If you want to stock up on snacks for rusks and make Fairtrade your priority, choose chocolate sprinkles based on the Fairtrade logo and the information on the packaging, not just the brand name. Rainforest Alliance may be an option if Fairtrade isn’t a strict requirement, but it is a different certification. Also check the nutritional information, portion size and allergens for each product: a cocoa certification tells you nothing about these.
You want to check whether the cocoa in the chocolate sprinkles is Fairtrade-certified. So look for the logo and read the information on the packaging. According to Milieu Centraal’s Keurmerkenwijzer, a Fairtrade logo on a white background may apply only to a certified ingredient.
You want certified cocoa in your cupboard, but Fairtrade isn’t a strict requirement. In that case, Rainforest Alliance is another option. According to Milieu Centraal’s Keurmerkenwijzer, this certification focuses on areas including nature conservation and social conditions.
You serve chocolate sprinkles on rusks and also want to check the sugars and fats per portion, as well as the allergens in the product you choose. Product information from Fairtrade Original, Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows why it’s important to check each pack: ingredients and allergen information vary between products.
First decide whether Fairtrade is a requirement for the chocolate sprinkles in your cupboard. Then compare the nutritional information and allergens of the products that meet your criteria.
| What to consider | What to check | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Look for the Fairtrade logo. If there are several ingredients, read which ones the certification applies to. | I only want to choose chocolate sprinkles for my cupboard if it’s clear that the cocoa is Fairtrade-certified. This would be the main priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Another cocoa certification | Check whether the specific product states that its cocoa is Rainforest Alliance-certified; this is not Fairtrade certification. | If Fairtrade isn’t a strict requirement, I also want to consider products with another recognised cocoa certification. This freedom of choice would come first for around 30% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information and allergens | Compare sugars and fats per 100 g and per portion, and check the latest allergen information. | When having rusks as a snack, I mainly want to know what’s in a portion of chocolate sprinkles and which allergens are relevant to my household. This would be the first consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
A statement that the cocoa is Rainforest Alliance-certified doesn’t confirm that the chocolate sprinkles are Fairtrade-certified. The certifications have different requirements and areas of focus.
If Fairtrade is a strict requirement for you, look for the Fairtrade logo on the packaging. If the product has several ingredients, read the accompanying information too.
Cocoa certification doesn’t automatically change a product’s nutritional value. Fairtrade Original states that its Hagelslag Puur contains 65,8 g of sugars and 9,2 g of saturated fat per 100 g.
Consider the certification separately from the nutritional information, how much you put on a rusk and the allergen information.
For its 200 g chocolate sprinkles, Jumbo states that the product contains at least 30% less sugar than Jumbo Hagelslag Puur. This claim doesn’t compare the product with every other brand.
Check which product is used as the reference and compare the per-100 g values on the packs you’re actually considering.
A relevant product range if Fairtrade is your first selection criterion. Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur comes in a 380 g pack and contains at least 32% cocoa solids.
The Specials Intens Puur product reviewed is a chocolate sprinkles product with at least 52% cocoa solids, according to Albert Heijn’s product information.
The Venz Hagelslag Puur product reviewed is sold in a 400 g pack and states that it contains at least 32% cocoa solids.
According to Jumbo, the 200 g chocolate sprinkles reviewed combine Rainforest Alliance cocoa with a reduced-sugar claim.
ALDI describes Kiekeboe Hagelslag Puur as a 600 g pack containing Rainforest Alliance cocoa.
Look for the Fairtrade logo on the current packaging and, if there are several ingredients, read the accompanying information. According to Milieu Centraal’s Keurmerkenwijzer, a logo on a white background may apply only to a Fairtrade-certified ingredient, not the whole product. A brand name or general reference to fair trade is not a substitute.
No. Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade are different certifications. Milieu Centraal’s Keurmerkenwijzer notes that Rainforest Alliance focuses on areas including nature conservation and social conditions; Fairtrade also focuses on the position of farmers in the supply chain. Choose a Rainforest Alliance product only if Fairtrade isn’t a strict requirement for you.
A cocoa certification doesn’t make chocolate sprinkles a recommended everyday food. The Voedingscentrum highlights the sugars and saturated fats in chocolate sprinkles and advises not eating them too much or too often. When stocking up, check the nutritional value per portion too.
No, the Dutch regulation cited doesn’t require every rusk product to contain iodine. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may only be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products through added baker’s salt. The maximum is 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt.
Read the allergen information on the current packaging of the specific product. The Venz Hagelslag Puur product reviewed lists milk and soya; Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur states that it may contain milk. Don’t assume another product or updated packaging will have the same ingredients.
