Choose mini currant buns if you want to divide your office lunch into smaller portions. A regular bun is a good fit if you’re taking one as part of your lunch. Then check the pack for the serving size, nutritional information, allergens and storage instructions for your chosen variety. If you want to freeze buns for several working days, follow the instructions for that specific variety.
If you want to take a portion from the same pack each day, it’s worth checking the number and size of the buns first. For example, PLUS lists a pack of 9 mini currant buns; packs of 6 regular buns are also available.
Check the energy, sugars, fibre and salt per 100 g and per bun. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives an average of 134 kcal for a 50 g currant bun; for a specific bun in your lunch, use the nutritional information on the pack.
Read the list of allergens present and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the pack you’ve chosen. Jumbo lists wheat and milk, among other things, for its raisin and currant buns. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information should appear on the label of pre-packed products.
First, decide how much you want to take for one lunch. Then compare the nutritional information and ingredients of the variety that suits your portion.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Check the weight of each bun and the number in the pack. If you need individually wrapped buns, check the packaging. | If I only want to take one bun for my break, I want to know whether its size will suit my lunch. Portion size would be the main consideration for around 42% of consumers. |
| Nutritional value | Compare energy, sugars, fibre and salt per 100 g and per portion; bear in mind that bun weights can vary. | When putting my lunch together, I want to know what’s in the bun I’ll actually eat. Nutritional value would come first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on the exact pack. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, I need to be able to check the variety I’ve chosen before taking it with me. This would be the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
A difference in weight changes what you get from each bun. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre bases its figures on a 50 g currant bun; Jumbo lists a 65 g portion for its raisin and currant buns.
Check the weight of each bun before comparing energy, sugars, fibre or salt per portion.
Smaller buns are easier to plan as individual portions, but their size doesn’t tell you how much sugar, fibre or salt the variety you’ve chosen contains per 100 g.
Use the size to plan your lunch portions, and check the nutritional information for what’s in the bun.
Allergens and warnings about possible traces can vary between varieties. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the need for allergen information on pre-packed products.
Read the current packaging for the exact variety. If you’re buying unpackaged buns, ask for allergen information before you buy.
The words ‘baker’s salt’ alone don’t tell you how much iodine you’ll get from one currant bun.
Base your choice of ingredients on the label for the specific variety, rather than making a general assumption about currant buns.
Albert Heijn lists both regular and mini varieties of raisin and currant buns.
Jumbo lists a pack of 6 raisin and currant buns.
Lidl lists currant buns in packs of 6 for in-store purchase.
ALDI lists raisin and currant buns in a pack of 6.
PLUS lists, among other options, a pack of 9 mini currant and raisin buns, as well as a longer variety with 8 buns.
A pack containing several currant buns doesn’t tell you whether each bun is individually wrapped. Check the packaging if that matters when taking your lunch with you; product information from retailers including Jumbo, ALDI and PLUS lists the number of buns in each pack.
Read the allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings for the exact variety. For the raisin and currant buns it describes, Jumbo lists wheat and milk, among other things; the information for PLUS varieties may differ. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information should appear on the label of pre-packed products.
No, the words ‘baker’s salt’ alone don’t tell you how much iodine is in each bun. Check the ingredients and any nutritional information on the packaging of the variety you want to buy; don’t assume that one product label applies to all currant buns.
Follow the storage instructions for the variety you’ve chosen. For its longer variety of 8 buns, PLUS says you can freeze them at home on the day you buy them and use them within one month.
