De Ruijter Feestmuisjes are not suitable for a strictly sugar-free Sunday breakfast: according to PLUS, they contain 79 g of sugars per 100 g. If you mainly want to keep the aniseed flavour and the fun of sprinkling them, you’ll need to accept that these sprinkles contain sugar. Switching to chocolate sprinkles with less sugar means choosing a different topping, which isn’t automatically sugar-free either. So check the label of any alternative aniseed sprinkles separately.
You’re not just looking for less sugar; you want a topping that meets the requirements for the sugar-free claim. Check the nutritional information to confirm this. The De Ruijter Feestmuisjes described by PLUS don’t meet that requirement.
Aniseed flavour, colour and the fun of sprinkling them are all part of Sunday breakfast for you. Traditional aniseed sprinkles could be a good fit if sugar-free isn’t a strict requirement, but the Feestmuisjes described by PLUS contain sugar.
You want to compare sugar content and don’t necessarily need aniseed sprinkles on the table. Chocolate sprinkles with less sugar are a different type of topping; the words ‘less sugar’ don’t, on their own, mean that a product is sugar-free.
First, decide whether sugar-free is an absolute requirement. Then consider how important the aniseed flavour and the fun of sprinkling them are to your Sunday breakfast.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Genuinely sugar-free | Check the claim on the packaging and the amount of sugars per 100 g. Under the annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the European nutrition claim ‘sugar-free’ allows a maximum of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. | If sugar isn’t an option for my topping, I don’t want to rely on the words ‘less sugar’. Around 50% of consumers genuinely put sugar-free first. |
| The aniseed-sprinkle experience | Think about whether the aniseed flavour and sprinkling them are what matter most. Also check the ingredients and nutritional information of the product you choose. | For my Sunday breakfast, I want the familiar aniseed sprinkles on bread or rusks, even if that means choosing a topping that contains sugar. For around 30% of consumers, that tradition matters most. |
| Less sugar in a different topping | Compare sugars per 100 g and read any warnings on the packaging of products containing polyols. | I can do without the aniseed flavour if I can choose a sweet topping with less sugar. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this trade-off. |
Having less sugar than another product doesn’t mean it meets the threshold for the sugar-free claim. For example, Céréal Hagelslag Puur, listed by Jumbo, contains 7.7 g of sugars per 100 g.
Is sugar-free a strict requirement? Check the amount of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml against the threshold in the annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
Their festive colours and aniseed flavour don’t tell you how much sugar the topping contains. According to PLUS, De Ruijter Feestmuisjes contain 79 g of sugars per 100 g.
Read the ingredients and nutritional information before deciding whether this product is right for your breakfast.
Chocolate sprinkles with less sugar may contain polyols. Jumbo lists maltitols in Céréal Hagelslag Puur and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
If you choose an alternative containing polyols, read the usage warning on the packaging too.
Feestmuisjes are an option if the familiar aniseed flavour and the fun of sprinkling them matter more to you than choosing a sugar-free topping.
An option for finding chocolate sprinkles if you’re ready to move on from aniseed sprinkles and compare sugar content.
Its product listings include both traditional aniseed sprinkles and chocolate sprinkles with less sugar, so you can assess each type of topping separately.
A chocolate-sprinkle option if you don’t need aniseed flavour and want to compare the sugar content of other sweet toppings.
The De Ruijter Feestmuisjes described by PLUS aren’t sugar-free. PLUS describes them as sugared aniseed seeds and lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the packaging of other varieties separately.
No. Under the annex to European Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the sugar-free claim allows a maximum of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. A product with less sugar can still exceed that amount: Jumbo lists 7.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Céréal Hagelslag Puur.
Read the ingredients and the amount of sugars per 100 g, and check whether the packaging carries a usage warning. For Céréal Hagelslag Puur, Jumbo lists maltitols and warns of a possible laxative effect if consumed in excess.
Choose a topping based on the flavour you want and the amount of sugars that fits your requirements. Chocolate sprinkles with less sugar are a different type of topping, not automatically a sugar-free alternative, so check the nutritional information for the variety you choose.
