None of the chocolate sprinkle varieties compared here meet the threshold for a ‘sugar-free’ claim under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. If you’re choosing a spread for bread or a dessert to have with a fish dinner, compare the sugars per 100 g and the ingredients. The product information does not indicate that any of these products should be used in the fish dish itself.
‘Less sugar’ isn’t enough for you. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a solid food may only be called ‘sugar-free’ if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. The Céréal and AH varieties compared here are above that limit.
You want to keep using chocolate sprinkles and compare the amount of sugars on a like-for-like basis. Dieetwebshop.nl lists 6.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Céréal Puur, Jumbo lists 14.5 g for Céréal Melk, and Albert Heijn lists 43 g for the AH Minder Suiker varieties discussed here.
Sweeteners and allergens matter to you too. According to Jumbo’s product information, Céréal Melk contains maltitol, milk and soya; the retailer notes that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Check the current label for each variety.
First decide whether sugar-free is a firm requirement or whether you’re mainly looking for less sugar. Then check the ingredients and when you plan to eat the sprinkles around your fish dinner.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free or less sugar | Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a ‘sugar-free’ claim is permitted only when the product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If sugar-free is a firm requirement for me, a pack labelled ‘less sugar’ isn’t enough. This would be the main requirement for around 46% of consumers looking for chocolate sprinkles with less or no sugar. |
| Amount of sugars | Compare the ‘of which sugars’ figures per 100 g and consider how much you use per serving; a percentage reduction alone doesn’t tell you the final amount. | I want to keep using chocolate sprinkles, but having less sugar matters more to me than a sugar-free claim. Around 27% of consumers looking for this kind of chocolate sprinkle would put this first. |
| Ingredients and when you’ll eat them | Check the allergens, maltitol and any warnings. Decide whether you want to use the sprinkles as a spread for bread or as a dessert topping around your fish dinner. | If the ingredients are what matter most to me, or I’m not yet sure how the sprinkles will fit into the meal, I want to work that out first. This would be the main question for around 27% of consumers looking for chocolate sprinkles with less or no sugar. |
Comparing a product with regular chocolate sprinkles doesn’t tell you how much sugar the product contains. According to Dieetwebshop.nl, Céréal Puur contains 6.7 g of sugars per 100 g, so it doesn’t meet the ‘sugar-free’ threshold under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
Check the nutritional information per 100 g before relying on a claim on the front of the pack.
According to Jumbo’s product information, Céréal Melk also contains maltitol, milk and soya. The retailer notes that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Read the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the pack, especially if any of these ingredients are relevant to you.
The uses described for these chocolate sprinkles include spreading on bread and topping desserts. That doesn’t establish what place they have in your meal.
Before choosing a product, decide whether you want something for a separate bread or dessert occasion, or for the fish dish itself.
Albert Heijn lists the product page for Venz Hagelslag Melk 30% Minder Suiker as ‘discontinued’. That doesn’t tell you whether other retailers sell the product.
Check current availability with the retailer you plan to buy from.
The dark and milk chocolate sprinkles discussed here are options if you want to compare the amount of sugars per 100 g, but not if you require a sugar-free product.
AH describes both a dark and a milk chocolate variety as having less sugar than the equivalent regular AH chocolate sprinkles.
The milk chocolate sprinkles discussed here are a variety for which Albert Heijn states a sugar reduction compared with Venz Chocoladehagelslag Puur.
The Royaal Extra Puur variety discussed here is chocolate sprinkles for people who look at the stated cocoa percentage, not a sugar-free option.
No. ‘Less sugar’ and ‘sugar-free’ don’t mean the same thing. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, a solid food may only be called ‘sugar-free’ if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; the Céréal and AH Minder Suiker varieties discussed here contain more.
Of the varieties compared here, Céréal Hagelslag Puur has the lowest amount, at 6.7 g of sugars per 100 g, according to Dieetwebshop.nl. Even this variety is not sugar-free.
As well as the amount of sugars, check the ingredients and warnings. According to Jumbo, Céréal Hagelslag Melk contains maltitol, milk and soya, and excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
It depends on how you plan to use them: the uses described include spreading on bread and topping desserts, rather than adding them specifically to a fish dish. If you’re having them at a separate meal or snack, check any ingredient and allergy requirements before choosing a variety.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack of the variety you buy. Jumbo advises keeping Céréal Hagelslag Melk in a dry place at room temperature; check the label for other products.
