For a childcare lunch, don’t choose on the basis of a dark cocoa flavour alone. First, check the labels on both the chocolate sprinkles and the rusks against the setting’s allergy policy and dietary requirements. Then decide what portion suits the lunch menu. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, chocolate sprinkles are not included in the Wheel of Five and are not an everyday topping. A higher cocoa percentage doesn’t change that.
They want to check the ingredients and allergen warnings on the current packaging against the childcare setting’s dietary requirements. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information for prepacked foods must appear on the label.
They want to include chocolate sprinkles in a varied lunch menu without making them a regular topping. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre does not include chocolate sprinkles in the Wheel of Five.
They want to control how much chocolate sprinkles each child gets. Individual portions can be useful; for example, Albert Heijn lists De Ruijter Kleintjes as containing eight portions. If you choose this type of pack, check exactly which variety of chocolate sprinkles it contains.
Before serving rusks with dark chocolate sprinkles, first check that both products meet the childcare setting’s dietary requirements. Next, decide how often you want to serve them and what portion size to offer. Only then compare the cocoa flavour you’re looking for.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and childcare policy | Read the ingredients and allergen warnings on the current packaging of both the chocolate sprinkles and the rusks. Check them against the setting’s dietary requirements. | If a child has a recorded allergy, I want to make sure both products meet the childcare setting’s requirements before serving them. This is the top priority for around 44% of consumers. |
| Frequency and portion size | Decide in advance how chocolate sprinkles fit into the lunch menu and how much each child will be given. | If chocolate sprinkles are an occasional lunch treat, I want to avoid them becoming the usual topping by default. This is the top consideration for around 33% of consumers. |
| Cocoa flavour and packaging | Compare the stated cocoa content and pack size of the exact variety. | If I’m specifically looking for a dark cocoa flavour, I want to choose a variety whose packaging clearly tells me what I’m buying. Around 23% of consumers prioritise this choice of flavour and pack size. |
The cocoa percentage describes the composition of a variety, not its place in the lunch menu. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre does not include chocolate sprinkles in the Wheel of Five and advises not eating them too much or too often.
Choose a dark variety for the flavour you want, but decide how often to serve it and what portion to offer independently of the cocoa percentage.
Ingredients and warnings can vary between varieties or change over time. The ingredients list for De Ruijter Specials Hagelslag Intens Puur at Albert Heijn includes milk fat and soya lecithin, and warns that it may contain milk protein and lactose.
Read the packaging of the product you’re actually choosing and follow the childcare setting’s allergy protocol.
The ingredients listed by Albert Heijn for De Ruijter Specials Hagelslag Intens Puur do not include a gluten-containing ingredient. That tells you nothing about every variety of chocolate sprinkles or the rusks you put them on.
Check the ingredients and relevant allergen warnings on both packs separately.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s information about iodised baker’s salt relates to bread. Bakers are not required to use this salt, so that information does not tell you the iodine content of chocolate sprinkles or of the rusks you choose.
Assess the nutritional information for the rusks and chocolate sprinkles as two separate products.
Offers several named varieties of dark chocolate sprinkles, with differences in stated cocoa content and packaging.
A brand to consider when comparing dark chocolate sprinkles; Jumbo lists Venz Puur Chocolade Hagelslag in a 400 g pack.
Sells AH Hagelslag Puur under its own label and also provides product information for other brands mentioned here.
Lists dark chocolate sprinkles under its own label in several pack sizes.
These Joybuy products are dark chocolate sprinkles for anyone who wants to make their own rusks with chocolate sprinkles; rusks are not included. Before using them at a childcare setting, check the labels of both products and the rules on serving portions to each child.
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An option if you’re looking for intensely dark chocolate sprinkles for your rusks and want to portion them out yourself.
200 g pack; the chocolate sprinkles are not individually portioned for each child. Check the current packaging for ingredients and allergen warnings before using this product at a childcare setting.
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An option if you want to use dark chocolate sprinkles for several lunches and decide on the portion sizes yourself.
390 g pack. If the intensity of the flavour matters to you, compare the cocoa content on the packaging. Also check the current ingredients and allergen warnings.
You can’t assume that every combination is the same. The ingredients list for De Ruijter Specials Hagelslag Intens Puur, as shown by Albert Heijn, does not include a gluten-containing ingredient. This doesn’t establish anything about other varieties or the rusks. Before serving them at a childcare setting, check the current labels of both products, including any relevant allergen warnings.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, chocolate sprinkles are not included in the Wheel of Five and shouldn’t be eaten too much or too often. So it’s better to treat rusks with chocolate sprinkles as an occasional option rather than a regular part of the lunch menu.
Check the ingredients and allergen warnings for both the chocolate sprinkles and the rusks you’ve chosen, and compare them with the recorded dietary requirements. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information for prepacked foods must appear on the label. Whether a product can be used at the childcare setting also depends on its policies.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s information about iodised baker’s salt relates to bread, and bakers are not required to use it. If it matters for your product choice, check the rusks you’ve chosen separately; don’t infer the nutritional value of the chocolate sprinkles from it.
