If you have coeliac disease, choose a currant bun or alternative for your lunchbox whose current packaging states that it is ‘gluten-free’. Individual buns are easy to take with you; gluten-free raisin bread is another option, but you’ll often need to slice it at work. Store and prepare both separately from regular bread to avoid contact with crumbs or shared spreads.
You need a gluten-free lunch that stays safe after the product has been unwrapped. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends preparing gluten-free food separately; at work, that means taking care with crumbs, knives and shared spreads.
You want to be able to identify and hand out the right product separately, without it ending up among regular bread. Clear packaging and a clean serving area can help.
As well as being gluten-free, a product may need to meet other ingredient or dietary requirements. Check the exact variant: the ‘gluten-free’ label alone tells you nothing about other allergens.
First choose a suitable gluten-free product, then work out how to take it with you and serve it without contact with regular bread.
Suitable for: a lunch where you want to take individual buns with you; Albert Heijn lists two buns per pack for AH Glutenvrij Rozijnen bollen.
Bear in mind: check the current packaging for ingredients and other allergens.
Suitable for: anyone looking to order gluten-free raisin and currant buns specifically. Bakker Leo Glutenvrij describes its bakery as gluten-free certified.
Bear in mind: ordering and arranging delivery or collection takes more planning than a trip to the supermarket.
Suitable for: a lunchbox where slices are more convenient than individual buns; PLUS describes Yam Rozijn glutenvrij as raisin bread.
Bear in mind: slice and serve the bread separately from regular bread.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Check that the current packaging states ‘gluten-free’. Plan to store it separately and use clean utensils. | If I eat alongside regular bread at work, I want to stop crumbs getting on my lunch. This is the top concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Convenience at lunchtime | Check the number of buns, the packaging and the storage or preparation instructions. | A lunch I can hand out without slicing or heating means fewer steps in a shared workplace. Convenience matters most to around 27% of consumers. |
| Other dietary requirements | Read the ingredients, allergen information and any additional labelling for the exact variant. | If I need to avoid something other than gluten too, I can’t rely on just one word on the label. Around 20% of consumers prioritise these additional requirements. |
| Nutritional information | Compare nutritional values on the same basis, for example per 100 g, and check whether baker’s salt is listed among the ingredients. | I want to know how this bread product fits into my usual diet, especially if I don’t eat much bread. This is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
The product name doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for a gluten-free diet. For example, ALDI describes its regular raisin and currant buns as wheat buns.
Check that the packaging for the exact product states ‘gluten-free’.
The Dutch Coeliac Society advises preparing gluten-free food separately. A shared knife, work surface or butter dish can transfer crumbs.
Store the lunch separately and use a clean work surface, clean cutlery and spreads that haven’t had a bread knife in them.
For AH Glutenvrij Rozijnen bollen, Albert Heijn lists soya and the possible presence of egg, oats, almonds and hazelnuts.
Check the allergen information on the current packaging every time you buy it, even if you’ve bought the product before.
Baker’s salt is iodised, but according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use it. Its presence therefore varies from product to product.
Check the ingredients or ask the baker if baker’s salt is relevant to your dietary choices.
Albert Heijn lists gluten-free raisin buns as individual buns for a lunchbox.
Jumbo includes raisin bread in its gluten-free bread range.
PLUS describes Yam Rozijn glutenvrij as gluten-free raisin bread.
A specialist bakery offering gluten-free raisin and currant buns.
Allergento offers currant buns with additional dietary claims as well as being gluten-free.
Check that the current packaging carries the ‘gluten-free’ label. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this label applies to foods containing no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten; also read the ingredients and information about other allergens.
Keep the product sealed and separate, and use a clean work surface and clean cutlery. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises preparing gluten-free food separately, so don’t use shared spreads that may contain bread crumbs either.
No, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes baker’s salt as iodised salt; check the ingredients of a specific product or ask the baker.
