A dispenser for powdered, granular or related fluent materials. The dispenser includes a reservoir and an actuation mechanism that together define a housing, or enclosure. The reservoir sealingly contains a fluent material such that the contents are not easily contaminated or tampered with. User-imparted relative movement between cooperating parts of the actuation mechanism and reservoir enables a predetermined and repeatable quantity of the fluent contents to be discharged from the dispenser and onto a desired area, such as a food product. The dispenser is configured as a disposable device such that, after depletion of the fluent material contents arising out of a multiplicity of uses, it can be thrown away.