If you have coeliac disease, first check that the unopened packaging is labelled gluten-free or carries the Crossed Grain symbol. Then avoid contact with bread crumbs and shared cutting utensils. If you’re on the go by yourself, an individually wrapped bar means you won’t have to cut it at the festival. A whole cake is handy for several portions, provided you can divide it up beforehand with clean utensils and wrap the pieces separately.
You want to take a product that’s clearly labelled gluten-free and avoid it coming into contact with crumbs or shared cutting utensils when you eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises checking for a gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol when choosing a product.
You want to eat one portion from your own pack, without needing a knife or chopping board. Albert Heijn’s gluten-free breakfast cake bar is an individually wrapped 65 g portion.
You want to divide up a whole cake in a clean environment and store the pieces separately. Peijnenburg lists an uncut 285 g cake with nine portions; Jumbo lists an uncut 300 g gluten-free cake.
Start by checking the packaging label, then decide whether you want to open the cake at the festival or prepare the portions in advance.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling and crumb contact | Check for a gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol, and think about how you’ll avoid contact with shared utensils. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to keep my snack away from bread crumbs; for around 42% of consumers, avoiding contact with gluten comes first. |
| Eating straight from the pack | Check whether one pack contains a single portion and can be opened without cutting. | If I’m going alone, I don’t want to have to bring a knife or plate. For around 33% of consumers, an individual portion is the top priority. |
| Portions for a group | Compare pack sizes and check whether you can cut the cake in advance with clean utensils and store the pieces separately. | For our group, I want to divide up the cake before we leave, so no one needs shared utensils at the festival; around 25% of consumers put portions for a group first. |
A claim about sugar says nothing about whether a product contains gluten. ALDI presents its Koek & Bakker Ontbijtkoek Zero with a sugar-related claim; this is no substitute for a gluten-free label.
If you have coeliac disease, use the gluten-free label or Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging as your check, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
When you divide up an uncut breakfast cake, it comes into contact with a knife, chopping board and hands. At a festival, these may have crumbs from ordinary cake or bread on them.
Cut the cake in advance with clean utensils and wrap the portions separately, or choose a bar you can eat from your own pack.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean free from other allergens. The ingredient information for the Peijnenburg cake mentioned here lists milk and lupin; milk, lactose and lupin are also listed for the AH bar.
As well as checking the gluten-free label, always read the allergen information on the pack you’re taking with you.
You can’t tell from the product category whether a cake contains iodine from baker’s salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s information about baker’s salt in bread doesn’t tell you which ingredients are in a specific breakfast cake.
If the type of salt used matters to you, check the ingredient information for the cake in question.
Peijnenburg lists a gluten-free, uncut plain breakfast cake weighing 285 g, with nine portions.
Jumbo lists an uncut 300 g gluten-free breakfast cake in its Lekker Vrij range.
Albert Heijn lists a 65 g gluten-free breakfast cake bar as a single portion.
Check for a gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol on the unopened pack. Once you’ve opened it, keep it away from crumbs and shared utensils. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre identifies the label and symbol as ways to recognise gluten-free products; checking them doesn’t replace careful handling when you eat the cake.
No. The presence of oats alone doesn’t make a breakfast cake suitable for people with coeliac disease. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that oat products can be contaminated with gluten-containing grains and recommends checking for the official Crossed Grain symbol on oat products.
No, you can’t tell from the gluten-free label or product category. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses iodised baker’s salt in bread; check the ingredient information on the pack for the specific breakfast cake you’re considering.
Yes. Gluten-free doesn’t mean free from all allergens. The listed ingredients for the Peijnenburg cake mentioned here include milk and lupin; milk, lactose and lupin are listed for the AH bar. Before buying, read the allergen information on the current packaging.
