Don’t serve someone with coeliac disease regular tiger bread with pea soup without checking: choose bread or rolls explicitly labelled gluten-free and keep them separate from ordinary bread. A whole loaf is ideal for serving slices, while individual rolls are handy for separate portions. In either case, check the current packaging.
For you, a clear gluten-free label on the bread matters; it’s not enough for wheat simply to be absent from the visible ingredients. The Dutch Coeliac Association also highlights the risk of crumbs from ordinary bread getting onto gluten-free bread.
If you’re serving both tiger bread and gluten-free bread, you’ll need a clean chopping board, separate utensils and spread free from bread crumbs for the gluten-free bread. This keeps preparation separate, as advised by the Dutch Coeliac Association.
If you don’t need the tiger-bread crust, you can choose between a whole gluten-free loaf and individual rolls. Jumbo and PLUS ranges include whole loaves, ciabatta, multigrain rolls and crusty rolls, among other options; check the packaging of the product you buy.
First, check for a gluten-free label and think about how you’ll serve the bread separately from regular tiger bread. Then choose between slices from a whole loaf and individual rolls.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Check that the current packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or displays a recognised gluten-free symbol; don’t rely on the tiger-bread crust. | If someone with coeliac disease is eating with us, I want to be able to base my bread choice on the packaging. For around 36% of consumers, this confirmed suitability would be their main concern. |
| Serving separately | Prepare a clean chopping board and clean utensils; keep spreads free from crumbs from ordinary bread. | When both types of bread are on the table, I want to stop crumbs getting onto the gluten-free bread. This would be the main concern for around 29% of consumers. |
| Type of bread | Choose a whole loaf for slices or individual rolls for separate portions; check the preparation instructions for bake-at-home products. | With a shared pan of soup, I might want to put out slices, or give everyone their own roll. The way it’s served would be the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Shop availability | Search specifically for gluten-free bread and check that the product you want is available, and what its packaging says, before buying it in store. | When I’m shopping for a soup meal, I want to know whether I can pick up a suitable gluten-free loaf. For around 14% of consumers, being able to find it would be their main concern. |
‘Tiger bread’ describes the bread, not whether it’s suitable for a gluten-free diet. So a distinctive crust doesn’t tell you whether you can serve it to someone with coeliac disease.
Look for gluten-free bread, then read the label on the packaging of the product you’ve chosen. The Dutch Coeliac Association recommends checking for the word ‘gluten-free’ or a gluten-free symbol.
The Dutch Coeliac Association warns that crumbs can get onto gluten-free bread via a chopping board. Shared utensils or spreads containing crumbs also need attention.
Keep the gluten-free bread separate until you’re ready to use it, and set out clean utensils and a separate serving plate.
A bread type shown online doesn’t tell you which product you’ll find when you do your shopping or what its packaging says.
Check that the bread you want is available before the meal, and read the label again when you buy it, especially if the packaging has changed.
Bread may contain iodised baker’s salt, but the label ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t tell you what type of salt has been used. The RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) describes bread made with iodised baker’s salt as a potential source of iodine.
If the type of salt matters to your choice, check the ingredients list for the specific bread. Don’t use this information as a substitute for checking the gluten-free label.
These bread ranges offer different options to serve with pea soup. The brand alone doesn’t determine whether a specific product is suitable, so always check the current packaging.
Jumbo lists gluten-free loaves and rolls from Schär, including whole loaves and individual rolls.
Jumbo lists gluten-free brown frozen bread from Consenza, among other products, alongside a range of rolls.
PLUS lists its own gluten-free breads, including white, brown and multiseed loaves, as well as gluten-free crusty rolls.
Choose bread that’s labelled gluten-free instead. The name and crust of regular tiger bread don’t offer that reassurance; the Dutch Coeliac Association recommends looking for the word ‘gluten-free’ or a gluten-free symbol.
Keep the gluten-free bread separate and use clean utensils to prepare it. Also watch out for crumbs in shared spreads and on the surface you might use to bake rolls, so ordinary bread doesn’t come into contact with the gluten-free bread.
Check the ingredients list for the specific bread to see which type of salt is listed. According to the Dutch Bakery Centre, you can’t assume that every loaf is made with iodine-containing baker’s salt; the type of salt also doesn’t tell you whether the bread is gluten-free.
