For a daily after-school snack for children aged 4 to 12, options such as fruit, vegetables or wholemeal bread are a more suitable choice than choosing chocolate flakes based solely on a lower-sugar claim. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists these as snack options. If you do want chocolate flakes, compare the nutritional information for each product. The Jumbo product that stated a 30% sugar reduction was chocolate sprinkles, not flakes.
If your child has a snack on most school days, start by deciding what you want to give them at that time. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists vegetables, fruit, unsalted nuts and wholemeal bread among its snack options.
You want to keep serving sweet sandwich toppings, but you also want to know what the sugar content is being compared with. Check the type of product, too: the Jumbo example with 30% less sugar than regular milk chocolate sprinkles was itself a type of sprinkles, not flakes.
The shape and flavour make a difference to you. Jumbo stocks flakes from various brands, including milk, dark and mixed varieties. Compare the nutritional information for the flakes you’re actually considering.
First decide whether you’re mainly looking for a demonstrable reduction in sugar, choosing a snack for every school day or specifically after flakes. That priority will determine whether you compare flakes, other sandwich toppings or a different snack.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstrably less sugar | Check what the product is being compared with, and look at the sugar content per 100 g and per serving. | I only want to choose sweet sandwich toppings with less sugar when the comparison is clear. For around 46% of these consumers, a demonstrable reduction in sugar comes first. |
| A regular after-school snack | Decide whether you’re choosing a daily snack or want to serve a sweet topping occasionally; consider the snack options recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. | If I give my child a snack on nearly every school day, I mainly want to choose something that suits this regular mealtime. For roughly 36% of these consumers, choosing a daily snack is the top priority. |
| The shape and flavour of chocolate flakes | Check whether you specifically want flakes or would also consider chocolate sprinkles, and compare the flavour you prefer. | I want to keep the shape and flavour of chocolate flakes, even when another sandwich topping carries a sugar claim. For around 18% of these consumers, those qualities matter most. |
Chocolate sprinkles and flakes are different types of sandwich topping. The Jumbo product with a stated 30% reduction was milk chocolate sprinkles, so it isn’t a variety of flakes.
Decide whether the flake shape matters to you. If it does, check any lower-sugar claim on the packaging of a specific flake product.
A lower-sugar claim doesn’t mean sugar-free. Jumbo’s chocolate sprinkles example still contained 42.6 g of sugars per 100 g and 8.5 g per 20 g serving.
Compare the sugar content per 100 g and per serving, read the ingredients and check which product the manufacturer is comparing it with.
Jumbo says that its 200 g Milk Chocolate Sprinkles, Less Sugar is no longer part of its online range. So a product page alone doesn’t confirm that you can order the item.
Check with the retailer to see whether the variety you want is available at the time you’re looking to buy.
For a daily after-school snack, the choice of snack itself matters, too. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists fruit, vegetables, unsalted nuts and wholemeal bread among its snack options.
First choose what you want to serve as a snack, then decide whether a sweet topping is suitable.
These brands can help you identify the different varieties in the chocolate flakes category. Always check any lower-sugar claim for the individual product.
Jumbo stocks a selection of De Ruijter products, including party flakes and white, dark and milk chocolate flakes.
Jumbo stocks Venz varieties such as Rimboe Croco dark/vanilla and Tiger milk/vanilla.
Jumbo stocks Choca Flakes and Choca Flakes Mix in 200 g packs.
Jumbo stocks its own varieties of flakes, including dark, milk and duo flakes. Its separate product with a stated 30% reduction is milk chocolate sprinkles.
No. Less sugar is a comparison; it doesn’t mean that a product contains no sugars. Jumbo said that its milk chocolate sprinkles contained 42.6 g of sugars per 100 g, despite having 30% less sugar than regular milk chocolate sprinkles. So check both the comparison and the nutrition table.
Check the exact claim, which product it’s being compared with, and the sugar content per 100 g and per serving. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that voluntary food information must not be misleading, confusing or ambiguous. The nutritional information can help you put the claim into context.
You can’t tell from a sugar claim alone. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists vegetables, fruit, unsalted nuts and wholemeal bread among its snack options. First decide what you want to serve as a regular snack, then assess sweet toppings separately.
Jumbo says that this chocolate sprinkles product is no longer part of its online range. It’s also not a flake product. When buying, always check the retailer’s latest information for the exact variety you’re looking for.
