Who are these options for?

Festival bakers looking for aniseed sprinkles

For anyone who wants to finish rusks, cupcakes or desserts with crunchy sprinkles and isn’t prioritising sugar reduction.

Organisers with a sugar target

For anyone who wants to check the nutritional information before describing a product as low in sugar, or would rather serve sugar-free sweets than traditional sprinkles.

Visitors mindful of ingredients or portions

For anyone who needs to check the chosen variety for ingredients such as wheat, milk, gelatine or sweeteners, and decide how much to serve.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you need sprinkles or sweets to serve on their own. This will determine which differences in sugar content, texture and ingredients matter to you.

Traditional aniseed sprinkles

Best for: Sprinkling sweetened aniseed over rusks or cakes.

The trade-off: Jumbo lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes and Feest Muisjes. These varieties don’t meet the EU threshold for a ‘low sugar’ claim on solid foods.

Soft sugar-free sweets

Best for: Serving colourful, mouse-shaped sweets on their own instead of using aniseed sprinkles.

The trade-off: Soft Joris mouse-shaped sweets have a different texture and purpose. Check the listed maltitol syrup and gelatine if these ingredients matter to your guests.

What to consider What to check Who it matters to
Sugar content Check the sugars per 100 g and make sure any claim you want to use is appropriate for the product you’ve chosen. If I want to serve less sugar, I need to be able to assess the nutritional values of the specific product. This is a priority for around 42% of consumers.
Purpose and texture Decide whether you’re looking for aniseed sprinkles to top rusks or cakes, or soft sweets to serve on their own. For my festival cakes, I want that familiar aniseed flavour and a crunchy finish, even if reducing sugar isn’t the main priority. This topping function matters most to around 33% of consumers.
Ingredients and portions Check the label of your chosen variety for relevant ingredients and decide how much to serve. When guests have a range of dietary requirements, I want to know what’s in the sprinkles or sweets and how much is being served. Ingredients and portions are the main concern for around 25% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming all sprinkles are the same

    The name can refer to either sweetened aniseed or soft, mouse-shaped sweets. So sugar-free sweets won’t necessarily give you the crunchy, sprinklable finish you’re looking for on rusks or cakes.

    Before comparing nutritional information, decide whether you need a topping or sweets to serve on their own.

  • Assuming less sugar means low in sugar

    Under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, published on EUR-Lex, the ‘low sugar’ claim can only be used for solid foods containing no more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g. Jumbo lists 79 g per 100 g for De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes and Feest Muisjes.

    Check the nutritional information for your chosen variety before making a claim about sugar on a menu or buffet label.

  • Focusing only on sugars

    The product information for De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes lists wheat and milk in the flavouring. Maltitol syrup and gelatine are relevant to the Joris sweets described here; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, high intakes of polyols can cause wind or diarrhoea in some people.

    Check the current packaging for each variety and clearly label relevant ingredients at self-service stations.

Brands to consider

De Ruijter

Traditional sprinkles made from sweetened aniseed, intended as a bread topping or garnish.

  • The Gestampte Muisjes and Feest Muisjes described here are suited to finishing dishes with an aniseed topping.
  • Jumbo lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for both varieties. Also check the ingredients on the specific pack.

Suikerbakkerij Joris

Soft, mouse-shaped sugar-free sweets to serve on their own, rather than as a traditional aniseed bread topping.

  • The sweets described here offer a sugar-free option when you don’t need sprinkles.
  • The variety described contains maltitol syrup and gelatine, and won’t replicate the texture or purpose of crunchy aniseed sprinkles.

Related products at Joybuy

Related products will appear here soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are De Ruijter sprinkles low in sugar?

Not the Gestampte Muisjes and Feest Muisjes checked here: Jumbo lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for both. Under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, solid foods must contain no more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g to be described as low in sugar. Always check the packaging of any other variety.

Can I use sugar-free Joris sweets as sprinkles?

Not as a like-for-like replacement for traditional aniseed sprinkles. The Joris sweets described here are soft, mouse-shaped sweets, while traditional sprinkles are made from sweetened aniseed.

What should I check for a festival buffet?

Check the ingredients and nutritional information for every variety you serve. The De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes described here list wheat and milk in the flavouring; gelatine and maltitol syrup are worth noting in the Joris sweets described here. Clearly label relevant ingredients at self-service stations.

Can I describe sprinkles as low in sugar on a menu?

Only if the claim is appropriate for the specific product. Under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, solid foods must contain no more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g to be described as low in sugar. Check the nutritional information per 100 g for the variety you’ve chosen. The De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes and Feest Muisjes described by Jumbo contain 79 g per 100 g, so they don’t meet this threshold.