If you have coeliac disease, first look for a clear gluten-free label on breakfast cereal, then check the ingredients. For a sweet breakfast, you can compare cornflakes, suitable oat products and crunchy mixes for taste, sugar and fibre. Standard Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Special K Original are not gluten-free alternatives: according to Kellogg's Netherlands, these products contain barley and/or wheat.
You want to know whether a breakfast cereal is suitable for a gluten-free diet before choosing it for its taste. For oats, the Crossed Grain trademark is an important indicator, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains; always check the current packaging too.
You’re looking for the texture of cornflakes to enjoy with milk, yoghurt, quark or a plant-based alternative. Once a product meets your gluten-free requirements, you can compare its nutritional information and serving size.
You might be considering oat pops, crunchy muesli or a flavoured variety instead of plain cornflakes. Check the ingredients, other allergens and nutritional values for each product. Compare granola separately, as it’s a different type of product from flakes.
If you have coeliac disease, checking for gluten comes before choosing by taste or nutritional value. After that, the type of breakfast cereal determines which differences matter to you.
Choose these if: you’re looking for the simple texture of cornflakes and the packaging clearly labels the product as gluten-free.
Bear in mind: corn as the main ingredient doesn’t, by itself, prove that the finished product is gluten-free. Check the label to compare nutritional values.
Choose these if: you want an oat-based breakfast and the packaging carries the Crossed Grain trademark.
Bear in mind: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, standard oat products aren’t automatically suitable for people with coeliac disease, partly because of the risk of gluten contamination.
Choose these if: you’re after more variety in flavour and texture, such as crunchy muesli, granola or oat pops.
Bear in mind: ingredients and other allergens vary between varieties. A gluten-free label doesn’t tell you how much sugar, fat or fibre the product contains.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free suitability | Look for the gluten-free label on the current packaging. For oats, check for the Crossed Grain trademark and read the ingredients list. | If I have coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on the type of grain alone when choosing breakfast flakes. For around 50% of consumers, this check comes first. |
| Taste and texture | Compare cornflakes, oat products and crunchy mixes. For sweet varieties, also check the sugar per 100 g. | For my breakfast, I mainly want to know whether I’d prefer simple flakes or a more flavourful crunchy mix. Around 30% of consumers give this choice the highest priority. |
| Nutritional information | Compare sugar, fibre, fat and salt per 100 g, and check the stated serving size. | If I eat breakfast cereal regularly, I want to compare the nutritional values of different varieties as well as their taste. For around 20% of consumers, this matters most. |
The type of grain shown on the front of the pack isn’t enough to confirm that a product is gluten-free. According to Kellogg's Netherlands, its standard Corn Flakes contain barley malt extract; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the risk of gluten contamination in oats.
Check for a gluten-free label, look for the Crossed Grain trademark on oat products and read the full ingredients list.
A gluten-free label tells you nothing about the amount of sugar, fat, fibre or salt in a particular breakfast cereal.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g of products that meet your gluten-free requirements.
Jumbo says that Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Cornflakes and Consenza Pure & Free Cornflakes are no longer part of its online range.
Check the current range before buying, and assess any alternatives by checking their own packaging.
Albert Heijn’s gluten-free breakfast cereal range includes cornflakes, oat products, bran flakes and crunchy varieties.
Jumbo’s product page describes 200 g cornflakes from this gluten-free range.
Consenza Pure & Free Cornflakes are an example of a product that Jumbo describes as suitable for a wheat-free and gluten-free diet.
Kellogg's standard Corn Flakes and Special K Original show why you shouldn’t assume a familiar flakes product is gluten-free without checking the label.
These two pack options are granola with peanut and chocolate flavour, not cornflakes. If you have coeliac disease and are looking for a crunchy breakfast cereal, check the current gluten-free label and packaging before buying.
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For anyone looking for peanut and chocolate-flavoured granola for a sweet breakfast instead of cornflakes. The pack contains 330 g. If you have coeliac disease, check the current gluten-free label, and if you have allergies, read the ingredients and warnings on the packaging.
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For anyone looking for the same peanut and chocolate-flavoured granola in a pack of six 330 g bags. This is granola, not cornflakes. If you have coeliac disease, check the current gluten-free label, and if you have allergies, read the ingredients and warnings on the packaging.
Don’t assume they are: according to Kellogg's Netherlands, standard Kellogg's Corn Flakes contain barley malt extract. Choose a product with a clear gluten-free label and check the ingredients on the current packaging.
No, standard oat flakes aren’t automatically suitable if you have coeliac disease. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the risk of gluten contamination in oats and recommends oat products with the Crossed Grain trademark.
First check for a gluten-free label, then read the full ingredients list. Look out for wheat, rye, barley and ingredients such as barley malt extract. For oat products, also check whether the pack carries the Crossed Grain trademark.
No, a gluten-free label doesn’t in itself tell you how much sugar a product contains. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g for suitable products, and check the stated serving size for your own breakfast too.
