For the traditional new-baby treat, choose rusk with aniseed sprinkles; soft bread is an extra option for guests who would prefer a sandwich. If you want a white-bread flavour with more fibre, compare high-fibre white bread with finely milled wholemeal bread using the information on the current packaging: high-fibre white bread is not automatically wholemeal. If anyone has allergies, check the allergen information for the exact product you’re buying.
If you want a soft, familiar slice of bread, high-fibre white bread may be worth comparing. Check the ingredients and fibre per 100 g on the packaging; a white variety with added fibre is not automatically wholemeal.
Rusk provides the crunchy base for the traditional treat. If you’re shopping in advance, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises storing rusk in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container.
The colour of the bread or the product name is no substitute for product information. Check the current label on packaged bread, and ask about allergens in unpackaged bread before you buy.
First decide whether the crunchy treat is the main priority or whether you’d also like to offer soft bread. Then compare bread varieties like for like and check the ingredients that matter to your guests.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre and type of bread | Compare fibre per 100 g, and read the product name and ingredients list if you’re specifically looking for wholemeal bread. | If I want to serve soft white bread, I want to know how much fibre the variety contains without assuming it’s wholemeal. Around 45% of consumers prioritise this combination. |
| Base for the treat | Choose rusk for a crunchy base; check that you can keep opened rusk dry and tightly sealed. | For a visit to meet the new baby, I want to be able to serve rusk with aniseed sprinkles, even if I shop in advance. This treat is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label on packaged products, or ask about allergen information for unpackaged products. Check the specific product if iodine is relevant to your choice. | I want to check which ingredients and allergens are in the bread or rusk before buying. Around 22% of consumers put this check first. |
A dark colour or a claim that a bread contains extra fibre doesn’t, by itself, mean it’s wholemeal. You could end up with a different product from the one you had in mind.
If you’re specifically looking for wholemeal bread, check the product name and ingredients list. If you’re also comparing fibre, use values for the same quantity.
A slice of bread with aniseed sprinkles has a different texture from rusk with aniseed sprinkles. Wholemeal bread doesn’t provide the same crunchy base either.
Choose rusk if the traditional treat is the main priority, and offer soft bread as an extra option if you like. Store opened rusk in a dry, tightly sealed container, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Ingredients and nutritional information can change. Albert Heijn also points this out in its product information.
Check the packaging of the variety you’ve chosen before buying, especially if fibre, ingredients or allergens are important to your choice.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread through baker’s salt. This doesn’t mean that all bread contains this salt.
If you want to know what applies to a particular loaf, read the product information or ask the baker.
A useful place to start if you want to look at both high-fibre white bread and wholemeal rusk.
A point of comparison for white bread with added fibre.
A place to compare white and wholemeal breads with varieties containing added fibre.
A point of comparison for white, brown, multigrain and wholemeal breads.
A useful place to look at white and wholemeal bread and information about ingredients.
These products suit anyone looking for a crunchy base: two types of wholemeal rusk and a wholemeal crispbread as an alternative product type. If you’re looking for a soft slice of white bread, none of these three products is intended for that.
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For anyone who wants to serve aniseed sprinkles on rusk and is looking for a dark wholemeal variety.
One pack contains 10 pieces. This isn’t soft white bread; check the current packaging for allergens before buying.
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For anyone who wants to stick with traditional rusk and is looking for a wholemeal variety.
One pack contains 13 pieces. Before comparing nutritional values, check what quantity they refer to; also read the current allergen information.
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For anyone considering a crunchy base but who doesn’t necessarily want to serve traditional rusk.
The pack contains 125 g of crispbread. This is a different product type from rusk; check the nutritional values for the quantity stated and read the current allergen information.
No, extra fibre doesn’t automatically make white bread wholemeal. Check the product name and ingredients if you specifically want wholemeal bread; use fibre per 100 g when comparing the nutritional information for different breads.
Choose rusk if you want to serve the traditional crunchy treat. You can also offer soft bread for guests who would prefer a sandwich. Store opened rusk in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Ask for the allergen information for the specific unpackaged bread before buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that information about allergens present must be available where unpackaged food is sold. For packaged bread, read the current label.
No, don’t assume that all bread contains iodised baker’s salt without checking the product information. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread through baker’s salt; check the label or ask the baker about a particular loaf.
