Who is this choice relevant to?

Breakfast and brunch shoppers

Looking for rusks as a crunchy base for sweet toppings. If you want sliced bread for a Sunday meal, that’s a different product choice.

Shoppers comparing rusk bases

Want to compare plain rusks with options such as wholemeal, multiseed or spelt, and check the nutritional information on the specific packs.

Shoppers with questions about allergens or baker’s salt

Check the ingredients on each pack. Bread isn’t always made with baker’s salt, and chocolate sprinkles may contain allergens such as milk and soya.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you need rusks or sliced bread. If you’re choosing rusks with chocolate sprinkles, compare the base and the topping separately.

What to consider What to check Most relevant to
Occasion and product type Do you need crunchy rusks for a separate breakfast, or sliced bread for a meal? ‘Medium sliced’ doesn’t describe a type of rusk. I need sliced bread for a Sunday meal, but rusks for a separate breakfast. Around 42% of consumers put product type and occasion first.
Rusk base Compare the type of grain, ingredients and fibre per 100 g on the specific pack; the product name alone doesn’t give you the full nutritional picture. If I eat rusks regularly, I want to choose the base by grain type and fibre, not just by the topping. Around 33% of consumers put the base first.
Chocolate sprinkles Compare milk and dark chocolate varieties by ingredients, sugars per 100 g, serving size and listed allergens. I want a chocolate flavour I enjoy and need to know what I’m sprinkling on my rusks. Around 25% of consumers put flavour and ingredients first.

Common mistakes

  • Treating rusks as medium-sliced bread

    Rusks and sliced bread are different types of product. If you’re looking for sliced bread for a Sunday meal, comparing rusk varieties by slice thickness won’t help you find it.

    Decide which type of product you need before comparing the options.

  • Using a higher cocoa percentage as a complete nutritional comparison

    The cocoa content helps distinguish between varieties, but it doesn’t tell you how much sugar or saturated fat a portion contains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes chocolate sprinkles as a sweet topping that is high in sugars and saturated fat.

    Use the cocoa content to guide your flavour choice, and also check the nutritional information per 100 g and per serving.

  • Assuming all bread products contain baker’s salt

    According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be baked with baker’s salt. So don’t make assumptions about the ingredients in rusks based on the product category alone, either.

    For a packaged product, check the ingredients list. If you’re buying from a bakery, ask which salt was used.

Brands to consider

De Ruijter

Makes various types of chocolate sprinkles, including milk and dark chocolate varieties.

  • According to Albert Heijn’s product information, De Ruijter Specials Intens Puur contains at least 52% cocoa solids.
  • Check the ingredients and allergens for this variety; ‘intens puur’ (extra dark) doesn’t in itself mean the product is free from milk or soya.

Venz

Offers milk and dark chocolate sprinkles, as well as chocolate flakes.

  • The milk chocolate sprinkles reviewed come in a 400 g pack, making the pack size easy to compare.
  • Check the ingredients and allergens on the pack for the variety you choose, especially if milk or soya is relevant to your decision.

Albert Heijn

Offers own-brand rusks, including varieties made with different grain bases.

  • The range shows that, as well as plain rusks, you can compare options such as wholemeal, multiseed and spelt.
  • The ingredients in AH plain rusks don’t automatically apply to other rusk varieties, so always check the pack you’ve chosen.

Jumbo

Offers own-brand chocolate sprinkles alongside products from other brands.

  • The range reviewed includes 600 g own-brand packs, so you can factor pack size into your choice.
  • Pack size tells you nothing about the ingredients or nutritional value; compare the labels on the specific products for that information.

Related Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are rusks with chocolate sprinkles suitable for a Sunday meal?

Rusks with chocolate sprinkles are different from sliced bread for a meal: they’re rusks with a sweet topping. If you’re looking for something for a separate breakfast or brunch, decide which rusk base and chocolate sprinkles you’d like.

Can I use ‘medium sliced’ to choose rusks?

No, slice thickness isn’t a useful way to compare rusks. Compare rusks by the type of base and check the ingredients and nutritional information on the pack you’ve chosen. If you need bread cut to a particular thickness, look at sliced bread instead.

Does bread always contain iodised baker’s salt?

No, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be baked with baker’s salt. Check the ingredients on the specific bread or rusk product, or ask the baker which salt was used.

Where can I check for allergens in rusks with chocolate sprinkles?

Check both the rusk pack and the chocolate sprinkles pack. Ingredients vary between varieties and recipes can change, so if you have questions about milk, soya or grains, don’t rely on the brand or category name alone.