If your conference buffet needs genuinely sugar-free chocolate sprinkles, choose a product containing no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. That’s the limit set by European nutrition claims rules. ‘Less sugar’ is not the same thing: according to Jumbo, Céréal Dark and Milk contain 7.7 g and 14.5 g of sugars per 100 g respectively. If you’re considering a less-sugar option, check the ingredients, allergens and product warnings before serving it unpackaged.
If the menu or client agreement specifies ‘sugar-free’, the nutrition information for your chosen chocolate sprinkles must meet that requirement. The European limit for this claim is no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; ‘less sugar’ does not mean a product meets it.
If you don’t need to make a sugar-free claim, you can compare dark and milk chocolate sprinkles by flavour and sugars per 100 g. If you’re considering varieties containing polyols, check the ingredients and product warning too.
If you’re serving loose chocolate sprinkles or pre-topped rolls, guests must be able to find out which allergens are present. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority requires this information to be available where unpackaged products are offered.
First decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is a firm requirement. Then consider what ingredients information and serving method will work best for your conference buffet.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Check the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g. Under European nutrition claims rules, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If I label the buffet ‘sugar-free’, I want the chocolate sprinkles I choose to meet that limit. Around 42% of consumers put an accurate sugar-free claim first. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Check the current ingredients, allergens and any warnings for each product, and make allergen information accessible when serving unpackaged food. | At an open buffet, I want to be able to tell guests which allergens the chocolate sprinkles contain before they choose. For around 33% of consumers, this information is their top priority. |
| Flavour and serving method | Compare dark and milk varieties by sugars per 100 g, and consider whether your chosen variety suits what you’re serving. Don’t present a less-sugar product as sugar-free. | If a sugar-free claim isn’t required, I want to choose a flavour that suits my buffet without overlooking the difference in sugar content. This is the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
The European limit for a sugar-free claim is no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. According to Jumbo, Céréal Dark and Milk contain 7.7 g and 14.5 g of sugars per 100 g respectively, so neither meets the criteria for a strictly sugar-free selection.
Check the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g before using the word ‘sugar-free’ on a buffet sign.
Jumbo’s product information lists soya and possible traces of milk for Céréal Dark, and milk and soya for Céréal Milk. Both varieties contain maltitol and carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Before the event, check the current ingredients list, allergens and warnings for the variety you’ll actually be serving.
In the Netherlands, information about allergens present in unpackaged food must be available where it is offered, according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
Make the information available in writing or electronically at the buffet. If you choose to provide it verbally, first check that you meet the NVWA’s requirements.
Jumbo lists 200 g packs of Céréal Dark and Milk chocolate sprinkles. They’re worth comparing if less sugar is enough, but not if your buffet must be sugar-free.
Albert Heijn lists its own product, AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker (AH Dark Chocolate Sprinkles, Less Sugar).
Jumbo lists its own 200 g Hagelslag Melk Minder Suiker (Milk Chocolate Sprinkles, Less Sugar), as well as product information for the Céréal varieties.
Albert Heijn lists a Venz milk chocolate variety labelled ‘30% less sugar’.
In the Netherlands, European rules allow the nutrition claim ‘sugar-free’ only if chocolate sprinkles contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the ‘of which sugars’ value in the current nutrition information; ‘less sugar’ is not the same thing.
Not as sugar-free chocolate sprinkles. Jumbo lists 7.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Céréal Dark and 14.5 g per 100 g for Céréal Milk, both above the European limit of 0.5 g per 100 g. Consider them only if less sugar is sufficient and you’re not making a sugar-free claim.
Make information about the allergens present available where you’re serving the unpackaged chocolate sprinkles. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, you can provide it in writing, electronically or, subject to certain conditions, verbally. Check the packaging you’re using: Jumbo lists soya and possible traces of milk for Céréal Dark, and milk and soya for Céréal Milk.
The Céréal varieties described by Jumbo contain maltitol and carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Include this product warning in the information you prepare for the buffet.
