If you need something soft with raisins to take along for someone with coeliac disease, a product labelled gluten-free, such as raisin bread, is a practical alternative. If you specifically want individual currant buns, you can bake them in advance using a gluten-free recipe. Gluten-free raisin crackers make a crisp option, but they don’t have the same texture as a bun. Always check the current packaging, and keep gluten-free food separate from food containing gluten while transporting and serving it.
For anyone looking not only for a product labelled gluten-free, but also for a way to serve it without contact with crumbs from ordinary bread rolls. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends keeping gluten-free food in a separate area of the picnic blanket.
For anyone who wants the shape of a currant bun and has time to bake in advance. Albert Heijn Allerhande has a recipe for eight gluten-free currant buns using gluten-free self-raising baking mix.
For anyone who wants to pack a soft portion of raisin bread, or would rather take along a crisp raisin cracker. They’re different products: a cracker doesn’t have the same texture as a currant bun.
For someone with coeliac disease, start by choosing a product labelled gluten-free. Then decide what shape or type you’d like to take along, and how you’ll serve the food separately.
When: You want soft bread with raisins without having to bake; PLUS lists Yam Rozijn as gluten-free.
Consider: It’s a loaf, not a pack of individual currant buns. Slice it and pack the portions separately.
When: You want to hand out individual buns and can bake in advance using a gluten-free recipe.
Consider: Baking takes preparation; for someone with coeliac disease, the ingredients and kitchen equipment must also be suitable.
When: You want a crisp snack rather than soft bread; PLUS lists a gluten-free raisin cracker from Consenza.
Consider: A cracker isn’t a currant bun. If there are other dietary restrictions as well as gluten, check the allergen information too.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Read the current packaging and ingredients list. If it contains oats, check that they’re labelled gluten-free too. | If I’m packing food for someone with coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on a bun’s name or shape. For around 36% of consumers, gluten-free labelling would be the top priority when choosing. |
| Serving separately | Choose packaging you can keep sealed while travelling, and plan separate portions. Leave a separate area of the blanket clear, as recommended by the Dutch Coeliac Society. | At a picnic with ordinary bread rolls, I want to prevent crumbs from getting onto the gluten-free food. Being able to transport and serve it separately would be the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Shape and preparation | Decide whether you want to bake individual soft buns, slice raisin bread or take along a crisp cracker. | If I want to hand out something that looks like a currant bun, I’ll make time to bake in advance; if I don’t have time, sliced bread is a better fit. Around 21% of consumers would choose mainly based on shape and preparation. |
| Nutritional information | Compare ingredients, fibre and salt per 100 g. If iodine is a consideration, check the ingredients list for baker’s salt. | When I’m replacing ordinary bread, I want to compare the nutritional information for the alternatives without assuming they have the same ingredients. For an estimated 14% of consumers, this comparison would be the main priority. |
Raisins or currants don’t make a wheat bun gluten-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society says that a product must contain less than 20 mg of gluten per kg to be labelled gluten-free; ALDI describes its ordinary raisin and currant buns as wheat buns.
For someone with coeliac disease, choose a product labelled gluten-free and read the current label, even if the product name sounds familiar.
A suitable product can come into contact with crumbs containing gluten, hands or shared spreads when it’s being served.
Keep portions sealed until you’re ready to hand them out, and use a separate area of the picnic blanket and separate spreads.
Raisin bread needs to be portioned, homemade buns take preparation, and a cracker is crisp rather than soft. These differences affect what you can serve at your picnic.
Choose the texture you want before you shop, and plan ahead for slicing or baking.
According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, bread contributes to iodine intake in the Netherlands. The gluten-free label doesn’t tell you what ingredients or nutritional values a particular alternative has.
If the ingredients matter to your choice, check the ingredients list for baker’s salt and compare the nutritional information on the packaging.
Soft raisin bread as an alternative for anyone who doesn’t need individual currant buns. PLUS lists Yam Rozijn as a gluten-free bread product.
An option for anyone who wants to make gluten-free currant buns at home.
A gluten-free raisin cracker for anyone who’d rather take something crisp than bread; PLUS lists this cracker as organic and gluten-free.
Jumbo’s gluten-free bread category lists raisin bread alongside other types of bread.
A retailer where you can compare both Yam gluten-free raisin bread and Consenza gluten-free raisin crackers.
Don’t assume so: the name and shape don’t tell you whether a currant bun is gluten-free. Choose a product labelled gluten-free and check the current label; ordinary currant buns may be made with wheat.
Keep the gluten-free food sealed until you can serve it separately. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends using a separate area of the blanket or table; also take care with hands, crumbs and shared spreads.
If you want soft bread with raisins, you can choose raisin bread labelled gluten-free, such as Yam Rozijn, which PLUS lists as gluten-free. Slice it and pack the portions separately; don’t expect individual buns.
You can’t tell from the gluten-free label. The Dutch Nutrition Centre highlights bread’s contribution to iodine intake in the Netherlands. For a specific alternative, check the ingredients list for baker’s salt rather than assuming it has the same ingredients.
