Choose aniseed sprinkles for decoration and check the Fairtrade status separately for the chocolate you use in your spiced biscuits. The ingredients listed by Albert Heijn for De Ruijter Blue and White Aniseed Sprinkles contain no cocoa. For chocolate or chocolate-coated spiced biscuits, check the packaging to see which ingredients the Fairtrade mark applies to, and read the allergen information for every ingredient.
You want to use aniseed sprinkles as decoration, while assessing the chocolate’s origin separately. The ingredients listed by Albert Heijn for De Ruijter Blue and White Aniseed Sprinkles do not include cocoa, so check the Fairtrade mark on any chocolate you add.
You don’t want to melt chocolate yourself and are looking for chocolate-coated spiced biscuits with a clear indication of their cocoa sourcing. PLUS explicitly states Fairtrade Cocoa on its milk chocolate-coated spiced biscuits; the packaging is the best guide to the variant you buy.
You’re combining decoration with other ingredients and need to be able to check the labels for anyone who’ll be eating them. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the importance of food labelling for people with food allergies; read the ingredients and warnings for both the aniseed sprinkles and the chocolate.
First decide whether you want to pair loose aniseed sprinkles with your own choice of chocolate or use ready-made chocolate-coated spiced biscuits. Then check the cocoa statement and the labels on the products you’ll actually use in your bake.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Check the mark on the chocolate you choose. Fairtrade Netherlands advises you to read the explanation on the back if there’s an arrow next to the logo: it clarifies which ingredients are covered and how they’re sourced. | When I choose chocolate for my bake, I want to know what the Fairtrade statement applies to, not just see a general message. For around 46% of consumers, verifiable Fairtrade cocoa comes first. |
| Decoration and preparation | Choose between loose aniseed sprinkles for decoration and chocolate-coated spiced biscuits that are already prepared. Consider whether you also want to melt or otherwise use chocolate. | For the finishing touches, I want to combine the sprinkles and chocolate myself, or keep the preparation steps to a minimum. Around 27% of consumers prioritise this choice of decoration and preparation. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list and any allergen warnings for every product. | If someone eating the food has an allergy, I want to be able to assess each ingredient. This check is the top priority for around 27% of consumers. |
The ingredients listed by Albert Heijn for De Ruijter Blue and White Aniseed Sprinkles are sugar, aniseed, wheat starch and glucose syrup; cocoa isn’t listed. What’s more, a Fairtrade statement on your chocolate says nothing about the separate decoration.
Choose the sprinkles for their decorative purpose and assess the chocolate for your bake separately.
For a product with several ingredients, it’s important to know which ones the Fairtrade statement applies to.
Look for the mark on the packaging you choose. If there’s an arrow next to the logo, Fairtrade Netherlands also advises reading the explanation on the back about the ingredients and sourcing method.
A topping is still part of what you serve. The De Ruijter sprinkles we looked at list wheat starch; the PLUS milk chocolate-coated spiced biscuits we looked at list wheat, milk and soya, among other ingredients.
Read the ingredients list and allergen warnings on the packaging of every product you use.
Seasonal varieties can vary by shop and time of year. A product page you viewed earlier doesn’t guarantee you’ll find the same packaging in store.
Before you start baking, check that the variety you want is available and read the mark and ingredients on the current packaging.
Aniseed sprinkles for decoration, separate from your choice of chocolate for your bake.
Ready-made milk chocolate-coated spiced biscuits as an alternative to adding chocolate yourself.
A shop to consider when choosing separate chocolate for home baking.
A shop to consider for seasonal chocolate as a separate baking ingredient.
Another ready-made option with chocolate-coated spiced biscuits.
This dark chocolate suits the option where you choose your chocolate separately and use aniseed sprinkles for decoration. Before buying the bar for your bake, check the Fairtrade mark and the explanation on the packaging.
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This bar lets you choose your chocolate separately from the sprinkles. The product description states that it’s Fairtrade; check the current packaging to see what the mark applies to. If you have allergies, also check the ingredients and warnings, particularly those about soya and possible traces of other allergens.
The Blue and White Aniseed Sprinkles we looked at aren’t a chocolate product: the ingredients listed by Albert Heijn contain no cocoa. Don’t use the ingredients list for this variety as proof of a Fairtrade cocoa claim; check the chocolate separately.
According to Fairtrade Netherlands, if there’s an arrow next to the Fairtrade logo, the explanation on the back helps you check which ingredients and sourcing method the statement applies to. This is particularly important when you buy a chocolate product with several ingredients.
Yes, if ready-made chocolate-coated spiced biscuits suit the finish you want. PLUS states that its milk chocolate-coated spiced biscuits contain Fairtrade Cocoa; however, you’re choosing the existing chocolate coating and ingredients of that product, rather than a chocolate layer you can put together yourself.
Read the current labels on both the aniseed sprinkles and every chocolate product you use. The De Ruijter sprinkles we looked at list wheat starch, while the PLUS milk chocolate-coated spiced biscuits we looked at list wheat, milk and soya, among other ingredients. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre stresses that food labelling is important for people with food allergies.
Store the aniseed sprinkles in a dry place. The product information for the PLUS chocolate-coated spiced biscuits we looked at says to store them in a cool, dry and dark place. Always follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the products you buy.
