Organisers catering for people with coeliac disease
You’re looking for packaged breakfast cake whose current gluten-free labelling and any warnings you can check before serving.
If someone attending has coeliac disease and needs gluten-free breakfast cake, check the current packaging rather than relying on a product name on a website. An uncut Peijnenburg or Jumbo Lekker Vrij cake is a good choice for sharing if you can serve it separately with clean utensils; an AH Glutenvrij breakfast cake bar is a smaller option. For every variety, also check the label for other relevant allergens and warnings.
You’re looking for packaged breakfast cake whose current gluten-free labelling and any warnings you can check before serving.
You want to slice and serve it to several people without the gluten-free breakfast cake coming into contact with crumbs or utensils used for regular breakfast cake.
As well as gluten, you need to consider the allergens people attending tell you about. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists milk, including lactose, and cereals containing gluten as allergens that need to be checked separately.
Start by checking the gluten-free labelling and warnings on the packaging. Then choose a serving format that suits the number of people attending and how you can offer the breakfast cake separately.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free option | Check the current ‘gluten-free’ labelling and any warnings about cereals containing gluten on the packaging. Jumbo lists a Crossed Grain symbol for Peijnenburg Glutenvrij and the Crossed Grain quality mark for Jumbo Lekker Vrij. | If I’m serving breakfast cake to someone with coeliac disease, I want to be able to check the labelling and warnings. Around 46% of consumers put this need first. |
| Other allergens | Check the allergen information for the variety you choose for milk, lactose and any other allergens relevant to those attending. | When people have different dietary needs, I don’t want to assume that gluten-free also means free from other allergens. Around 27% of consumers put this check first. |
| Format and quantity | Compare uncut cakes with bars and check the net weight: PLUS lists Peijnenburg Glutenvrij at 285 g, while Jumbo lists Jumbo Lekker Vrij at 300 g. Albert Heijn also lists gluten-free breakfast cake bars. | Do I need to slice it for a group, or would I rather put out a smaller option separately? Around 27% of consumers prioritise the serving format and quantity needed. |
These descriptions alone tell you nothing about whether a product is labelled gluten-free. Regular breakfast cake is therefore not a substitute for a product you choose for someone with coeliac disease.
Check the current packaging for ‘gluten-free’ and read any warnings about the possible presence of cereals containing gluten.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean a product is free from other allergens. For example, Jumbo lists milk and lactose in Damhert Glutenvrij Ontbijt Peperkoek.
Ask which allergens are relevant to those attending and check the allergen information for every variety you choose.
Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional and allergy information can change. A product page you looked at previously isn’t enough to make your choice on the day of the meeting.
Check the physical packaging before serving the breakfast cake.
Brood.net describes the use of iodised baker’s salt as part of an agreement. This doesn’t tell you which ingredients a particular breakfast cake contains.
Check the ingredients information or ask the manufacturer for product-specific details if iodised baker’s salt is relevant to your choice.
Peijnenburg Glutenvrij is an uncut 285 g breakfast cake that you can portion yourself.
Jumbo lists a 300 g uncut gluten-free breakfast cake in this product range.
Albert Heijn lists a gluten-free breakfast cake bar and a high-fibre breakfast cake bar in a 2-pack.
Damhert Glutenvrij Ontbijt Peperkoek is a 300 g gingerbread-style cake, not the same product variety as the breakfast cakes mentioned above.
Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging and read any warnings about cereals containing gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Society explains that the claim is linked to less than 20 mg of gluten per kg of product; simply not seeing wheat in the ingredients list is no substitute for this check.
Take the warning into account when choosing for someone with coeliac disease, and don’t treat it as a gluten-free claim. According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, a warning about cross-contamination can indicate a real risk of more than 20 mg of gluten per kg of product.
Yes, if those allergens are relevant to anyone attending. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority distinguishes milk, including lactose, from cereals containing gluten, so a gluten-free claim doesn’t tell you whether the product meets that other dietary need.
Set the gluten-free breakfast cake apart and use a clean knife, a clean board and separate serving utensils. Keep the packaging with it so the person attending can check the labelling and allergen information for themselves.
No, don’t assume that based on the product category. Brood.net describes iodised baker’s salt as part of an agreement; for a specific breakfast cake, check the ingredients information or ask the manufacturer.