For a guest with coeliac disease, choose crispbread clearly labelled ‘gluten-free’ and serve it separately from ordinary bread and crackers. AH Glutenvrij Vezelrijk crispbread and Wasa’s gluten-free Classic and Sesame & Sea Salt varieties are options for your buffet; check each pack for any other allergens too. A gluten-free product is only a suitable choice if you avoid crumbs, shared utensils and communal spreads.
You’re not just looking for a gluten-free product, but also a way to serve it without contact with crumbs, shared utensils or communal spreads. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends preparing gluten-free food separately.
You want to compare the fibre and salt content of gluten-free crispbread varieties, while keeping the ‘gluten-free’ label as your starting point.
As well as checking for gluten, you’ll want to check the ingredients and allergen information, for example for sesame, milk, soya or mustard. Gluten-free doesn’t mean a product is free from these allergens.
Start by checking the gluten-free label and setting aside a separate space on the buffet. Then compare the allergen information, packaging and nutritional values of the varieties that may suit your guests.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free and served separately | Check for the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol. Use a separate serving dish and clean serving utensils. | If someone with coeliac disease is joining us, I want to prevent bread crumbs or shared spreads from coming into contact with the gluten-free crispbread. For around 36% of consumers, keeping food safely separate is the top priority. |
| How it works on the buffet | Check the type of packaging and choose a variety whose flavour works well with the toppings you have planned. | When guests help themselves and add their own toppings, I want a product that’s practical to put out on the buffet. Around 29% of consumers give this buffet use the highest priority. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information for each variety; look out for sesame and any ‘may contain’ statements in particular. | If a guest needs to avoid an allergen as well as gluten, I want to know what’s in the chosen variety or may be present. This additional check matters most to around 21% of consumers. |
| Nutritional value and ingredients | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g. Check the ingredients list to see whether iodised salt is mentioned, if that’s relevant to your choice. | If there are several suitable gluten-free varieties, I also want to compare their fibre, salt and listed ingredients. For around 14% of consumers, this is the main consideration. |
Crumbs and used utensils can transfer gluten to a product that was originally gluten-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights this risk when preparing and serving food.
Keep the gluten-free crispbread separate and use a clean serving dish, its own utensils and separate spreads.
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Wasa Gluten Free Classic may contain sesame, among other allergens. Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt contains sesame as an ingredient.
Ask which other allergens are relevant to your guests and read the information on the packaging of the variety you choose.
Rye contains gluten. Ryvita also states that its products contain gluten.
Don’t offer regular rye or wheat crispbread to a guest with coeliac disease. If you’d like to serve it to other guests, keep it separate from the gluten-free section.
Salt information varies from product to product. According to Albert Heijn, AH Glutenvrij Vezelrijk crispbread contains iodised salt; the Wasa varieties discussed here list salt or sea salt.
Check the ingredients list on the pack rather than assuming a product contains iodine based on its category.
Albert Heijn lists a gluten-free, high-fibre crispbread as well as gluten-free crackers; these are different types of product.
The gluten-free crispbread varieties Classic and Sesame & Sea Salt have different ingredients and nutritional values.
Regular Ryvita products are not a gluten-free alternative for a guest with coeliac disease.
No. Choose crispbread or crackers labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol; ‘wheat-free’ alone doesn’t tell you whether other gluten-containing ingredients are present. Check the packaging of the product you’re actually serving.
Put it on a separate, clean serving dish with its own utensils and separate spreads. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights risks of cross-contamination such as bread crumbs on a chopping board and a knife that has already been used in butter.
Not necessarily. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt contains sesame, while Wasa Gluten Free Classic may contain this and other allergens. Read the ingredients and allergen information on each pack you choose.
No, don’t assume it does. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in AH Glutenvrij Vezelrijk crispbread, while the Wasa varieties discussed here list salt or sea salt. The ingredients list on the pack you choose will show what’s listed for that product.
