If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, choose crispbread that is clearly labelled gluten-free and serve it separately from regular bread, crumbs and shared spreads. Then check the ingredients and allergen information against your guest’s needs, and compare fibre and iodised salt for each product. Even crispbread from a suitable pack can come into contact with gluten when it’s served.
You’re looking for a gluten-free side to serve with your Sunday roast and want to avoid it coming into contact with regular bread when it’s topped or served. The Voedingscentrum and the Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging highlight the importance of avoiding gluten crumbs and cross-contamination.
As well as checking for a gluten-free label, you want to make sure the product is suitable for someone who needs to avoid oats, sesame, milk, mustard or soya. Ingredients and allergen warnings vary by product, so check the label on the pack you’re buying.
You often choose a gluten-free bread alternative and want to compare fibre and salt per 100 g. If iodised salt matters to you, check the ingredients list for each product.
If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, first check the gluten-free label and think about how you’ll serve the crispbread. Then choose the ingredients, flavour and nutritional information that suit the meal.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling and serving separately | Look for a clear gluten-free label on the pack. When serving, use clean utensils and keep the crispbread separate from regular bread and crumbs. | If I’m cooking for someone with coeliac disease, I want to know that both the crispbread and the way it’s served are suitable. This is the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Flavour and how it will be served | Check the listed ingredients, such as sesame or the types of flour used, and think about which toppings you can offer separately. | For a Sunday roast, I want a crisp side that goes well with the toppings I’ve chosen. This is the deciding factor for around 25% of consumers. |
| Allergens and oats | Check both the ingredients list and any warnings about the possible presence of allergens. Ask in advance whether your guest needs to avoid oats or specific allergens. | If my guest also needs to avoid oats or another allergen, a gluten-free label alone isn’t enough. Around 17% of consumers make this additional check their priority. |
| Fibre, salt and iodine | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and check separately whether the ingredients include iodised salt or baker’s salt. | If you often choose a bread alternative, you may also want to consider the nutritional information. For around 16% of consumers, these details on the label are the first additional factor they consider. |
For someone with coeliac disease, a label such as ‘wheat-free’ or ‘high in fibre’ doesn’t mean a product is gluten-free. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the term ‘gluten-free’ may be used on food for the final consumer when the gluten content is no more than 20 mg/kg.
Choose crispbread with a clear gluten-free label and check the current ingredients and allergen information too.
The Voedingscentrum and the Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging warn that crumbs or shared kitchen utensils can bring gluten into contact with the gluten-free part of a meal.
Use a clean board and clean utensils, keep the crispbread separate, and serve spreads in a way that prevents crumbs from shared jars getting into them.
A gluten-free product may still contain ingredients or warnings that matter to a particular guest. For example, Jumbo lists sesame and the possible presence of milk, mustard and soya for Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt.
Ask which ingredients your guest needs to avoid, and check the pack of the particular product you’ve chosen—not just the brand name or the front of the pack.
The Voedingscentrum says that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So, a mention of iodised salt on one product doesn’t apply to other varieties.
If iodised salt matters to your choice, read the ingredients list on the crispbread you’re buying.
Check each individual product: a brand name doesn’t tell you which ingredients and allergens are listed on every pack.
The range includes AH Glutenvrij Vezelrijk crispbread, 230 g.
Jumbo describes the Sesame & Sea Salt variety reviewed here as gluten-free and lactose-free crispbread.
Schär Knusperbrot dunkel is a dark gluten-free crispbread weighing 125 g.
This gluten-free range from Jumbo includes, among other products, light crackers and seed crackers.
The label is the starting point when choosing a product, but it doesn’t automatically make the whole meal suitable. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, food for the final consumer labelled ‘gluten-free’ must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. You should then prevent contact with gluten crumbs during preparation and serving.
Yes, as long as you prevent it from coming into contact with regular bread and crumbs. Use a clean, separate board and separate utensils for the gluten-free crispbread; the Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging advises preparing gluten-free food separately.
Not everyone. The Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging says that most people with coeliac disease can tolerate pure gluten-free oats, but some react to them. If your guest has reacted before or you’re unsure, follow their individual dietary advice when choosing.
No—don’t assume that every variety contains iodised salt. The Voedingscentrum says that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt, so check the ingredients list on the pack you’re buying.
It varies by product: Jumbo lists sesame and the possible presence of milk, mustard and soya for Wasa Sesame & Sea Salt; Albert Heijn lists possible sesame for AH Glutenvrij Vezelrijk crispbread and possible soya for Schär Knusperbrot dunkel. Before buying, always check the current label for any allergens your guest needs to avoid.
