If you’re buying Dutch breakfast cake for someone with coeliac disease, first check the gluten-free label on the current packaging. Don’t rely on the brand name or packaging format alone. An uncut loaf can work for several breakfasts if you can slice and store it separately. A gluten-free breakfast cake bar is more convenient to take with you or portion out for individual occasions.
You want to enjoy Dutch breakfast cake without getting crumbs from gluten-containing products in a shared kitchen. Check the packaging and make sure you have a clean knife, a clean chopping surface and a separate place to store the cake. The Voedingscentrum points out that even a stray breadcrumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease.
You want to take Dutch breakfast cake for several occasions and slice it yourself. An uncut loaf is an option, provided you can use clean, separate utensils and a suitable storage container in your holiday cottage.
You’re looking for a gluten-free breakfast cake bar to take on a journey, a day out or a short break, without having to bring a whole loaf. Even if it’s a familiar variety, always check the current packaging: Albert Heijn notes that product and allergen information can change.
When buying gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake for a holiday cottage, checking the packaging comes before choosing between a whole loaf and bars. After that, the length of your stay and how you’ll use the kitchen will help you decide which format is most convenient.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free status and separate preparation | Read the gluten-free label on the current packaging and check whether clean, separate utensils are available. | If I need gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake because of coeliac disease, I want to prevent it coming into contact with ordinary bread crumbs in the holiday cottage. Around 42% of consumers put this check first. |
| Enough for your stay | Compare the net weight and best-before date with your plans; check whether you can slice and store an uncut loaf separately. | For several breakfasts, I want to bring enough cake without opening a new pack each time. Around 33% of consumers consider this first. |
| Portions for when you’re out and about | Check the number of bars and the quantity per pack; also check the current ingredients and allergen information. | For a day out, I want to take an individual portion rather than a whole loaf. Around 25% of consumers put this convenience first. |
‘Zero’, ‘wholegrain’ and ‘no added sugars’ don’t tell you whether Dutch breakfast cake contains gluten. An ordinary breakfast cake carrying one of these labels isn’t automatically suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
Check for the gluten-free label on the current packaging, rather than relying on a claim about sugar or grain types.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn advises customers to check the packaging in its product information; an old shopping list or online image isn’t a substitute for doing so.
Check the physical packaging before eating the breakfast cake, even if you’ve bought the same product before.
A cake labelled gluten-free can come into contact with crumbs from ordinary bread or breakfast cake when it’s sliced or stored. The Voedingscentrum stresses the importance of preventing this kind of contact for people with coeliac disease.
Use a clean knife and chopping surface, and store the gluten-free breakfast cake separately. If necessary, bring your own utensils and a storage container.
Peijnenburg makes a 285 g gluten-free uncut breakfast cake. Product pages from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list this variety.
The range includes a 300 g uncut gluten-free breakfast cake for anyone who wants to slice it themselves.
Albert Heijn sells gluten-free breakfast cake bars for anyone who would rather take individual portions than an uncut loaf.
Under European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a product can be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Check the current packaging when you buy it; ‘Zero’, ‘wholegrain’ and ‘no added sugars’ don’t in themselves tell you whether a product contains gluten.
You can use the gluten-free label on the packaging as your guide; the Crossed Grain symbol is also a recognisable mark for gluten-free products. The Dutch Coeliac Society describes it as a label for gluten-free products that have been checked. Jumbo displays the symbol on its 300 g Lekker Vrij breakfast cake and its 285 g gluten-free Peijnenburg variety.
Slice and store the gluten-free breakfast cake separately from products containing gluten, using clean utensils and a clean chopping surface. The Voedingscentrum points out that even a stray breadcrumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease.
No, the gluten-free label doesn’t tell you whether a breakfast cake contains baker’s salt. The 14 November 2014 version of the Dutch Commodities Act Decree on the Addition of Micronutrients to Foodstuffs describes baker’s salt as iodised table salt for bread and other bakery products. If the type of salt used matters to you, check the ingredients list for the specific breakfast cake.
