If someone in your household needs to eat gluten-free because they have coeliac disease, don’t choose cornflakes just because they’re made from maize. Check the current packaging for a ‘gluten-free’ claim every time you buy them, and read the allergen information. For your weekly shop, also check whether the product is available and whether the pack size, portions and nutritional information suit your household’s breakfast habits. When storing and serving the flakes, avoid contact with crumbs containing gluten.
If someone at home needs to follow a strict gluten-free diet, both the packaging claim and avoiding cross-contamination during storage and serving matter. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends checking the label when you buy a product; the Dutch Coeliac Society also highlights the risk of contact with crumbs containing gluten in the kitchen.
Before putting your shopping list together, you’ll want to know whether a product is available and how many packs you need for your household’s breakfasts. The pack size and stated serving size can help you plan.
As well as checking for a gluten-free claim, look at the ingredients, fibre, sugars, salt and the portion you eat. Compare products on the same basis, such as per 100 g, and consider separately what you add to the flakes.
For a strict gluten-free diet, start by checking the label on the product you’re actually buying. Then compare availability and how much you’ll need for the week. After that, consider which nutritional information matters for your breakfast choice.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim and cross-contamination | Check the current ‘gluten-free’ claim and the allergen information. At home, keep the flakes away from crumbs containing gluten. | If someone at home has coeliac disease, I want to be sure about what goes on the table, even after the pack has been opened; for around 42% of consumers choosing gluten-free flakes for their weekly shop, that reassurance comes first. |
| Weekly supplies and availability | Before completing your shop, check the product’s current availability, the pack size in grams and the stated serving size. | For a regular breakfast routine, I want to be able to buy enough packs without basing my shopping list on an unavailable product; for around 33% of these consumers, planning supplies is the top priority. |
| Nutritional information and portions | Compare ingredients, fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g, then check the nutritional information per serving. | If I eat the same flakes regularly for breakfast, I want to know what my usual portion contains and what I add to it; around 25% of these consumers say this is their main consideration. |
The fact that cornflakes are mainly made from maize isn’t enough to show that they’re suitable for someone with coeliac disease. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends checking the label when buying gluten-free products.
Check the current packaging for a ‘gluten-free’ claim or an appropriate gluten-free certification mark, and read the ingredients and allergen information too.
Jumbo says that Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Cornflakes and Consenza Pure & Free Glutenvrije Cornflakes are no longer part of its online range. Their product information therefore doesn’t confirm that you can choose them for your current online order.
Check the product’s availability when you order and, if necessary, choose another product whose current packaging explicitly says it is gluten-free.
A gluten-free claim doesn’t tell you how much fibre, sugar or salt a serving contains. Albert Heijn also warns that ingredients, nutritional values and allergy information can change.
Read the current ingredients list and nutritional information, and compare values per 100 g before comparing serving sizes.
Even after careful shopping, gluten-free flakes can come into contact with crumbs containing gluten in a shared kitchen, according to the Dutch Coeliac Society.
Seal the pack after use, wash your hands, and use clean utensils and a clean work surface when serving the flakes.
Albert Heijn lists 200 g packs of AH Glutenvrij Cornflakes as a gluten-free breakfast product.
Jumbo describes 200 g cornflakes in this gluten-free product range.
The Jumbo product page describes 250 g packs of Consenza Pure & Free Glutenvrije Cornflakes.
Under European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the term ‘gluten-free’ can only be used if the food sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Check for this claim on the current packaging; the name ‘cornflakes’ is no substitute.
No. Maize as an ingredient doesn’t confirm that the whole product is gluten-free. If you follow a strict gluten-free diet, check the current claim, ingredients list and allergen information, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends for gluten-free shopping.
Only choose oat flakes that are explicitly labelled gluten-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that oats can come into contact with grains containing gluten during growing or processing, and recommends choosing a product with the Crossed Grain certification mark where possible. A small number of people with coeliac disease also react to pure oats; speak to a doctor or specialist dietitian if you have questions about whether they’re suitable for you.
Keep the pack sealed and use clean hands, utensils and a work surface when serving gluten-free flakes. The Dutch Coeliac Society stresses that you need to be mindful of cross-contamination in a shared kitchen.
