If you have coeliac disease, don’t buy an ordinary currant bun just because it looks like a suitable alternative. Choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free, and check the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the packaging. YAM describes a sliced gluten-free raisin loaf, while Happy Bakers offers a gluten-free raisin loaf that you bake at home. Either could take the place of a currant bun if a loaf, rather than an individual bun, works for you.
An ordinary currant bun isn’t automatically suitable. Check the gluten-free statement on the specific product, its ingredients and allergens, and any warnings about cereals containing gluten.
A sliced raisin loaf or a loaf to bake at home could work if you don’t need individual currant buns. Before buying, check current availability and any preparation required.
If raisin bread is a regular part of your meals, there’s more to consider than just the gluten-free statement. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and check whether baker’s salt is listed in the ingredients.
Start with a product that meets your need to eat gluten-free. Then compare its format and preparation. If you’ll be using it regularly as a bread alternative, the ingredients and nutritional information matter too.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free status and allergens | Read the gluten-free statement, ingredients and allergen information on the exact product packaging. Also look out for warnings about cereals containing gluten. | When I’m shopping for someone with coeliac disease, I don’t want to take a chance on an ordinary currant bun. For around 50% of consumers, suitability is the top priority. |
| Availability and format | Check the current range and decide whether you’d prefer sliced bread or a loaf to bake at home. | If I want to find something practical straight away on this food shop, I’m happy to choose a loaf instead of individual buns. For around 30% of consumers, convenience matters most. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt. | If you regularly use bread alternatives, you’ll want to know how the product you choose fits into your diet. For around 20% of consumers, nutritional considerations are the top priority. |
The filling tells you nothing about the flour used. PLUS lists wheat flour, wheat gluten and rye flour in its regular Korenlanders giant buns; ALDI describes its regular raisin and currant buns as wheat buns.
Check the gluten-free statement and allergen information on the specific product. Don’t rely on its name or picture.
YAM’s raisin loaf is sliced, while Happy Bakers’ loaf needs to be baked at home. A different format or preparation method could make your first food shop less straightforward.
Decide in advance whether a slice of bread will do and whether you’re happy to bake it at home. Also check the storage and preparation instructions on the packaging you choose.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread provides around 45% of iodine intake in the Netherlands. Don’t assume a gluten-free alternative has the same ingredients as the bread you’re replacing.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt, and compare fibre and salt in the nutritional information per 100 g. If you have a medical reason to ask about your iodine intake, speak to a dietitian or doctor.
An online listing doesn’t necessarily mean you can buy the product at a particular shop or have it delivered. What’s shown on a retailer’s product page may also differ from the packaging you receive.
Check the current range before you set off or place an order, and read the label again when your product arrives.
These brands and shops offer a few different options to look into: a gluten-free raisin loaf, a recipe, or a regular product that shows you what to look for on the label. Always check the individual product.
YAM offers sliced gluten-free raisin loaf as an alternative to individual currant buns.
Happy Bakers offers gluten-free raisin loaf that you bake at home.
PLUS has a product page for YAM Gluten-Free Raisin and also sells regular currant and raisin buns.
Jumbo had a product page for YAM Sliced Raisin, 600 g.
Albert Heijn has a gluten-free product category, and Allerhande publishes a recipe for gluten-free currant buns.
Lidl lists regular raisin and currant bread, as well as information about gluten-free products.
ALDI sells regular raisin and currant buns.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a food sold to consumers may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. When you shop, check that the product you’re actually choosing carries this statement.
If you have coeliac disease, don’t choose an ordinary currant bun unless it’s explicitly labelled gluten-free. PLUS’s regular Korenlanders giant buns, for example, list wheat flour, wheat gluten and rye flour. Always check the latest ingredients and allergen information for each product.
A warning such as ‘may contain cereals containing gluten’ is relevant if you need to eat strictly gluten-free because of coeliac disease. The Dutch Coeliac Society links these warnings to the possibility of cross-contamination, so check the packaging again even for a product you know.
Baker’s salt is mainly worth checking if you regularly use bread alternatives. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread provides around 45% of iodine intake in the Netherlands. Check the ingredients in the gluten-free bread you choose, and don’t assume every product has the same ingredients.
Don’t automatically treat this choice between currant bun alternatives as a choice for a baby’s first taste of solid food. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that a baby aged 4 to 6 months can have a piece of bread without the crust. If there’s a medical need for a gluten-free diet, ask for advice tailored to your child.
