Is Fairtrade certification on your chocolate sprinkles an absolute must for the rusk you have with your coffee? If so, the 380 g Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur we looked at meets that requirement: Albert Heijn and Jumbo list Fairtrade certification for this specific variety. The pure chocolate sprinkles from De Ruijter and Venz that we looked at list Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa, which is a different certification. Whichever you choose, check the current allergen information and nutritional values per serving.
You want the chocolate sprinkles themselves to carry the certification, rather than relying on a brand’s general sustainability claim. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list Fairtrade certification for the Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur we looked at. Check the exact variety on the pack when you buy it.
You’re looking for pure chocolate sprinkles to put on rusks and want to know which certification applies to each variety. According to Albert Heijn, the pure varieties from De Ruijter and Venz that we looked at use Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa. This does not meet a requirement for Fairtrade certification.
You want to have chocolate sprinkles with your coffee, but also need to check the allergen information and how much you use. Compare the current packaging and the nutritional information per serving and per 100 g.
First decide whether Fairtrade certification is essential. Then check the allergens and compare the portion you plan to put on your rusk.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Especially relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade certification | Check the certification for the exact flavour and pack. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list it for the 380 g Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur. | I want the chocolate sprinkles on my rusk to carry Fairtrade certification. This would be the first thing around 50% of consumers look for when buying. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and both the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements on the current pack. | I need to avoid milk or soya and don’t want to rely on the word ‘pure’. For around 20% of consumers, checking the ingredients would therefore come first. |
| Portion size and nutritional value | Compare the portion size and nutritional information, including sugars and fats, per serving and per 100 g. | I sprinkle chocolate on a rusk to have with my coffee and want to know how much I’m using. Around 30% of consumers would weigh up the portion size and nutritional value first. |
The pure varieties from De Ruijter and Venz that we looked at list Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa, while Albert Heijn and Jumbo list Fairtrade certification for Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur. One certification does not mean a product carries the other.
Check the certification on the pack of the variety you’re actually buying.
The Fairtrade Original Puur we looked at may contain milk. According to the product information on Albert Heijn, the pure varieties from De Ruijter and Venz that we looked at contain milk and soya.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information for the specific product, even if it says ‘pure’.
Fairtrade certification doesn’t tell you about a product’s nutritional value. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre excludes chocolate sprinkles from its Wheel of Five healthy eating guidelines and highlights their sugar and saturated fat content.
Assess the certification and nutritional information separately, and compare the values for the amount you put on your rusk.
The fact that iodine compounds are permitted in bakery products under rules set by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority tells you nothing about the iodine content of a particular pack of rusks. The chocolate sprinkles’ certification won’t tell you either.
Don’t treat the combination of rusks and chocolate sprinkles as proof of a particular iodine intake.
The 380 g Hagelslag Puur we looked at is worth considering if Fairtrade certification on the specific product is essential.
The 390 g Chocoladehagel Puur we looked at offers a different certification option for shoppers comparing pure chocolate sprinkles.
The 400 g Hagelslag Puur we looked at is an option to compare if Fairtrade certification isn’t a must.
Here, Albert Heijn is a retailer where you can compare the certifications of individual products, not a certification for its range as a whole.
Check for Fairtrade certification on the exact flavour and pack. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list it for the 380 g Fairtrade Original Hagelslag Puur. The Rainforest Alliance certification on the pure varieties from De Ruijter and Venz that we looked at is a different certification.
Not necessarily: the Fairtrade Original Puur we looked at may contain milk, while the pure varieties from De Ruijter and Venz that we looked at contain milk and soya according to Albert Heijn. Check the current allergen information on the pack you’re buying.
Think about how much you actually sprinkle on and compare it with the portion size on the pack. Nutritional values per 100 g help you compare products side by side; values per serving are useful for checking the amount you eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre excludes chocolate sprinkles from its Wheel of Five healthy eating guidelines.
No, not without information about the specific rusk. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says iodine compounds are permitted in bakery products, but that doesn’t confirm the iodine content of every product. Fairtrade certification on the chocolate sprinkles says nothing about iodine.
