If you have a food allergy, first check the current label for ingredients, allergens and possible traces. Only then decide between wholemeal bread and a milder-tasting blend. Brown bread or a white-and-wholemeal blend isn’t the same as wholemeal bread, and it isn’t suitable for coeliac disease. In that case, you need a product explicitly labelled gluten-free. If you have a wheat allergy or another food allergy, check that the full allergen information also meets your individual needs.
Ordinary bread made with a combination of white and wholemeal flour isn’t an alternative to bread that meets the requirements for avoiding gluten or wheat. The Dutch Coeliac Society explains why an explicit gluten-free label is important for people with coeliac disease. If you have a wheat allergy, you’ll still need to check the ingredients.
If wheat isn’t a concern but, for example, milk, soya, sesame, egg, nuts or lupin is, the ingredients and any warnings about possible traces in the bread you choose are what matter.
A milder flavour or finer texture may influence your choice. However, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread made with a blend of wholemeal flour and white flour isn’t the same as bread labelled wholemeal.
When: If the person eating it can tolerate the ingredients and wants bread made with 100% wholemeal flour.
Bear in mind: The wholemeal label says nothing about whether the bread is free from allergens or possible traces.
When: If flavour or texture guides your choice and the ingredients suit the person eating it.
Bear in mind: A blend doesn’t have the same grain composition as bread labelled wholemeal, and it doesn’t make gluten or wheat restrictions any less relevant.
When: If you have coeliac disease, an explicit gluten-free label is the starting point.
Bear in mind: Gluten-free doesn’t automatically mean wheat-free or free from other relevant allergens. You should also take care to avoid cross-contact during preparation.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Most relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding gluten or wheat | If you have coeliac disease, look for the gluten-free label. If you have a wheat allergy, also check the ingredients and relevant warnings. | If gluten or wheat needs to be avoided, suitability comes before a familiar bread texture. This is the priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Other allergens and possible traces | Check the allergens in the ingredients list and the ‘may contain’ statement on the current packaging. | If you can eat wheat but need to avoid, for example, milk, soya or sesame, the name of the bread alone isn’t enough. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this check. |
| Milder flavour and texture | If you want bread made with 100% wholemeal flour, check for the wholemeal label. Only compare the ingredients in a blend or more finely milled bread after checking the allergens. | For a fussy eater, flavour can be the deciding factor once the bread is suitable for their allergy. This is the main consideration for around 17% of consumers. |
| Baker’s salt and iodine | Look for iodised baker’s salt on the packaging, or ask which salt is used if the bread is sold loose. | If the type of baker’s salt guides your choice, the colour of the bread won’t tell you. This is the priority for around 8% of consumers. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, brown bread is made with a combination of wholemeal flour and white flour. The colour or the name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t confirm that the bread is made with 100% wholemeal flour.
Look for the wholemeal label if that’s the grain composition you specifically want. Choose a blend for its flavour or texture, not because you think it’s the same thing.
Wholemeal bread may still contain other relevant ingredients or possible traces. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists dairy products, egg and soya flour among the possible ingredients in bread improvers.
Read the ingredients and allergen warnings on the packaging of the bread you’re actually buying.
A finer grind or lighter colour doesn’t change the gluten in grains that contain gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Society also warns that crumbs from ordinary bread can end up on gluten-free food.
If you have coeliac disease, choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free and avoid contact with crumbs from utensils or shared spreads.
You can’t tell which salt has been used from the type or colour of the bread. A statement that one product contains iodised baker’s salt doesn’t automatically apply to another loaf.
Check the ingredients on the packaging, or ask which salt is used if the bread is sold loose.
A useful starting point if you want to check the information for a specific packaged loaf before visiting a shop.
Worth considering if you want to compare the ingredients and allergens for specific breads online.
Worth considering if you’re looking at oven-fresh bread or a more finely milled wholemeal option.
A useful point of comparison for fresh and packaged bread.
A useful point of comparison if you want to look at a specific wholemeal tin loaf.
These products are for a gluten-free diet, rather than for choosing between ordinary wholemeal bread and a white-and-wholemeal blend. Always check the current ingredients, warnings and product format for the person who’ll be eating it.
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An option to consider if you’re looking for a gluten-free bread product. Before buying, check whether this version is mini baguettes or a flour mix. Look at the current allergen information, including details about soya and possible traces of lupin and mustard.
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If you want to make your own gluten-free bread, this is a 1 kg flour mix, not a ready-made loaf. If you have a soya allergy, check the current ingredients and warnings on the packaging.
An ordinary white-and-wholemeal blend isn’t a gluten-free alternative for someone with coeliac disease. Choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the other allergen information. If you have a wheat allergy, you should also check the ingredients and warnings about wheat on any gluten-free product.
Because the ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn and PLUS warn about this in their product information, so check the packaging of the bread you’re buying each time.
You can’t tell from the type of bread. For packaged bread, check the ingredients for iodised baker’s salt. If the bread is sold loose, ask which salt has been used.
Use clean utensils and make sure crumbs from ordinary bread don’t get into shared spreads. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that gluten can be transferred to gluten-free food this way.
