If you’re buying bread for someone with coeliac disease, choose a sealed pack explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol, then keep it away from crumbs from ordinary bread. When comparing suitable breads, check the fibre per 100 g, ingredients, whether iodised salt is used and whether the pack size suits the meals ahead. ‘Brown’ or ‘wholemeal’ on its own does not prove that bread is gluten-free.
When you’re popping into a shop, you want to pick up a clearly labelled, sealed pack of gluten-free bread and prevent it coming into contact with crumbs from ordinary bread during transport or use.
As well as checking that it’s labelled gluten-free, you want to be able to assess the fibre, wholegrain ingredients and whether iodised salt is used.
You’re looking for a pack that suits the meals ahead. If you’re going to a shop for a particular variety, it’s worth checking that branch’s range beforehand.
When you’re making a quick top-up shop for gluten-free bread, check the label first. Then use the nutritional information and pack size to compare suitable options.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free suitability | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on a sealed pack. Keep the bread away from crumbs from ordinary bread. | If I’m buying bread for someone with coeliac disease, I want to be sure which pack I’m choosing and avoid contact with crumbs from ordinary bread. For around 42% of these consumers, this is the top priority. |
| Ingredients | Compare fibre per 100 g and check the ingredients for wholegrain ingredients and iodised salt or baker’s salt. | If I eat gluten-free bread regularly, I want to know how its fibre and ingredients compare with the bread I usually buy. Around 33% of these consumers give the ingredients the highest priority. |
| Pack size and availability | Choose a pack size to suit the meals ahead and check the range at your chosen branch before setting off. | For a quick top-up shop, I want to buy enough bread without choosing a pack I won’t finish. For around 25% of these consumers, finding a suitable pack size is the top priority. |
A bread’s colour and name don’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using the explicit ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol as your first check. Only compare the ingredients after that.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So don’t assume every loaf provides the same amount of iodine.
For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for ‘iodised salt’ or ‘baker’s salt’.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, cross-contamination can happen through crumbs on hands, knives, chopping boards and worktops.
Store gluten-free bread separately and use clean kitchen utensils and a clean worktop.
The range can vary by branch and over time. So a bread variety shown online may not be available at the shop you’re visiting.
Check your branch’s range before setting off, then check the pack of the variety you’re actually buying in store.
Albert Heijn’s own-brand range includes Gluten-free dark multiseed half loaf.
Jumbo’s range includes gluten-free bread varieties such as Brown, White and Multiseed.
PLUS lists gluten-free brown and multiseed bread, as well as gluten-free bread rolls.
Dirk’s search results show Schär bread products, including Meisterbäckers Classic, Meisterbäckers Vital and Mehrkorn.
Céréal’s product description for one gluten-free bread lists wholegrain buckwheat flour.
Yes. If you have coeliac disease, first choose bread with an explicit gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol on the pack. ‘Wholemeal’, ‘brown’ and ‘multiseed’ don’t on their own indicate that a bread is gluten-free; check the ingredients only after making that first check.
Keep the bread separate from ordinary bread and, after opening it, use clean hands, a clean worktop, knife and chopping board. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that crumbs from ordinary bread can also cause cross-contamination.
No. You can’t tell from the ‘gluten-free’ label. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt, so check the ingredients list on packaged bread for ‘iodised salt’ or ‘baker’s salt’.
Yes. If other allergens are relevant to you, check the allergen information on the exact pack you’re buying. A gluten-free label doesn’t automatically mean the bread is free from other allergens.
