Pre-sliced wholemeal breakfast cake is a practical choice for a school fair if you want to hand out slices quickly. Be sure to compare the number of portions, the nutritional information and the allergens on the packaging. If you serve the cake without its packaging, make sure visitors can access allergen information before buying, and check the school’s arrangements in advance.
If you take slices out of their packaging, information about the allergens they contain must still be available at the point of sale. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains this requirement for non-prepacked food; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, food safety rules also apply in schools.
A pre-sliced pack saves you having to cut the cake. As well as checking the pack weight, look at the stated number of slices or portions so you can plan how many to serve.
If you’re keeping an eye on fibre and sugars, comparing values per 100 g is more useful than relying on the word ‘wholemeal’ on the front. Check the ingredients too, along with any warnings on varieties containing sweeteners.
Start with the allergens and the school’s arrangements. Then work out how many slices you need, and compare the nutritional information of suitable varieties.
| What to look for | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and school arrangements | Read the allergen declaration, including the specific grain named, and ask about the school’s arrangements. If selling the cake without its packaging, keep the allergen information available. | If I’m selling individual slices, I want to be able to tell visitors which allergens they contain and know whether the cake fits the school’s arrangements. Around 38% of consumers would choose this as their main consideration. |
| Portions and serving | Check whether the cake is pre-sliced and how many slices or portions the pack contains. | At a busy sale, I want to hand out slices without having to cut them and know in advance how many I have. Around 31% of consumers would make this their first priority. |
| Wholemeal flour and nutritional value | Compare the ingredients, fibre and sugars per 100 g; if the cake contains sweeteners, check the warnings too. | I want to choose a wholemeal variety, but also see how the fibre and sugars compare between packs. Roughly 31% of consumers would focus mainly on this. |
The word ‘wholemeal’ alone doesn’t tell you how much sugar a breakfast cake contains. Jumbo lists 35,5 g of sugars per 100 g for its Wholemeal Breakfast Cake.
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g. If you’re considering a variety with a sweetener, check the ingredients and warnings too.
When selling non-prepacked food, information about the allergens it contains must be available before purchase. Without the packaging, it’s easy to lose the product-specific information.
Keep the pack at the point of sale, or prepare a clear allergen card in advance using the information from the current packaging, including the specific gluten-containing grain.
According to the product information listed by Jumbo, Peijnenburg’s no added sugars variety contains xylitol. The label warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Read the warning before deciding whether this variety is suitable for your school fair; don’t treat ‘no added sugars’ as a general recommendation.
Peijnenburg offers pre-sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, including a standard 345 g pack with 12 slices and a separate no added sugars variety.
The own-brand range includes a 485 g sliced wholemeal breakfast cake; Albert Heijn lists 16 portions of 30 g.
Jumbo lists a 280 g wholemeal breakfast cake in its own-brand range, with around 11 portions.
PLUS offers a 485 g sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, giving you a larger pack to compare.
ALDI lists a 485 g pack of pre-sliced wholemeal breakfast cake from Koek & Bakker.
If you’re looking to serve pre-sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, this is a pack to assess for portions and allergens before taking it to the school fair.
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A sliced pack for handing out portions at a school fair; check the packaging to see how many slices it contains.
The online product information lists wholemeal rye, but also includes a conflicting allergen declaration. Use the current allergen declaration on the pack when selling the cake.
Yes. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, information about allergens in non-prepacked food must be available; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that food safety rules also apply in schools. Make sure visitors can access this information before buying, and specify which grain is present when the product contains gluten-containing cereals.
No. Jumbo lists 35,5 g of sugars per 100 g for its Wholemeal Breakfast Cake. Use the nutrition table per 100 g to compare varieties; the word ‘wholemeal’ doesn’t tell you how much sugar the cake contains.
Read the ingredients and allergen declaration, and check how many slices or portions the pack contains. Also check the best-before date and storage instructions, and keep the product information with the cake if you’re serving the slices without their packaging.
Yes. A school can set rules about what may be offered. So, before buying anything, ask about the school’s food or treats policy, as well as the rules on food safety and allergen information.
