Parents looking for sugar-free toppings
If sugar-free is a must, the product’s label isn’t the only thing to consider. Check whether it’s a topping for bread or crispbread, rather than sweets shaped like little mice.
Who is this distinction important for?
Families putting together a school breakfast
If you’re considering aniseed sprinkles as a festive finishing touch, first decide what the rest of the breakfast will be. The Dutch Nutrition Centre advises that children aged 4 to 12 should mainly have foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five at breakfast and lunch.
Buyers looking for traditional aniseed sprinkles
If you’re after the familiar crunchy aniseed sprinkles for bread or crispbread, bear in mind that they have a sugar coating. Check the allergen information for your chosen variety too; Albert Heijn lists wheat in the ingredients of De Ruijter Feestmuisjes.
What should you look for when choosing?
When choosing aniseed sprinkles for the start of the school year, first decide whether you mean a bread topping or sweets. Then think about the product’s place in breakfast and read the label on the variety you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free and suitable as a topping | Read the product description and check the sugar-free claim, ingredients and sugars per 100 g on the current packaging. | I’m looking for a sugar-free topping for a school breakfast and don’t want to accidentally buy sweets with the same name. For around 38% of consumers asking this question, this distinction comes first. |
| Its place in breakfast | First decide what the main part of breakfast will be, then consider the role of a sweet topping. | When I’m putting together breakfast for a school day, I don’t want a festive topping to replace the main part of the meal. For around 37% of consumers asking this question, the make-up of breakfast is the priority. |
| Traditional aniseed sprinkles and allergens | Check whether the variety consists of aniseed with a sugar coating, and read the allergen information on the packaging. | I want the crunchy aniseed sprinkles I know, and need to know which ingredients are in the variety I’ve chosen. This traditional product choice comes first for around 25% of consumers asking this question. |
Common mistakes
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Mistaking sugar-free sweets shaped like mice for aniseed sprinkles
Sweets retailer Snoepman describes Joris Muisjes Suikervrij as soft sweets containing ingredients including maltitol syrup and gelatine. Traditional aniseed sprinkles are aniseed with a sugar coating, so the same name doesn’t mean they’re used in the same way.
If you’re looking for a topping for bread or crispbread, check the product category and how it’s intended to be used.
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Assuming a festive topping is sugar-free
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, De Ruijter Feestmuisjes aren’t sugar-free: they contain 79 g of sugars per 100 g, and sugar is listed first in the ingredients.
For the variety you’ve chosen, compare the claim on the packaging with the nutritional information per 100 g.
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Thinking of the topping as the main part of breakfast
The Dutch Nutrition Centre advises that children aged 4 to 12 should mainly have foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five at breakfast and lunch. Aniseed sprinkles as a festive finishing touch don’t, on their own, determine what makes up breakfast.
First decide what the main part of the school breakfast will be, then choose whether you’d like to add aniseed sprinkles as a topping.
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Overlooking allergens in traditional aniseed sprinkles
Albert Heijn lists wheat in the ingredients of De Ruijter Feestmuisjes. The name or appearance of aniseed sprinkles won’t tell you which allergens a particular variety contains.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of every variety you choose.
Brands to help you choose
De Ruijter
De Ruijter makes traditional aniseed sprinkles, which are used as a topping or decoration.
- PLUS describes De Blauwe & Witte Muisjes as aniseed with a crunchy sugar coating.
- The traditional varieties we checked aren’t suitable if you’re looking for a sugar-free option. Albert Heijn lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g and wheat in the ingredients for Feestmuisjes.
Suikerbakkerij Joris
Sweets retailer Snoepman describes Joris Muisjes Suikervrij as soft sweets shaped like little mice.
- Snoepman labels the product as sugar-free and lists maltitol syrup and gelatine among its ingredients.
- These sweets aren’t the same type of product as crunchy aniseed sprinkles for bread or crispbread. Before buying, check the current packaging and how you intend to use them.
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Frequently asked questions
Are traditional De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles sugar-free?
No, the traditional varieties we checked aren’t sugar-free. Albert Heijn lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Feestmuisjes; always check the packaging of any other variety.
Can you use Joris Muisjes Suikervrij as a bread topping?
Don’t treat them as a like-for-like substitute for crunchy aniseed sprinkles on bread. Snoepman describes Joris Muisjes Suikervrij as soft sweets containing maltitol syrup and gelatine; read the product description if you’re specifically looking for a topping.
Does a sugar-free sweet automatically belong in a school breakfast?
No, the sugar-free label doesn’t tell you what role a product can play at breakfast. The Dutch Nutrition Centre advises that children aged 4 to 12 should mainly have foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five at breakfast and lunch; consider the main part of breakfast separately from any topping you might add.
Where can you check allergens in traditional aniseed sprinkles?
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the specific variety. Albert Heijn lists wheat for De Ruijter Feestmuisjes; don’t assume that every product called aniseed sprinkles has the same ingredients.