Don’t choose De Ruijter Feest Muisjes if you’re looking for sugar-free bread toppings for school lunch: according to Jumbo’s product information, they contain 79 g of sugars per 100 g, while EU rules allow a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g for a ‘sugar-free’ claim. A product with ‘sugar-free muisjes’ in its name could also be sweets, so check the product type first, then the nutritional information for the variant you’ve chosen.
If only a product with a sugar-free claim will do, check the ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g on the packaging of the exact variant. EU rules allow the claim when a product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
If the sprinkle format and aniseed flavour matter more to you than a sugar-free option, you can consider traditional muisjes as a sweet bread topping. Jumbo’s product information lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Feest Muisjes.
If you’re mainly deciding what to pack each day for secondary school, look at the whole lunch rather than just a claim on the topping. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre classifies sweet bread toppings as outside the Wheel of Five.
First decide whether you’re looking for a topping to sprinkle on bread or a different type of product. Then check the nutritional information for the variant you’ve chosen and consider how it fits into the lunch.
| 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 EU rules, a food can carry the ‘sugar-free’ claim if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If I only want to pack a sugar-free topping, the nutritional value of that exact variant must meet my requirements. Around 50% of consumers prioritise a sugar-free option they can verify. |
| Bread topping or sweets | Check the product category and intended use: sprinkle-on muisjes for bread or rusks are different from soft jelly sweets shaped like little mice. | I want to sprinkle muisjes on bread for a special occasion, not buy sweets with the same name. For around 30% of consumers, keeping to traditional bread toppings matters most. |
| The whole lunch | Consider the topping alongside the rest of the lunch; also check the ingredients, allergens and portion size on the packaging. | For everyday lunches, I think the overall contents matter more than a single sugar claim on a topping. Around 20% of consumers give the whole lunch top priority. |
Joris Muisjes Suikervrij are sold as soft jelly sweets. They’re a different type of product from De Ruijter muisjes for bread or rusks.
Check the product category and description before choosing something for a sandwich lunch.
‘Sugar-free’ and ‘no added sugars’ don’t mean the same thing. Under EU rules, a ‘sugar-free’ claim means a product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml.
Compare the claim with the ‘of which sugars’ value in the nutritional information for your chosen variant, and check the ingredients too.
A sugar-free claim doesn’t tell you how the rest of the lunch is made up. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre classifies sweet bread toppings as outside the Wheel of Five.
Decide what you want to pack for the whole lunch, then consider the topping as part of it.
De Ruijter sells traditional muisjes as a sweet sprinkle-on topping; PLUS describes the crushed variety as a topping for bread or rusks, and as an addition to yoghurt.
Albert Heijn’s online category features several De Ruijter varieties, including blue and white muisjes and crushed muisjes.
Jumbo’s product page gives the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for De Ruijter Feest Muisjes 330 g.
Under the EU regulation on nutrition claims, a food can carry the ‘sugar-free’ claim if it contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or per 100 ml. Check the nutritional information for the exact variant.
No: Jumbo lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Feest Muisjes. That’s above the EU limit of no more than 0.5 g per 100 g for a ‘sugar-free’ claim; don’t automatically apply this product-specific conclusion to other variants.
Don’t choose them as a replacement for traditional sprinkle-on muisjes for bread: Joris Muisjes Suikervrij is described as soft jelly sweets and confectionery. For any product with a similar name, always check its category and intended use.
No, the claim only tells you about the sugar content under the conditions for that claim, not about the whole lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre classifies sweet bread toppings as outside the Wheel of Five, so consider what else you’re packing too.
Check the allergen information on the packaging of the variant you’re buying. For De Ruijter Feest Muisjes, Jumbo lists wheat and cereals containing gluten; this isn’t an allergen list for all muisjes.
