People who follow a strict vegan diet
You want to check whether a topping meets your vegan criteria. So, assess the specific pack using its current ingredients and, if available, a trusted vegan certification.
Who is this relevant to?
Fans of dark chocolate flavour
You’re mainly looking for cocoa rather than aniseed. If aniseed sprinkles don’t offer the flavour you want, you may also want to consider dark chocolate sprinkles or chocolate flakes, checking their vegan suitability separately.
Anyone looking for a traditional aniseed treat
You want to serve aniseed sprinkles on crispbread or use them as decoration. In that case, flavour and shape matter, but you should still check the ingredients and allergen information for each variety.
What should you look for when choosing?
Traditional aniseed sprinkles
Choose these when: the familiar aniseed flavour and sprinkle shape matter more to you than chocolate flavour.
What to consider: the pink and white De Ruijter variety described by Albert Heijn contains carmine, so it isn’t suitable for a strictly vegan diet.
Dark chocolate sprinkles or chocolate flakes
Choose these when: chocolate flavour matters more than the aniseed flavour and shape of traditional sprinkles.
What to consider: these aren’t aniseed sprinkles. Bonusvegan also points out that dark chocolate sprinkles may contain milk powder, so check the specific product you choose.
If you’re looking for dark sprinkles for a vegan diet, three different priorities may influence your choice. Decide which matters most to you, then check the specific product.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Vegan suitability | Check the current ingredients for animal-derived ingredients, including milk or carmine, and look for vegan certification, if available. | I want to be sure my sprinkles meet my vegan criteria. This would be the main priority for around 50% of these consumers. |
| Dark chocolate flavour | Check whether the product you choose actually contains cocoa or chocolate; don’t take ‘dark’ as proof that it’s vegan. | If I’m looking for chocolate flavour, I don’t want to choose an aniseed topping just because it appears in the same search. Cocoa would be the main priority for around 33% of these consumers. |
| Aniseed flavour and sprinkle shape | Check the product type, colourings and allergen information for the variety you want to use. | For a treat, I want to keep the familiar flavour and look of traditional aniseed sprinkles, even if they don’t taste of chocolate. This would be the top priority for around 17% of these consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘dark’ means vegan
A description of the chocolate flavour doesn’t tell you whether a product contains animal-derived ingredients. For example, Bonusvegan warns that dark chocolate sprinkles may contain milk powder.
Check the ingredients on the specific pack and, if you follow a strict vegan diet, look for a trusted vegan certification.
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Choosing aniseed sprinkles when you want chocolate
The traditional aniseed sprinkles in Jumbo’s range aren’t a dark cocoa variety. If you’re mainly after chocolate flavour, you may be looking in the wrong product category.
Consider dark chocolate sprinkles or chocolate flakes instead, then check whether your chosen variety meets your vegan criteria.
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Confusing vegan with gluten-free
The pink and white sprinkles and aniseed sprinkles described by Albert Heijn list wheat or cereals containing gluten. Vegan suitability doesn’t tell you anything about allergens.
Check the vegan ingredients and allergen information separately on the current packaging.
A relevant brand to consider
De Ruijter
De Ruijter features in Jumbo’s range of aniseed sprinkles, including coloured and crushed varieties. The brand also sells separate chocolate products, but that doesn’t make them aniseed sprinkles or automatically vegan.
- A familiar starting point if you’re looking for traditional aniseed sprinkles.
- The pink and white sprinkles described by Albert Heijn contain carmine. Check the ingredients of each variety separately.
Products on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Are De Ruijter’s pink and white sprinkles vegan?
The pink and white variety on Albert Heijn’s product page contains carmine, a colouring of animal origin, so it isn’t suitable for a strictly vegan diet. Check the current packaging before choosing a variety.
Are dark chocolate sprinkles automatically vegan?
No. Bonusvegan points out that dark chocolate sprinkles may contain milk powder. Read the ingredients on the specific pack and check for vegan certification, if available.
Should I check for allergens in aniseed sprinkles too?
Yes. Check allergens separately from vegan suitability. Albert Heijn lists wheat in the pink and white sprinkles described, and wheat and cereals containing gluten in its aniseed sprinkles. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must appear on the label of pre-packed products.
How should I store aniseed sprinkles?
Follow the storage instructions and best-before date on the packaging. Albert Heijn’s product pages for the pink and white sprinkles described and its aniseed sprinkles say to store them in a dry place.