Don’t choose traditional aniseed sprinkles just because you’re looking for a lower-sugar treat: PLUS lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Feestmuisjes, while the aniseed sprinkle pages at Albert Heijn and Jumbo show regular De Ruijter varieties. If lower sugar is your main priority, compare the nutritional information for specific products and consider a different type of treat if you can’t find suitable aniseed sprinkles. You’ll have to give up the distinctive look of traditional sprinkles, though.
You’re looking for a festive treat to hand out, but want to be able to assess the sugar content of the product you choose. Nutritional information per 100 g makes it possible to compare similar products, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
You mainly want a familiar topping for something like crispbread or a cake. Traditional sprinkles can work well for this, but that doesn’t automatically make them a lower-sugar choice.
You want to know exactly what’s in the variety you’ve chosen before handing it out. PLUS lists wheat and cereals containing gluten as allergens in De Ruijter Feestmuisjes; always check the packaging for other varieties.
First decide whether lower sugar is essential or whether the traditional look of aniseed sprinkles matters more. Then check the nutritional information, ingredients and practical serving options for the product you’re actually planning to buy.
A good choice when: The familiar topping is more important to your festival treat than a demonstrably lower sugar content.
The trade-off: PLUS lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g and wheat as an allergen for De Ruijter Feestmuisjes; assess other varieties separately.
A good choice when: Lower sugar comes first and you’re happy to look beyond aniseed sprinkles.
The trade-off: An alternative won’t necessarily have the shape or aniseed flavour of traditional sprinkles. Check the nutritional information for the specific product; a shop category name doesn’t tell you enough.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstrably lower sugar | Compare the sugars per 100 g in similar products and read any nutrition claim on the specific product. | If I want to hand out something with less sugar, I want to compare the figures rather than rely on how sweet it tastes. Around 40% of consumers prioritise a demonstrably lower sugar content. |
| Festive presentation | Check whether the chosen topping and base are practical to serve together, and how to store them according to the packaging. | For a familiar-looking treat, I want to keep the colour and shape of aniseed sprinkles on something like crispbread, even if reducing sugar isn’t the deciding factor. For around 30% of consumers, presentation matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging for the exact variety you’ve chosen. | When I’m sharing food with guests, I need to know which ingredients and allergens that variety contains. For around 20% of consumers, checking this is the top priority. |
| Practical shopping | Check the pack size for your chosen variety and whether it’s currently available at your shop. | If I’m organising treats for a festival, I want to know which pack I can buy and whether it’ll be available in time. Around 10% of consumers prioritise practical shopping. |
Taste alone won’t tell you how much sugar a product contains. PLUS lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Feestmuisjes; this figure alone doesn’t let you compare it with another variety.
Compare similar products per 100 g, and read the exact nutrition claim if the packaging promises less sugar.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo have separate categories for sugar-conscious products or sweets with less sugar. Products in those categories aren’t automatically a substitute for traditional aniseed sprinkles.
Check the product type and nutritional information for a specific alternative, and choose it only if the traditional shape isn’t essential.
You need to check the ingredients and allergens for the variety you’ve chosen. PLUS lists wheat and cereals containing gluten in De Ruijter Feestmuisjes.
Before handing them out, read the current packaging for the product you’ve bought, even if you’ve previously looked at a different colour or version.
These names can help you search for aniseed sprinkles, product information or a different treat. Their inclusion doesn’t mean that a lower-sugar variety of aniseed sprinkles is available.
De Ruijter varieties feature on the aniseed sprinkle pages at Albert Heijn and Jumbo, and in the range at PLUS.
The online aniseed sprinkle category shows De Ruijter varieties; Albert Heijn also has a separate category for sugar-conscious products.
The online aniseed sprinkle category shows De Ruijter varieties; a separate category features sweets with less sugar.
PLUS stocks De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles and provides ingredient, allergen and nutritional information for Feestmuisjes.
ALDI describes crispbread as a base for blue or pink aniseed sprinkles.
No, you can’t tell from the type of product alone. PLUS lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Feestmuisjes, with sugar as the first ingredient. Compare another variety using its own nutritional information per 100 g.
For similar products, use the amount of sugars per 100 g as your basis for comparison. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing per 100 g, as serving-size information may use different portion sizes.
Read the exact claim on the specific product and check the accompanying nutritional information. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that nutrition claims about what a product contains must be accurate; the name of a shop category isn’t a claim that applies to every product in it.
Yes, check the allergens on the current packaging for the exact variety you’re handing out. PLUS lists wheat and cereals containing gluten for De Ruijter Feestmuisjes; don’t assume other aniseed sprinkles have the same ingredients.
