Organisers who want to serve quickly
If you’re serving rusks at a small work meeting, you’ll need to decide in advance between a sharing pack of chocolate sprinkles and individual portions.
Who is this useful for?
Organisers comparing nutritional values
If you want to compare the fibre in plain and wholemeal rusks, or the sugars in different types of chocolate sprinkles, do so without treating one nutritional value as a verdict on the whole combination.
Organisers catering for allergies
If you need to cater for people with an allergy or intolerance, check the ingredients and allergen information for both the rusks and the topping.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide how many rusks you want to put out and how people will help themselves to the chocolate sprinkles. Then choose the rusks and topping separately: choosing wholemeal rusks tells you nothing about the sugars or allergens in the sprinkles.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and serving | Check the number of rusks and choose between a sharing pack of chocolate sprinkles and individual portions. | If I can only prepare the rusks just before the meeting, I want to know how many portions to set out and how I’ll serve the sprinkles. For around 37% of consumers, practical serving is the top priority. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients list and warnings about possible traces on the current packaging of both products. | If someone attending has an allergy or intolerance, I want to be able to check the rusks and chocolate sprinkles I’ve chosen in advance. Around 27% of consumers say this is their top priority. |
| Fibre and sugars | Compare the fibre in the rusks and the sugars in the sprinkles per 100 g; also consider the portion you’ll serve. | If I want to offer wholemeal rusks or a different type of chocolate sprinkles, I compare the nutritional information for the base and topping separately. For around 18% of consumers, this is the most important consideration. |
| Flavour and variety | Check which types of sprinkles are in the pack and check the allergens for each variety. | If people want different flavours, I’d rather offer a choice of sprinkles than one pack for everyone. For around 18% of consumers, variety of flavour is the deciding factor. |
Common misconceptions
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Thinking ‘medium sliced’ describes rusks
Rusks aren’t sliced bread. Searching by slice thickness may lead you to a different type of product from the one you want for rusks with chocolate sprinkles.
Choose rusks by their variety, pack size and how you plan to serve them. Only look for sliced bread if you want to serve sandwiches.
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Assuming dark chocolate sprinkles don’t contain milk
A dark chocolate flavour doesn’t tell you which allergens are present. For example, Albert Heijn’s product information lists milk in the AH and De Ruijter dark chocolate sprinkle varieties reviewed.
Check the ingredients and allergens for the exact variety you’ve chosen, and keep the packaging available when serving.
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Using ‘less sugar’ as a judgement on the whole topping
A comparison with another type of chocolate sprinkles doesn’t tell you how much sugar the chosen variety contains per 100 g or per serving.
Read the nutritional information and check which product a claim is being compared with. Also decide how much chocolate sprinkles you want to offer with each rusk.
Brands to consider
Albert Heijn
The AH products reviewed include plain and wholemeal rusks, as well as dark chocolate sprinkles in the same range.
- According to Albert Heijn’s product information, AH Beschuit volkoren contains 9 g of fibre per 100 g. AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g.
- Choosing a wholemeal base doesn’t change the nutritional value or allergens in the topping. Check the packaging of both products you’ve chosen.
De Ruijter
The products reviewed include intensely dark chocolate sprinkles and Kleintjes packs with different types of sprinkles.
- According to Albert Heijn’s product information, De Ruijter Specials intens puur contains at least 52% cocoa solids. De Ruijter Kleintjes contains eight portions of 15 g and 20 g.
- Allergens vary by variety. For a mixed pack, check the information for each type you choose, too.
Venz
The Venz Hagelslag melk product reviewed is a milk chocolate variety in a sharing pack.
- Albert Heijn’s product information lists a pack size of 400 g and nutritional information per 20 g serving.
- This milk chocolate variety lists milk, lactose and soya. Check the current packaging before serving it to a group.
Related Joybuy products
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Are rusks with chocolate sprinkles enough for a meeting lunch?
Rusks with chocolate sprinkles are more of a sweet snack than a complete meeting lunch. If you’re organising lunch, decide separately what other dishes you’d like to serve; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, chocolate sprinkles are not part of the Wheel of Five.
How do I compare chocolate sprinkles if I’m watching my sugar intake?
Compare the sugars per 100 g and consider how much you’ll serve. According to Albert Heijn, AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g. A comparison on the packaging applies to the reference product named, not to every other type of chocolate sprinkles.
How do I keep rusks crisp until the meeting?
Store rusks somewhere dry and seal the pack well after opening. For AH Beschuit naturel, Albert Heijn recommends keeping them in a sealed tin. Add the topping just before serving if you want to stop them going soft while you prepare.
How can I make allergen information available when serving?
Keep the packaging for both the rusks and chocolate sprinkles available so people can check the ingredients and allergens for the varieties being served. Don’t rely on the word ‘dark’: check for milk and other allergens, too.