If you have coeliac disease, choose crispbread whose current packaging clearly identifies it as gluten-free, and take it to the street festival unopened. Keep it separate from regular bread products when you eat, and check for other allergens such as sesame, milk, soya and mustard. If you regularly replace bread with crispbread, pay close attention to its nutritional information and ingredients too.
You need to choose something that is strictly gluten-free, even after the packaging has been opened. Voedingscentrum points out that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms if you have coeliac disease. So watch out for crumbs from shared food and cutlery that has come into contact with regular bread products.
As well as gluten, you may need to avoid sesame, milk, soya or mustard. A gluten-free label does not answer that separate question: allergen information varies between products, as the product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows.
You want your crispbread to stay whole and dry while you’re on the move, and to open it only when you’re ready to eat. So check the packaging and, if needed, take a sturdy, clean container with you. Keep any toppings separate from shared festival food.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label, then decide which other factor matters most for when you’ll be eating it: allergens, how you’ll carry it, or nutritional information if you eat it regularly.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Eating gluten-free without contact with crumbs | Look for a gluten-free label on the current packaging. Take the pack with you unopened and use clean, separate cutlery. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to eat my crispbread without it coming into contact with regular bread or shared toppings. For around 36% of consumers, this assurance that a product is gluten-free comes first. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients and warnings for allergens such as sesame, milk, soya and mustard for the exact product you’ve chosen. | If I have another allergy, a gluten-free label alone isn’t enough. Around 29% of consumers give checking for other allergens the highest priority. |
| Keeping it whole and separate when you take it with you | Check the portions and packaging. If needed, use a sturdy container and only open what you’re about to eat. | I want to be able to open an intact portion at the festival without putting the rest of the pack with shared food. For around 21% of consumers, ease of carrying it is the most important factor. |
| Nutritional information if you eat it regularly | Compare fibre and salt on the same basis, such as per 100 g, and check whether iodised salt is listed in the ingredients. | If I regularly replace bread with crispbread, I also want to know how it fits into my usual diet. Around 14% of consumers put this nutritional information first. |
The product category tells you nothing about whether a particular pack is suitable for a gluten-free diet. For example, Ryvita states in its FAQ that all its products contain gluten.
Before buying, check for a gluten-free label on the current packaging instead of relying on the product name or where it’s stocked.
Crumbs from regular bread can get onto your crispbread via toppings, serving tongs or an eating surface. According to Voedingscentrum, even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms if you have coeliac disease.
Only open the portion you’re about to eat, and use your own clean cutlery and toppings on a clean surface.
A gluten-free product may contain sesame as an ingredient or carry warnings about other allergens. Information varies between the Wasa products mentioned.
Check both the ingredients and allergen warnings for the product you’ve chosen. Don’t assume that lactose-free means a product is suitable if you have a milk allergy.
Voedingscentrum describes bread made with iodised baker’s salt as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. Whether crispbread contains iodised salt depends on the product; that ingredient alone doesn’t tell you what role the product plays in your overall diet.
Check the ingredients if you regularly replace bread. If you have questions about making a long-term change to your diet, speak to a specialist dietitian if needed.
AH Glutenvrij Vezelrijk crispbread is a specific product worth looking at if the production environment and allergen information are important to your choice.
The gluten-free Classic and Sesame & Sea Salt products reviewed here have different ingredients and nutritional information, so compare the packaging for each one.
Ryvita is a useful comparison with regular crispbread, but it isn’t a suitable choice for a strictly gluten-free festival snack.
At Lidl, you’ll need to check a specific product in store rather than relying on a general range page.
Regular Goud Gebakken Robuust crispbread is an example of a product whose category alone doesn’t confirm that it’s gluten-free.
Only if the current packaging clearly states that the crispbread is gluten-free. Don’t rely on the product category: crispbread can contain gluten-containing grains and must also be kept separate from regular bread crumbs when you carry and eat it.
Take it with you unopened and only open a portion when you’re ready to eat. Use a clean container or surface, and don’t share a butter knife, serving tongs or bread basket with regular bread products. Voedingscentrum points out that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms if you have coeliac disease.
You can’t tell from the gluten-free label alone. The Wasa products reviewed list sesame as an ingredient or carry warnings about possible traces of milk and other allergens. So check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack you’re buying.
If you regularly replace bread, it’s worth considering the ingredients alongside the rest of your diet. Voedingscentrum identifies bread made with iodised baker’s salt as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, but not all bread or crispbread contains this salt. A statement that one pack contains iodised salt doesn’t, by itself, tell you how your overall diet is made up.
