Don’t pack an ordinary currant bun for a child with coeliac disease. Choose a product marked gluten-free on its current packaging, and make sure it’s suitable for any other allergies too. Gluten-free raisin buns are easy to pack individually; sliced gluten-free raisin bread gives you more flexibility over portion size, but you’ll need to prepare it using clean utensils and keep it separate from ordinary bread. Before packing lunch, agree with the nursery how it will be stored and served.
A clear gluten-free label and a plan for avoiding bread crumbs are both important. According to the Voedingscentrum, even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms in someone with coeliac disease. The Dutch Coeliac Society also warns that contamination can happen via a chopping board used for ordinary bread.
As well as checking for gluten, they need to compare the ingredients and allergens on the product they buy with their child’s dietary requirements. A gluten-free label alone says nothing about other allergens. For example, Albert Heijn warns that one of its gluten-free raisin breads may contain egg and nuts.
A clearly labelled lunch packed separately makes it easier to give the right product to the right child. The Voedingscentrum recommends that childcare providers agree their food policy with parents and staff.
First, check that the product and preparation method fit the child’s dietary requirements. Then choose an option that’s practical both at home and at nursery.
Choose these if: you want to pack an individual bun without having to slice bread. Albert Heijn lists AH Glutenvrij Rozijnen bollen in packs of two.
Bear in mind: check the allergens and storage instructions on the packaging you buy.
Choose this if: you want to prepare the slices for each lunch yourself. YAM says its raisin bread is sliced and can be frozen one slice at a time.
Bear in mind: use clean utensils and keep the bread separate from ordinary bread when spreading and packing it.
Choose this if: you want to control the ingredients and the size of the buns. Allerhande by Albert Heijn has a recipe using gluten-free self-raising baking mix.
Bear in mind: the recipe also contains milk, butter and egg. Baking takes time, and you’ll need to avoid contact with crumbs containing gluten.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free and prepared separately | Read the gluten-free label on the packaging and agree how to avoid crumbs from ordinary bread. | If my child has coeliac disease, I want to know that no ordinary bread crumbs will get into their lunch during preparation or serving. Around 36% of consumers put this first when choosing what to buy. |
| Other allergens | Check the current label, including allergen warnings, against the child’s individual dietary requirements. | If my child also has another food allergy, the words ‘gluten-free’ alone aren’t enough to choose a product. For around 29% of consumers, checking for additional allergens is the most important consideration. |
| Packing and storage | Check the portions, whether it’s sliced, and the storage instructions; ask how the nursery will keep the lunch separate. | For several days at nursery, I want to be able to prepare a lunch that staff can easily recognise and store separately. This practical aspect is the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information and portion size | Compare nutritional values on the same basis, such as per 100 g and per portion, and check the pack size. | Once I know the product meets the dietary requirements, I want to know what one portion contains and how it fits into the lunch. Around 14% of consumers give this consideration the most weight. |
A similar name or shape tells you nothing about the ingredients. Jumbo lists wheat flour and wheat gluten in its ordinary Rozijnen Krentenbollen; ALDI describes its Rozijnen-krentenbollen as wheat buns.
For a gluten-free lunch, choose a product with an explicit gluten-free label and read the current packaging before use.
A gluten-free raisin product may still contain other allergens or carry a warning about them. Allergen information varies by product.
Check all the information on the packaging against the child’s dietary requirements, and tell the nursery which product you’re providing.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says that crumbs can get onto gluten-free bread via a shared chopping board. This is an important consideration for someone with coeliac disease, even if the bread you’ve bought is gluten-free.
Use clean, separate utensils, pack the lunch separately and agree with the nursery how it will be served.
A product name on a retailer’s website doesn’t tell you which pack will be available on the day you shop. Albert Heijn marks one gluten-free raisin bread as discontinued; Jumbo does the same for a listing of YAM Rozijnenbrood Glutenvrij.
Check the packaging, availability and use-by date of the product you actually buy.
Albert Heijn lists AH Glutenvrij Rozijnen bollen in its gluten-free bakery range. Allerhande also has a recipe for baking your own gluten-free currant buns.
YAM describes its Rozijn product as 600 g of sliced gluten-free raisin bread, rather than individual currant buns.
PLUS lists YAM Rozijn glutenvrij in a 600 g pack.
Jumbo has a gluten-free bread category, but its ordinary Rozijnen Krentenbollen contain wheat flour and wheat gluten, according to the product information.
Lidl lists mini raisin currant buns and separately promotes other gluten-free products.
ALDI describes its Rozijnen-krentenbollen as wheat buns.
No. An ordinary currant bun isn’t a gluten-free alternative. For example, Jumbo lists wheat flour and wheat gluten in its Rozijnen Krentenbollen. The Voedingscentrum says that even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms in someone with coeliac disease.
Check the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the specific product. Don’t rely just on its shape, name or which section of the shop it’s in.
Not necessarily. Albert Heijn warns that one gluten-free raisin bread may contain egg and nuts, while YAM provides different product-specific information for its own Rozijn product. Always check the current label against the child’s dietary requirements.
Some products can be frozen this way: YAM says its sliced Rozijn bread can be frozen one slice at a time. Follow the storage and freezing instructions on the packaging of the bread you buy, and keep the prepared lunch separate from ordinary bread.
Discuss in advance which product your child will have, and how staff will recognise, store and serve it without contact with crumbs from ordinary bread. Ask about the procedures at your nursery. The Voedingscentrum recommends that childcare providers agree their food policy with parents and staff.
