If you’re hosting a guest with coeliac disease, choose crispbread whose packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’ or carries the Crossed Grain trademark. Serve it separately from ordinary bread and crumbs. Then compare the ingredients and allergen warnings, and only after that look at portion sizes, fibre and salt. ‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t mean the product is free from other ingredients, such as sesame or oats.
You’re looking for clearly labelled gluten-free crispbread and want to make sure it doesn’t come into contact with crumbs from ordinary bread or crackers when served. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that even a bread crumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease.
As well as checking that the product is gluten-free, you check the ingredients and warnings relevant to your guests. Gluten-free options may contain oats or sesame, for example, or carry warnings about other allergens.
You want to know how much crispbread to put out and what toppings to serve with it. Pack size, portions and nutritional information can help you compare options once you’ve confirmed they’re suitable for your guests.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing and serving gluten-free food | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain trademark on the packaging. Keep the crispbread and serving utensils separate from food containing gluten. | If I’m also serving ordinary bread, I want to make sure crumbs don’t get onto the crispbread for my guest with coeliac disease. For around 50% of consumers, choosing gluten-free and serving it separately come first. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements for allergens your guests need to avoid. | If a guest needs to avoid something as well as gluten, I don’t want to rely on the gluten-free label alone. For around 30% of consumers, these additional allergens are the top priority once the basic gluten-free requirement has been met. |
| Portions and nutritional information | Compare the number of pieces and the nutritional information for fibre and salt per 100 g on the current packaging. | For coffee-time snacks with toppings, I want to know how many pieces I can serve and how the options differ nutritionally. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this once the gluten-free requirement has been met. |
A cracker’s shape tells you nothing about whether it contains gluten. Ryvita states that its products contain gluten; Original Crispbread contains rye flour.
If you’re hosting a guest with coeliac disease, check the current packaging for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain trademark instead of relying on the product name or a fibre claim.
Even a suitable packaged product can come into contact with crumbs from food containing gluten when served. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease.
Use a clean, separate plate, clean utensils and toppings that haven’t already been touched by a knife used for ordinary bread.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean free from all other ingredients or allergens. Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt contains sesame; gluten-free options made with oats aren’t automatically suitable for someone who also needs to avoid oats.
Ask which ingredients your guests need to avoid, then read both the ingredients list and the allergen warnings on the packaging you’ve chosen.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products through bakers’ salt. That doesn’t make them an ingredient in every option.
If you want to know whether your chosen product contains iodised salt, check the ingredients list.
Compare the options listed here against their own labels: a brand name alone doesn’t make crispbread suitable for a guest with coeliac disease.
Albert Heijn describes AH Glutenvrij Vezelrijk crispbread as a 230 g gluten-free option, made in a completely gluten-free environment.
Wasa offers crispbread options including Classic and Sesame & Sea Salt, both labelled gluten-free and lactose-free.
Albert Heijn lists Schär Hafer knäckebrot and Knusperbrot dunkel as gluten-free bread substitutes similar to crispbread.
Ryvita is a point of comparison for crispbread, but it isn’t a gluten-free choice for this coffee table: according to the manufacturer, all its products contain gluten.
No, rye contains gluten. Choose crispbread whose current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’ or carries the Crossed Grain trademark; don’t rely on its shape or brand name alone.
Yes. If there’s also food containing gluten on the table, it’s important to serve it separately. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre warns that even a bread crumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease. So use a clean, separate plate and separate utensils.
No. A gluten-free option may contain sesame or oats, for example, or carry a warning about milk, soya or mustard. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the specific packaging against your guest’s needs.
No, the Dutch rule referred to doesn’t require it in all crispbread. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may be added to bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products through bakers’ salt, up to a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. The ingredients list tells you what’s declared for the option you’ve chosen.
