If you have coeliac disease, choose a croissant labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging and prepare it at home according to the instructions if there’s no clean place to prepare food at the festival. Take it with you in a sealed container and avoid shared tongs and spreads. Consenza doesn’t need freezer space, AH needs baking and Schär requires you to plan ahead for defrosting and chilled storage. Check all three for other allergens too.
You want to take a gluten-free croissant with you and make sure it doesn’t come into contact with crumbs or shared utensils when it’s served. The Dutch Coeliac Association points out that cross-contamination with gluten can also cause symptoms.
You can use an oven, air fryer or microwave at home, but don’t want to rely on having access to a clean place to reheat food at the festival. The preparation and storage instructions, as well as the packaging, will determine what’s practical.
As well as checking for a gluten-free label, you need to check the current ingredients and allergen information. Product details from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Schär show that ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t mean the same thing as free from egg, milk, soya or wheat.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and making sure you can take the croissant with you in a clean container. Then choose a product you can prepare and store properly before you leave. Check the label again if other allergens are a concern for you.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Taking and serving a gluten-free croissant | Check that the packaging says ‘gluten-free’. Make sure it’s clean and sealed, and avoid shared tongs or spreads. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to avoid my croissant coming into contact with crumbs on the way or at the table. Around 42% of consumers put this concern first. |
| Preparation and storage | Check what equipment you’ll need and whether the product needs to be refrigerated after opening or defrosting. | Without a kitchen at the festival, I need to be able to prepare and pack it at home. This is the main consideration for around 33% of consumers. |
| Other allergens and ingredients | Check the current label for egg, milk, soya and wheat, among other ingredients. Compare nutritional information per 100 g or per serving if the product’s composition matters to you. | If I need to avoid an allergen as well as gluten, ‘gluten-free’ on its own isn’t enough information. Around 25% of consumers put this additional check first. |
The Dutch Coeliac Association says cross-contamination can happen through contact with crumbs or shared utensils. The label doesn’t prevent contamination once the product has been opened.
Keep the croissant clean and sealed until you’re ready to eat it, and use separate serving utensils. Avoid shared tongs, chopping boards and spreads.
Jumbo says Consenza contains egg, milk and soya, and may contain lupin, nuts and sesame. Schär’s product information lists egg, milk and gluten-free wheat starch, among other ingredients. Albert Heijn says AH Glutenvrij may contain egg.
Check the current allergen information on the specific packaging before you buy, even if you already know the brand.
Jumbo says Schär Croissant à la Française must not be refrozen after defrosting. It should be kept chilled and eaten within one day.
Choose this product only if you can defrost and store it as instructed on the packaging.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers in the Netherlands aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So the product category alone tells you nothing about the iodine content of a particular croissant.
Don’t assume the croissant contains iodine just because ‘salt’ appears in the ingredients list. Check the nutritional information for the specific product.
Albert Heijn says its pre-baked gluten-free croissants come in a pack of two and need to be baked at home.
Jumbo and PLUS list Consenza gluten-free croissants in a shelf-stable pack of 3 × 60 g.
Jumbo lists Schär Croissant à la Française as a gluten-free frozen product in a pack of four.
The label helps you choose a packaged product, but you still need to serve it carefully. The Dutch Coeliac Association says crumbs and shared utensils can still cause cross-contamination, so take the croissant with you in a clean, sealed container.
Yes, as long as you make sure it doesn’t come into contact with food containing gluten or shared utensils. It’s best to take it with you in a sealed container and use clean, separate utensils rather than shared tongs, a bread basket or a jar of spread.
Only if you have access to a suitable, clean place to prepare food. Albert Heijn says AH Glutenvrij can be prepared in an oven or air fryer, while Jumbo says Consenza can be prepared in an oven or microwave. If there’s no suitable place, you’ll need to prepare it before you leave.
No, you can’t tell from the product category. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the information for the specific croissant if its iodine content matters to you.
