If you’re choosing bread for someone with coeliac disease, first look for a ‘gluten-free’ label on the packaging: terms such as ‘wholemeal’, ‘dark’ and ‘multiseed’ don’t tell you whether a product contains gluten. Then compare the fibre, ingredients and type of bread to find one that suits your breakfast plans. If ordinary bread is also being served, keep crumbs, utensils and spreads separate.
For them, it’s not just the gluten-free label on the bread that matters: they also need to avoid contact with crumbs from ordinary bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights the importance of preventing cross-contamination.
If you usually eat wholemeal bread, you can compare gluten-free alternatives by their fibre content per 100 g and per serving. A dark colour or seeds on the bread don’t, on their own, tell you how much fibre it contains.
Ready-to-serve slices require different planning from rolls that need baking or a bread mix. If ordinary bread is being prepared too, make sure the gluten-free option is prepared separately.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and thinking about how you’ll serve the bread at home. Then compare the nutritional information, type of bread and preparation needed for your weekend breakfast.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Check the packaging for a ‘gluten-free’ label. If you’re sharing breakfast, keep the board, knife and spreads free from crumbs from ordinary bread. | If someone with coeliac disease is eating with me, I want to choose both the bread and how it’s served carefully. Around 39% of consumers put this gluten check first. |
| Fibre and nutritional information | Compare fibre per 100 g and per serving. Check the ingredients list too, rather than judging by colour or seeds. | When I replace wholemeal bread, I want to know how the fibre content of the alternatives compares. For around 23% of consumers, this is the most important question when buying. |
| Availability | Check whether your chosen shop or delivery service stocks the specific bread, and inspect the packaging when it arrives. | I want to be able to pick up the bread with my usual weekend shopping, without relying on a general product range page. Practical availability comes first for around 23% of consumers. |
| Preparation and type of bread | Check whether the product is ready to serve or needs baking or other preparation first; follow the instructions on the packaging. | For a relaxed breakfast, I want to know in advance how much preparation is needed and whether I can keep it separate from ordinary bread. Around 15% of consumers mainly choose based on preparation. |
‘Wholemeal’, ‘dark’ and ‘multiseed’ are not gluten-free labels. If someone has coeliac disease, you can’t tell whether a loaf is suitable from its colour or name.
First check the current packaging for a ‘gluten-free’ label, then compare the fibre and type of bread. Under EU Regulation 828/2014, this label may be used if the food contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten when sold to the final consumer.
A shared breadboard, a used knife or crumbs in a spread jar can transfer gluten to gluten-free bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society warns about this risk of cross-contamination.
Use clean, separate utensils and spreads for the gluten-free bread, or prepare that part of breakfast before slicing ordinary bread.
A gluten-free product with seeds doesn’t necessarily have the same nutritional profile as ordinary wholemeal bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists fibre, iron, vitamin B1, folic acid and iodine as nutrients to consider when changing the type of bread you eat.
Compare the nutritional information of the products you’re considering. If you’re following a gluten-free diet long term, speak to a specialist dietitian about your overall diet.
A product range page can help you find what you’re looking for, but the ingredients and allergen information for the bread you receive may differ from what you saw online earlier.
Check the product information when you buy it, and read the packaging of the bread you actually purchased before serving it.
These brands offer a useful starting point for comparing different types of bread. Always check the label of the specific product: a brand name doesn’t mean all its products have the same ingredients or nutritional value.
Albert Heijn’s AH Glutenvrij range includes different types of bread, such as dark multiseed bread, rolls and pistolets.
Jumbo lists a 230 g Céréal Glutenfree & Lactosefree Volkorenbrood; Albert Heijn also lists a Céréal Volkoren Brood.
Dirk lists products including Schär Meisterbackers Classic, Meisterbackers Vital and gluten-free mini baguettes.
Consenza’s range includes gluten-free bread to bake at home, as well as fresh bread for breakfast and lunch.
If you’d like to make your own gluten-free bread for the weekend, you could consider a bread mix. This product isn’t a ready-to-serve alternative to a bought loaf or a roll that needs baking.
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A gluten-free bread mix for anyone who wants to make bread at home for a planned breakfast.
Pack size: 1 kg. If you’re also using ordinary bread, keep the utensils and preparation separate, and follow the instructions on the packaging.
No. Ordinary wholemeal bread made from wheat, spelt, rye or barley isn’t suitable as gluten-free bread for someone with coeliac disease. When choosing an alternative, check the current packaging for a ‘gluten-free’ label; ‘wholemeal’ on its own isn’t enough.
Under EU Regulation 828/2014, a food may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten when sold to the final consumer. The label doesn’t, on its own, tell you anything about fibre content or other allergens.
If you have coeliac disease, don’t choose a product based only on the word ‘oat’. Check that it’s labelled gluten-free. EU Regulation 828/2014 also sets requirements for oats in food presented as gluten-free, to prevent contamination with wheat, rye and barley.
Prepare and serve the gluten-free bread using a clean board, a clean knife and separate spreads. This helps stop crumbs getting onto the gluten-free bread from utensils or a shared spread jar, a risk highlighted by the Dutch Coeliac Society.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists bread as a possible source of iodine, so changing the type of bread you eat may raise questions about your overall diet. Check the nutritional information of the products you use, and speak to a specialist dietitian if you have questions about following a gluten-free diet long term.
