If you have coeliac disease, start by choosing bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging. Then take care to avoid contact with gluten-containing crumbs. Next, choose a type that suits your trip: a whole loaf to eat over several occasions, or bake-at-home rolls if you have an oven and clean utensils. If you eat little bread or are keeping an eye on your iodine intake, check the ingredients list for iodised salt or baker’s salt too.
When you’re away from your own kitchen, you need to be able to identify bread from its label and keep it separate from ordinary bread when preparing it. The Voedingscentrum warns that even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms if you have coeliac disease.
If you prepare your own breakfast and lunch while travelling, at a campsite or in a holiday home, the size of the loaf, storage instructions and facilities available for preparing it all make a difference.
If you eat little bread or choose bread without iodised salt, the ingredients list may be relevant to your overall iodine intake. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt.
Start with the label and how you’ll avoid crumbs. Then compare preparation, size and nutritional information for the types of bread that suit your trip.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free and crumb-free handling | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging. When travelling, use clean utensils and prepare the bread in a place free from gluten-containing crumbs. | With coeliac disease, I want to be able to check what bread I’m buying and how to prepare it, even away from my own kitchen. This is the top priority for about 36% of consumers. |
| Taking it with you and preparing it | Read the storage and baking instructions, and check whether you’ll have an oven at your destination. | If I’m taking bread for several days of travelling, I want to know whether I can eat it straight away or need to bake it at my destination. This is the main practical question for about 29% of consumers. |
| Size and availability | Choose between a whole loaf and smaller portions, and check the specific product at your chosen shop before setting off. | For breakfast and lunch, I look for a suitable size without relying on a general range page to plan my holiday supplies. This is the top priority for about 21% of consumers. |
| Fibre and iodine information | Compare fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information and check the ingredients list for iodised salt or baker’s salt. | When I eat gluten-free bread regularly, I want to be able to compare the nutritional information and know what type of salt has been used. About 14% of consumers check this first. |
A bread’s name or the absence of wheat alone doesn’t confirm that it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Gluten is also found in rye and barley, among other grains.
Check the current packaging for the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol.
According to the Voedingscentrum, even a small amount of gluten, such as a bread crumb, can cause symptoms if you have coeliac disease.
Keep gluten-free bread separate from ordinary bread, and use clean knives and preparation equipment.
The Voedingscentrum says that bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell what salt has been used just from the type of bread.
Check the ingredients list for the product you choose, especially if you eat little bread or choose bread without iodised salt.
A range page doesn’t tell you whether the bread you want will be available at your shop when you need it.
Check the specific product before you set off, and have another shop or type of bread in mind as a back-up.
These shop pages can help you compare types of bread. Before buying, always check the label and availability of the specific product.
Albert Heijn has an online gluten-free bread category featuring its own products and other brands.
Jumbo’s online gluten-free bread category features a range of different types of bread.
PLUS has an online gluten-free bread category and separate product pages.
Dirk shows gluten-free search results and individual bread products online.
ALDI Netherlands lists gluten-free bread options on its page about bread and bake-at-home products.
Lidl Netherlands has a page for its gluten-free range.
No. ‘Wheat-free’ on its own doesn’t confirm that bread is gluten-free. Gluten is also found in rye and barley, among other grains, so choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging.
Yes. Once opened, keep it separate from ordinary bread and use clean utensils. The Voedingscentrum warns that even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms if you have coeliac disease.
No, don’t assume that it does. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt, so check the ingredients list for the bread you choose.
Use the range to find products, but check that the specific bread is available at your chosen shop before you set off. A general product category doesn’t guarantee that every bread will be on sale there at that time.
Bake-at-home rolls are a good choice if you’re staying somewhere with an oven and want to take smaller portions. Read the preparation and storage instructions for your chosen product, and keep oven equipment and worktops free from gluten-containing crumbs.
