If you want genuinely sugar-free chocolate sprinkles for a board game night, check that the product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, this is the limit for using the ‘sugar-free’ claim on solid foods. Sprinkles labelled ‘less sugar’ don’t automatically meet this requirement. For example, Céréal Hagelslag Puur lists 7.7 g of sugars and 40 g of polyols per 100 g. If everyone will be sharing, also check for a warning about excessive consumption and review the allergens in your chosen product.
For you, the amount of sugars is a firm limit. Check the nutritional information per 100 g; the words ‘less sugar’ on the front of the pack aren’t enough to tell you whether the sprinkles are sugar-free.
You want to serve chocolate sprinkles with bread, yoghurt or a dessert, and compare the sugar content per 100 g. If you’re sharing with several guests, also check the ingredients and the information per serving.
When you’re sharing food, you’ll want to know which sweeteners and allergens a product contains. So check the ingredients list, allergen information and any warnings on the packaging before serving.
First decide whether sugar-free is a firm requirement. If less sugar is enough, compare the figures per 100 g, then check whether the sweeteners and allergens are suitable for everyone who’ll be eating.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Genuinely sugar-free | Check that ‘of which sugars’ is no more than 0.5 g per 100 g. Treat ‘less sugar’ as a separate claim, not as proof that the product meets this limit. | If I only want to serve sugar-free sprinkles, I don’t want to rely on a claim about a relative reduction; for around 50% of consumers, genuinely sugar-free comes first. |
| Sugar reduction and polyols | Compare ‘of which sugars’ and ‘of which polyols’ per 100 g, and read any warning about excessive consumption. | I want to limit the amount of sugars, but I also need to know whether I’m putting sprinkles containing polyols on the table; around 30% of consumers give this combination top priority. |
| Sharing and allergens | Read the current allergen information and check the serving details on the packaging. | When guests are sharing the same topping or dessert, I want to check in advance which ingredients may matter to them; this is the most important consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
A reduction is measured against another product. Albert Heijn lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Hagelslag Puur Minder Suiker, despite claiming 30% less sugar than AH chocoladehagel puur. That’s above the 0.5 g per 100 g limit for the ‘sugar-free’ claim under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
If sugar-free is a firm requirement, use the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g.
Céréal lists 40 g of polyols per 100 g for its dark chocolate sprinkles. Jumbo lists 44 g per 100 g for Céréal Hagelslag Melk and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Read the warning on the packaging and, if you’re sharing, make it clear which product contains polyols.
A sugar claim doesn’t tell you which allergens are present. Milk, lactose and soya are among the allergens to look out for in the products discussed here, depending on the variant.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging before offering the sprinkles to guests.
Jumbo’s product page listed Jumbo Hagelslag Melk Minder Suiker as no longer available in its online range. This doesn’t tell you whether it’s stocked in a particular shop.
Check availability before you shop, and assess any alternative by checking its label.
Dark and milk chocolate sprinkles with less sugar, where polyols are an important consideration.
Dark and milk chocolate sprinkles carrying a claim of 30% less sugar than the corresponding AH sprinkles.
Alongside its regular chocolate sprinkles, Jumbo has published product information for a milk variant with less sugar.
De Ruijter Royaal Extra Puur is a dark chocolate sprinkle product; check its cocoa and sugar content separately.
The Venz range shown by Jumbo includes milk, dark and XXL chocolate sprinkles.
No. A reduction claim doesn’t mean the sprinkles are sugar-free. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the ‘sugar-free’ claim can only be used for solid foods containing no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Albert Heijn lists 43 g of sugars per 100 g for the less-sugar variants discussed here.
At 7.7 g of sugars per 100 g, Céréal Hagelslag Puur has the lowest figure of the variants discussed here. It isn’t sugar-free: Céréal also lists 40 g of polyols per 100 g, so check the ingredients and any warning about excessive consumption.
The warning says that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Jumbo includes this warning for Céréal Hagelslag Melk, which contains 44 g of polyols per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives the same warning for foods containing more than 10% added polyols.
Check the allergens in the specific sprinkles you’re serving, as they vary by variant. Milk and lactose are relevant for AH Puur Minder Suiker; milk and soya for Céréal Hagelslag Melk. Check the current packaging before sharing the product.
