For colleagues with coeliac disease, the first thing to check is a current gluten-free label; ‘zero’ or ‘wholemeal’ tells you nothing about whether a product contains gluten. Individually wrapped bars can be handed out straight away, while a larger gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake is only practical if the canteen can manage slicing, separate serving and allergen information properly. For both formats, also check for other allergens and read the nutritional information.
You buy Dutch breakfast cake for colleagues with coeliac disease. As well as checking the packaging, you need to prevent the product from coming into contact with food containing gluten when it is served. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that even a bread crumb can cause symptoms in people with coeliac disease.
You’re looking for portions that can be handed out during a short lunch break without slicing, or you need a process for serving a larger cake one slice at a time.
Alongside the gluten-free label, you want to check milk, lupin, other potential allergens and nutritional values per 100 g before choosing a product.
For a staff canteen, first check the gluten-free label and how the product will be served. Then choose between individually wrapped bars and a larger cake, taking portion sizes, additional allergens and the work involved in serving each format into account.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Serving gluten-free food | Check the current gluten-free label on the packaging, and keep the product separate from food containing gluten when opening and serving it. | When buying for colleagues with coeliac disease, I want to make sure a suitable cake doesn’t come into contact with bread crumbs when it is sliced. For around 33% of consumers, this reassurance is their main priority. |
| Portions and serving | Compare an individually wrapped portion with the stated number of portions in a larger cake, and decide who will take care of slicing and storage. | During a short lunch break, I want to be able to hand out portions without first cutting up a cake. Around 27% of consumers put ease of serving top of their list. |
| Other allergens and nutritional value | Read the allergen information, including ‘may contain’ warnings, and compare sugar and fibre on a like-for-like basis: per 100 g. | When colleagues also need to avoid other ingredients, a gluten-free label alone isn’t enough. For around 20% of consumers, this additional product information is their main purchasing priority. |
| Practicality per portion | Compare pack size and portion count, and consider how much work is involved in serving a cake once it has been opened. | If I want to serve food at several lunch breaks from one pack, I need to plan what still needs to be portioned and stored after opening. For around 20% of consumers, this practicality is the most important factor. |
A nutritional claim doesn’t automatically tell you whether a product contains gluten. A Dutch breakfast cake with no added sugar isn’t necessarily suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
Check the current packaging for a gluten-free label and assess any other claims separately.
A larger cake needs to be portioned once opened. This can lead to contact with products containing gluten that are prepared in the same area.
Set out how staff should slice the cake using clean equipment, serve it separately and keep allergen information available.
Opening, slicing and storing the cake also involve extra steps when serving.
The gluten-free varieties described from AH, Peijnenburg and Jumbo also list milk and lupin. Some varieties additionally carry warnings about the possible presence of other allergens.
Before offering a chosen product in the canteen, record its current ingredients, allergens and ‘may contain’ warnings.
The 65 g AH Glutenvrij Dutch breakfast cake bar is individually wrapped, with one portion per pack. This means less portioning to do in the canteen.
The 285 g gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake described is unsliced and, according to Albert Heijn, has nine stated portions.
The 300 g unsliced gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake described has twelve stated portions, according to Jumbo.
No, ‘zero’ on its own tells you nothing about gluten. For someone with coeliac disease, check the current packaging for a gluten-free label or a relevant gluten-free certification mark; don’t rely on a claim about sugar.
Yes, provided the canteen keeps allergen information available and organises slicing and serving so the cake doesn’t come into contact with food containing gluten. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that even a bread crumb can cause symptoms in people with coeliac disease.
The gluten-free varieties described from AH, Peijnenburg and Jumbo list milk and lupin. AH warns that its product may contain sesame and nuts; the Jumbo variety described also carries warnings about possible traces of, among others, nuts, egg, oats and sesame. Always read the label on the pack you’re actually serving.
No, you can’t assume that every gluten-free Dutch breakfast cake does. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that bakery products can contain iodine from baker’s salt. To find out whether this applies to a specific cake, check the ingredients or ask the manufacturer.
