If your child has coeliac disease, only choose crispbread whose current packaging says it is gluten-free and has no warning that rules it out for them. Ordinary rye crispbread is not suitable. Then compare the packaging, nutritional information and any other allergens, such as sesame, with what the pupil needs at school.
They want to be able to eat a packed lunch without gluten-containing ingredients or contact with crumbs from other bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society stresses the importance of a strict gluten-free diet, so the label and how the lunch is prepared matter more than the brand or flavour.
They want a product with clear, up-to-date allergen information that is practical to pack in a school bag. It is also worth agreeing how shared mealtimes will be handled, as the Dutch Coeliac Society advises.
Even on a busy school day, they want to be able to check the label and see whether a crispbread fits their own arrangements for coeliac disease, rather than relying on the product category or a familiar brand.
Start with the gluten-free statement, ingredients and warnings on the pack you are buying. Then compare how easy the crispbread is to take with you, and which nutritional values and other allergens matter to the pupil.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Read the gluten-free statement, ingredients and warnings on the current packaging. If you have coeliac disease, avoid rye, wheat and barley, among other things. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to be able to eat my own lunch without relying on the product name. For around 50% of consumers, confidence that a product is gluten-free comes first. |
| Packing and storage | Compare individually wrapped portions with a pack that needs to be resealed after opening. Think about how many pieces you want to take, and follow the storage advice on the packaging. | For a break without any preparation, I want to be able to pack a portion that suits my school day. Around 30% of consumers give this practical convenience top priority. |
| Nutritional information and other allergens | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g and per portion, among other things. Check for allergens and warnings, for example for sesame, milk, soya or mustard. | When several gluten-free options are suitable, I want to choose based on flavour and nutritional information without overlooking another allergy. This is the main follow-up consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
Ordinary crispbread may contain rye. Ryvita International lists rye flour in Ryvita Original Crispbread; rye contains gluten, so this variety is not suitable for the lunch of someone with coeliac disease.
Check the gluten-free statement and the full ingredients list first, not the texture or a nutritional claim.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn advises customers to check the packaging of its products; for a packed lunch, the information on the pack you actually buy is what matters.
Read the label again when you buy it, especially if the packaging or recipe looks different.
The Wasa Classic variety reviewed may contain milk, soya, sesame and mustard. The Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt variety contains sesame and may contain milk, mustard and soya, according to the relevant product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo.
Check these statements against the pupil’s allergies and any arrangements that apply to them.
A product in the same category is not automatically a gluten-free alternative. For example, Lidl describes organic crispbread in varieties including rye, without identifying it as gluten-free.
Check the specific variety before packing it for a pupil with coeliac disease.
The gluten-free crispbread varieties reviewed, Classic and Sesame & Sea Salt, offer different packaging and ingredient options.
The AH Glutenvrij High Fibre crispbread reviewed is an option if you are looking for a product labelled gluten-free and made with oats, rice and maize.
Ryvita Original Crispbread shows why the ingredients of a specific variety are what matter.
Jumbo’s product information for Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt lets you check the ingredients, nutritional values and allergens in that specific variety.
At Lidl, it is important to distinguish the specific crispbread variety from the wider product category.
No, not for a pupil with coeliac disease: rye contains gluten. For example, Ryvita International lists rye among the ingredients in Ryvita Original Crispbread.
Yes. As well as checking the ingredients, read the gluten-free statement and warnings on the current packaging. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that warnings about possible gluten-containing grains are relevant to people with coeliac disease.
No, not necessarily. For the gluten-free crispbread it reviewed, Albert Heijn lists gluten-free wholegrain oat flour. Assess the chosen product as a whole, including its gluten-free statement and warnings.
Discuss in advance with the pupil and the school how lunches and shared mealtimes will be handled. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends making these arrangements; also ask what applies to the pupil on trips and in the canteen.
No. The Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt variety reviewed contains sesame, while the Classic variety reviewed may contain sesame, milk, soya and mustard, according to the product information. Always check the allergen information for the specific variety.
