’re shopping for.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo list De Ruijter Crushed Aniseed Sprinkles; Jumbo also lists Party Aniseed Sprinkles as a separate variety.
Albert Heijn lists De Ruijter Crushed Aniseed Sprinkles and Party Aniseed Sprinkles, as well as chocolate sprinkles under its sugar-conscious spreads.
Jumbo lists De Ruijter Crushed Aniseed Sprinkles in a 270 g pack and Party Aniseed Sprinkles in a 330 g pack in its aniseed sprinkles category.
For similar products, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this basis because per-serving figures can be harder to compare.
Read the allergen information on the packaging of the product you’re going to serve. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, this information must appear on the label of prepacked foods.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack and seal it carefully after use. Jumbo’s listing for De Ruijter Party Aniseed Sprinkles says they should be stored in a dry place.
Check the range again before shopping for a future King’s Day. The Dutch government gives 27 April as the date of King’s Day, but previous product listings don’t tell you which festive varieties your shop will offer then.
