When choosing bread with a food allergy, start with the allergen you need to avoid: check the current ingredients, allergen information and any warnings about possible traces. A gluten-free label may be relevant if you need to avoid gluten, but it doesn’t mean the bread is free from other allergens. Only then check whether the specific variety is medium-sliced.
If you need to avoid gluten, look for bread clearly labelled as gluten-free. If you have a wheat allergy, you’ll also need to check specifically whether the bread contains wheat. In both cases, read the information about other allergens and possible traces too.
If you need to avoid milk, eggs, soya, nuts, sesame or mustard, for example, you’ll need the allergen information for the exact variety of bread. A gluten-free label won’t answer that question.
You’re looking for bread that suits your usual sandwiches. First check that it’s suitable for your allergy, then confirm the slice thickness: a half loaf, for example, may be sliced or unsliced.
Start with the allergen you need to avoid and check the information for the exact loaf. Slice thickness and nutritional value are useful points of comparison only once the breads meet your allergen requirements.
| What to check | What should you check? | Who is this relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens present | Compare the allergen you need to avoid with the current ingredients list and the allergens clearly identified on the packaging. | If I need to avoid a particular ingredient, I want to know whether it’s in this exact variety of bread. Around 42% of consumers put this check first. |
| Gluten or wheat | If you need to avoid gluten, check for a gluten-free label; if you have a wheat allergy, check the ingredients information specifically for wheat too. | When gluten or wheat is my main concern, I first look for bread whose relevant product information I can check. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Possible presence of allergens | Read any warnings about possible traces, and ask for information about the specific product if you’re buying unpackaged bread. | I also want to know what’s said about possible traces if I need to avoid more than one allergen or cross-contamination is a concern for me. This is the main concern for around 17% of consumers. |
| Slice thickness and nutritional value | Check whether the bread is medium-sliced. If you wish, compare fibre per 100 g across breads that already meet your allergen requirements. | For my everyday sandwiches, I want a suitable slice thickness and comparable nutritional information. Around 8% of consumers say this practical choice is their top priority. |
Gluten-free bread may contain other allergens or carry a warning about possible traces. For example, according to the product information, Schär Meesterbakker Classic bread at Jumbo contains soya and may contain lupin and mustard.
As well as checking the gluten-free label, read the full allergen information on the exact packaging.
Jumbo says that cross-contamination with other allergens cannot be ruled out for products packed in store, including fresh bread, and that this information isn’t shown on the label.
Before buying, ask about the allergen information for the bread you’ve chosen and about possible cross-contamination if it’s relevant to your decision.
‘Medium-sliced’ describes how the bread is cut, not its ingredients or the possible presence of allergens. Gluten-free bread isn’t necessarily medium-sliced either: Jumbo describes Yam Desem Brood Glutenvrij as unsliced.
First choose bread based on the allergen you need to avoid, then check whether the exact variety has the slice thickness you want.
Albert Heijn points out that product information can change. The information from an earlier purchase may therefore differ from what’s on the packaging you’re buying now.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging every time you buy.
The information available varies by supermarket and product type. A supermarket’s name alone doesn’t make a loaf suitable for a particular allergy.
Albert Heijn provides bread information online, including details about gluten-free products.
Jumbo provides online allergen and product information for a range of breads.
Lidl Netherlands publishes an ingredients and allergen guide for its oven-fresh bread range.
That depends on the allergen you need to avoid; slice thickness has no bearing on it. Compare the allergen with the current ingredients information for the exact loaf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens that must be declared are identified on labels.
No. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, AH Glutenvrij Brood licht meerzaden half may contain eggs, milk, soya and certain nuts, among other things. So even with gluten-free bread, read the full information on the current packaging.
Before buying, ask for the allergen information for the exact bread you want. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that sellers must also provide information about allergens that must be declared for unpackaged food. Ask separately about possible cross-contamination if it’s relevant to your decision.
Only compare fibre in breads that meet your allergen requirements, ideally on the same basis, such as per 100 g. Differences in nutritional value don’t replace the need to check the ingredients, allergens and any warnings.
