Who is this choice important for?

If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease

You’re looking for crispbread for a sharing platter or a herring meal, and don’t want to accidentally serve an ordinary rye crispbread as gluten-free.

If you’re catering for multiple allergies

As well as checking for a gluten-free label, you’ll want to see whether the product contains oats or sesame, and check the pack for warnings about milk, soya or mustard.

If you’re preparing a table for the celebrations

You want the crispbread you choose to be easy to serve, and you’ll check the label on the exact pack you’re putting on the table just before serving.

What should you look for when choosing?

If you’re serving gluten-free crispbread at a Flag Day gathering where someone with coeliac disease will be eating, check the exact product before choosing it for its flavour or packaging. Then consider any other allergies, how you’ll serve it and the nutritional information to decide which option is right.

What to consider What to check before buying Who is this most important for?
Gluten-free labelling Read the current gluten-free labelling and look out for warnings about cereals containing gluten. According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, ‘gluten-free’ means less than 20 mg of gluten per kg of product. If someone with coeliac disease is eating, I don’t want to rely on a cracker’s shape or brand name. For around 36% of consumers, clear gluten-free labelling is the most important factor.
Other allergens and serving food together Check the ingredients and ‘may contain’ statements against your guests’ allergies; keep gluten-free crispbread separate from ordinary crackers. When serving a sharing platter, I also want to take account of ingredients such as sesame and make sure crumbs from other crackers don’t get onto the gluten-free product. Around 29% of consumers prioritise other allergens and how the food is served alongside other items.
Flavour and ease of serving Decide whether you’d like a plain or sesame variety, and whether the packaging is convenient if you’re not serving it all at once. For a herring meal, I want an option that goes well with what I’m serving and is easy to set out. Around 21% of consumers put flavour and ease of serving first.
Nutritional information Compare the salt and fibre per 100 g on the label; look for ‘iodised salt’ in the ingredients if you want to know whether this applies to the product. I want to compare the nutritional value of the exact varieties without guessing which salt has been used from the product name. For around 14% of consumers, this label information is the most important factor in their choice.

Common mistakes

  • Mistaking rye crispbread for a gluten-free option

    A similar shape tells you nothing about the ingredients. Ryvita states in its own FAQs that all its products contain gluten.

    If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, choose the exact product with current gluten-free labelling; don’t replace it with an ordinary rye variety.

  • Checking only for ‘gluten-free’

    Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt contains sesame seeds. Wasa Classic carries warnings that it may contain milk, soya, sesame seeds and mustard; AH Gluten-free High Fibre contains gluten-free oats and may contain sesame.

    Ask which other allergies are relevant to your guests, and read both the ingredients and warnings on the exact pack.

  • Assuming all crispbread contains iodised salt

    Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in the ingredients for AH Gluten-free High Fibre. This ingredient information doesn’t tell you anything about the composition of another variety.

    Check the ingredients list of the product you’re actually serving.

  • Treating an online product description as a permanent label

    Ingredients and allergen information can change. The details you read online earlier may not match the packaging of the product you buy.

    Check the label again when you buy the product and before serving, especially if coeliac disease or another allergy is a concern.

Brands and places to shop for guidance

Always compare the exact variety: a brand or shop name doesn’t mean that its entire range is gluten-free.

Wasa

Wasa has specific crispbread varieties labelled gluten-free, including Gluten- and Lactose-free Classic and Sesame & Sea Salt.

  • For Classic, Albert Heijn lists 7 g of fibre and 1,1 g of salt per 100 g, and describes the pack as containing individual portions.
  • Classic may contain milk, soya, sesame seeds and mustard. For the Sesame & Sea Salt variety, also check the sesame seeds listed as an ingredient.

AH Glutenvrij / Albert Heijn

AH Gluten-free High Fibre crispbread is a specific variety made with gluten-free oats, rice and maize.

  • For this variety, Albert Heijn lists 6,5 g of fibre and 2,4 g of salt per 100 g, and includes iodised salt in the ingredients.
  • The product contains gluten-free oats and may contain sesame. Albert Heijn advises checking the current packaging, as product information can change.

Ryvita

Ryvita is relevant here mainly as a reminder not to mistake ordinary crispbread for gluten-free crispbread.

  • Ryvita’s own information makes the choice clear if you need a strictly gluten-free option: according to Ryvita, all its products contain gluten.
  • So don’t use a Ryvita product as a gluten-free alternative for a guest with coeliac disease.

Jumbo

Jumbo provides product information for the specific Wasa Gluten- and Lactose-free Crispbread Sesame & Sea Salt variety.

  • For this variety, Jumbo lists 9% sesame seeds, 10 g of fibre and 1,2 g of salt per 100 g.
  • The variety may contain milk, mustard and soya. Check the label on the pack you buy.

Lidl

At Lidl, the right choice for this occasion depends on the exact crispbread you find.

  • You can check the gluten-free labelling and ingredients of a specific product in store.
  • Don’t assume a product is gluten-free just because of the shop name or a general description of its range.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

What does ‘gluten-free’ mean on crispbread?

According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, the label ‘gluten-free’ means a product contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kg. If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, check the current label on the exact pack and read any warnings too.

Can I serve crispbread labelled ‘may contain cereals containing gluten’ to someone with coeliac disease?

Don’t assume that specific product is suitable without further reassurance. The Dutch Coeliac Society describes this type of warning as indicating a real risk that the product contains more than 20 mg of gluten per kg.

Is Ryvita a gluten-free alternative to Wasa or AH Gluten-free?

No, not for someone who needs to eat strictly gluten-free: according to Ryvita’s own FAQs, all its products contain gluten. Choose a product based on its specific gluten-free labelling, not its similar shape.

Does all crispbread contain iodised salt?

You can’t assume that all crispbread does. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt for AH Gluten-free High Fibre; check the ingredients list for any other variety.

How should I serve gluten-free crispbread alongside ordinary crackers?

Put the gluten-free crispbread in a separate bowl and use separate serving utensils, so crumbs from rye or wheat crackers don’t get onto it. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that cross-contamination can also happen through bread crumbs in the kitchen.