If you have coeliac disease, first choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ and prevent contact with gluten-containing crumbs at home. Dark, brown or seeded bread isn’t automatically wholemeal: check separately for a wholemeal claim, and compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g. This can help you find a suitable alternative without mistaking gluten-free seeded bread for proven wholemeal bread.
The ‘gluten-free’ label on the packaging comes first. If you also handle ordinary bread in your kitchen, take extra care when storing and preparing it to prevent contact with gluten-containing crumbs, as the Dutch Coeliac Society explains.
You’ll want to compare fibre per 100 g, but you shouldn’t assume a loaf is wholemeal based on its colour or the presence of seeds. Check the product description and ingredients separately.
You’re looking for bread that suits how you’ll use and store it. Check availability at your store or in your delivery area, and read the storage advice before buying several packs.
If you have coeliac disease, start by checking that the bread is labelled gluten-free. Then consider whether it meets your needs for wholemeal, fibre and everyday use.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free suitability | Check the ‘gluten-free’ label and allergen information on the packaging. Under Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, ‘gluten-free’ may only be stated when the finished product contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Once you’ve bought the bread, keep it separate from gluten-containing crumbs. | When I buy bread for someone with coeliac disease, I want to be able to check the label and avoid contact with ordinary bread. Around 36% of consumers put gluten-free suitability first. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Check for a wholemeal claim and read the ingredients; compare fibre on the same basis, preferably per 100 g. ‘Brown’ and ‘seeded’ alone don’t confirm that bread is wholemeal. | I’m looking for a replacement for my usual wholemeal sandwich and want to know whether ‘wholemeal’ really applies to this bread. This is the most important consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Availability and storage | Check whether the bread is available at your store or in your delivery area, and follow the storage and any freezing instructions on the packaging. | If I don’t buy bread every day, I want to be able to store it in a way that suits how I use it. Around 21% of consumers prioritise this practical consideration. |
| Iodine and salt | Look for baker’s salt or iodised salt in the ingredients, and compare the salt content per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. | If bread is a regular part of my diet, I want to know what type of salt is used and what the nutritional information says, as well as whether it’s gluten-free. This is the most important point of comparison for around 14% of consumers. |
Gluten-free bread can be dark or contain seeds without necessarily being wholemeal. The name alone doesn’t answer that question.
Check for an explicit wholemeal claim and read the ingredients; also compare fibre per 100 g.
A product title doesn’t include all the information you need if you have coeliac disease or other allergies. Information on the packaging can also change.
Check the current packaging every time you buy, especially the ‘gluten-free’ label, ingredients and allergen information.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says that contact with crumbs or shared kitchen utensils can lead to gluten cross-contamination.
Store the bread separately and use a clean work surface and clean or separate utensils.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether bread contains iodised salt just from the type of bread.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt, and check the salt content per 100 g separately.
Albert Heijn offers, among other products under this own-brand range, light and dark seeded bread.
Jumbo offers gluten-free white, brown and seeded bread in this own-brand range.
Yam offers gluten-free breads, including dark seeded bread.
Consenza offers fresh bread, bake-off bread and seeded bread, among other products; Albert Heijn lists a Consenza seeded bread in its range.
Dirk offers Schär Meisterbackers Classic and Meisterbackers Vital, among other gluten-free bread products.
These mini baguettes are a bread option to assess separately for their gluten-free labelling, product type and preparation method. Don’t treat them as gluten-free wholemeal bread unless this is explicitly confirmed on the packaging.
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If you’re looking for mini baguettes, check the packaging before buying to see whether they’re labelled ‘gluten-free’ and whether they’re bread rolls or a mix, so you know how they need to be prepared. Check the ingredients and allergen information, and don’t assume they’re wholemeal unless this is stated explicitly.
No, not unless it’s labelled gluten-free. Spelt contains gluten, as Albert Heijn explains in its information about different types of bread. If you have coeliac disease, choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’.
Not automatically. Seeds, a dark colour or the word ‘brown’ don’t confirm that bread is wholemeal. If wholemeal is a requirement for you, check the product description and ingredients.
Keep gluten-free bread separate from ordinary bread, and use clean hands, a clean work surface and clean or separate utensils. The Dutch Coeliac Society also advises checking for crumbs in shared toasters and spread containers.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. If you want to take this into account, check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt.
Follow the storage advice for the specific bread. Albert Heijn says AH Glutenvrij Brood licht meerzaden half can be frozen; don’t assume the same applies to other breads without checking.
