If you have coeliac disease, choose a breakfast cake whose current packaging states that it is gluten-free; the Crossed Grain symbol is another easy-to-recognise indicator. Then consider whether a whole cake or an individual bar suits the way you plan to enjoy it. If you also have a food allergy, check the ingredients and any warnings about the possible presence of allergens too.
You’re looking for breakfast cake with a clear gluten-free label, and you also take care to avoid contact with gluten at home. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes a gluten-free diet as essential for people with coeliac disease.
As well as gluten, you may need to avoid milk, lupin, nuts, eggs or sesame, for example. A gluten-free label doesn’t replace the need to check the ingredients and any warnings about the possible presence of allergens.
You’re looking for breakfast cake to take with you or pack in a lunchbox, and weighing up an individual bar against a whole cake that you can slice and store yourself.
First check the packaging for a gluten-free label, then check for any allergens that are relevant to you. Only then decide between a whole cake for several occasions and an individual bar.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to be sure that this particular breakfast cake is sold as gluten-free. Around 42% of consumers put this check first. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients and any warnings about allergens the product may contain. | If I also need to avoid milk or lupin, a gluten-free label alone isn’t enough. Checking for additional allergens matters most to around 33% of consumers. |
| Portion and packaging | Compare a whole, unsliced cake with an individual bar, and check the portions and storage instructions. | For my lunchbox, I want to be able to take one portion with me, while at home I might prefer a cake for several occasions. Around 25% of consumers prioritise this format. |
Gluten-free breakfast cake can still contain other allergens. For example, Jumbo says its Lekker Vrij breakfast cake contains milk and lupin, as well as listing allergens the product may contain.
Check the ingredients list too, along with any warnings about the possible presence of allergens that are relevant to you.
Ingredients and allergen information can change, so the details on a product page may not match the packaging of the product you buy.
Check the current packaging when you buy. If you’re unsure about an allergen that matters to you, ask for confirmation before using the product.
A statement about sugar tells you nothing about whether a product contains gluten. Check these two product characteristics separately.
When choosing, use the gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging as your guide.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the conditions under which iodine compounds may be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products. This doesn’t tell you whether a specific breakfast cake contains baker’s salt.
If you need product-specific information about iodine, ask the manufacturer.
Albert Heijn lists a 285 g unsliced gluten-free breakfast cake from Peijnenburg; PLUS also features the same product range.
Jumbo lists a 300 g unsliced gluten-free breakfast cake bearing the Crossed Grain symbol.
Albert Heijn lists a 65 g gluten-free breakfast cake bar as an individual portion.
No. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition, not a food allergy. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet is the treatment. If you also have a food allergy, check for any allergens that are relevant to you.
Check the current packaging for the words ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists both as recognised indicators for gluten-free products, so don’t rely on an online product title alone.
Yes. Jumbo lists milk and lupin as allergens present in its Lekker Vrij breakfast cake and includes nuts among the allergens the cake may contain. If you have an additional allergy, check both the ingredients and any warnings about the possible presence of allergens on the current packaging.
No, that doesn’t follow from the rule. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains when iodine compounds may be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products, but this doesn’t confirm that a specific breakfast cake contains baker’s salt. Ask the manufacturer for product-specific information if you need it.
