For a neighbourhood get-together, offer plain and wholemeal rusks as separate options instead of choosing one combination for everyone. Pick chocolate sprinkles to suit your guests’ tastes, and check the allergen information on the label of each product you choose. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, choosing a wholemeal base doesn’t change the fact that chocolate sprinkles are high in sugars and saturated fat.
If your neighbours have different preferences when it comes to rusks or chocolate sprinkles, you can let them choose the base and topping separately. Jumbo’s range includes different types of rusks as well as several flavours of chocolate sprinkles.
A separate plate of wholemeal rusks gives guests who prefer this type of grain base an alternative to plain rusks. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains the differences between wholemeal and white grain products; choosing wholemeal doesn’t change the chocolate sprinkles themselves.
When sharing food, it’s important to read the packaging for both the rusks and the chocolate sprinkles. Product examples from Albert Heijn and Joybuy list allergens such as gluten-containing cereals, sesame, milk and soya, depending on the product.
First decide whether you’d like to offer a wholemeal option alongside plain rusks. Then choose which flavours of chocolate sprinkles to serve separately, and check the labels before serving.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and texture | Choose clearly different types of rusks or flavours of chocolate sprinkles, such as plain alongside wholemeal, or dark alongside milk chocolate. | If guests have different tastes and texture preferences, I don’t want to decide on one combination for everyone. This freedom of choice is the top priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Wholemeal base | Check that the product is labelled wholemeal and, if you wish, compare the fibre content per 100 g or per serving on the label. | I want to offer a wholemeal option alongside plain rusks. This preference for the base is the main consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Check the ingredients, allergen information and any cross-contamination warnings on both packs. | If guests need to take allergens into account, I want to know what each product contains. Around 20% of consumers put this information first. |
| Quantity and storage | Check how many rusks are in each pack and read the storage instructions; add toppings shortly before serving. | For a small get-together, I don’t want to put out more rusks than necessary, and I want to be able to store the rest properly. This is the most important factor for around 10% of consumers. |
Wholemeal changes the grain base, not the topping’s composition. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that chocolate sprinkles are high in sugars and saturated fat.
Offer wholemeal rusks as a separate base for guests who prefer them, without assuming that this changes the nature of the chocolate sprinkles.
A seeded rusk may contain different allergens from a plain variety, and the ingredients in chocolate sprinkles also vary by product. Albert Heijn lists wheat, oats, barley and sesame in one Bolletje variety.
Read the packaging for each product you choose, and use separate spoons for different toppings.
Adding the toppings in advance limits guests’ ability to choose their rusks and chocolate sprinkles separately during the get-together.
Put out small amounts and top up once guests have chosen a combination. Store opened rusks according to the instructions on the pack.
A chocolate sprinkles brand with dark and milk varieties among the options shown by Jumbo.
A chocolate sprinkles brand with dark, milk and white varieties among the options shown by Jumbo.
A rusk brand with original and wholemeal varieties, making it easy to compare different bases side by side.
A supermarket whose online range includes own-brand chocolate sprinkles and different types of rusks.
These products include wholemeal rusks as a separate base, and dark, milk or mixed chocolate sprinkles. Combine a base and topping to suit your guests’ preferences, and check the packaging before serving.
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A mixed topping for guests who don’t want only dark or milk chocolate sprinkles. This is a topping, so choose rusks separately and check the allergens on the packaging.
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A wholemeal base to offer separately to guests who prefer it to plain rusks. Check the allergen information on the label before serving, even if you’re pairing the rusks with chocolate sprinkles.
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A dark chocolate topping to serve separately for guests who prefer this flavour. Pair it with a rusk base; Joybuy’s product information lists milk and soya as allergens for this variety, so check the current packaging too.
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A milk chocolate topping for guests who prefer it to dark chocolate or a mix. Serve the rusks separately and check the allergen information on the packaging before serving.
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A wholemeal base to offer alongside plain rusks. Choose the chocolate sprinkles separately, and check the current packaging of both products for allergen information.
No. Wholemeal rusks change the grain base, not the topping. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that wholemeal grain products contain more fibre than white grain products, and separately points out that chocolate sprinkles are high in sugars and saturated fat. So choose wholemeal because your guests prefer that base, not because you think it changes the chocolate sprinkles.
Check the allergen information on the current packaging of both products. A Bolletje rusk described by Albert Heijn contains wheat, oats, barley and sesame, among other ingredients; product pages for certain chocolate sprinkles list milk and soya. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly labelled.
Use online product information to help you decide what to buy, but check the packaging of the products you’ve actually bought before serving. Keep the toppings separate and provide a spoon for each one.
Don’t assume that every rusk contains iodised baker’s salt. Information from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority about the use of baker’s salt doesn’t tell you which ingredients are in an individual product; check the ingredients list for the rusks you choose.
Set out the rusks and chocolate sprinkles separately, and top small amounts shortly before serving. Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for opened rusks, so guests can choose a base and topping later in the get-together too.
