For guests with coeliac disease, choose Dutch breakfast cake labelled gluten-free on the current packaging, and set up a separate area with clean, dedicated serving utensils. A large, uncut cake can provide several portions, while a sealed breakfast-cake bar is easier to set aside for one guest. Also check each product for other allergens: gluten-free does not mean free from milk, lupin, nuts or sesame.
The right format depends not only on how many portions you need, but also on which guests need theirs kept separate.
You’re looking for a product labelled gluten-free and want to prevent it coming into contact with food containing gluten while it’s being cut, displayed or served. The Dutch Coeliac Association stresses the importance of practices that prevent cross-contamination.
As well as gluten, you need to check the allergens in each product. Milk and lupin are relevant to the breakfast cakes and bar discussed here; some product listings also include warnings about other allergens.
You want to set aside a gluten-free portion without cutting a whole cake on the shared buffet. A sealed bar is easier to keep separate and give to a guest.
Start by checking the gluten-free labelling and how the food will be served. Then decide whether other allergens and the number of portions you need affect your choice.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Serving it gluten-free | Check the gluten-free label on the packaging. Set up a separate, clearly marked area with clean, dedicated cutting and serving utensils. | If a guest with coeliac disease is eating, I want to stop crumbs or shared utensils reaching their separate portion. Around 42% of consumers put this first. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you receive, including any warnings about traces. | If a guest also needs to avoid other allergens, I need to check what each breakfast cake contains and what the label warns about. This is the first consideration for around 33% of consumers. |
| Portions and serving | Match the number of portions to your guests and choose between an uncut cake that needs to be cut separately and individually wrapped bars. | With only a few gluten-free guests, I want to be able to set portions aside without cutting on the buffet. Around 25% of consumers put this practical consideration first. |
A shared knife or tongs, or even crumbs, can bring gluten-free breakfast cake into contact with gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Association highlights the importance of practices that prevent cross-contamination.
Keep the gluten-free portions separate, label them clearly and use clean, dedicated serving utensils only.
According to their product information, the gluten-free products discussed here contain milk and/or lupin. Some also carry warnings about allergens such as nuts or sesame.
Check the current packaging for each product and tell guests which allergens are present. Don’t use a general label that suggests the portion is suitable for every allergy.
For allergen information at the buffet, what matters is the packaging of the cake you actually receive.
Check the packaging when the order arrives and again just before the buffet. Make sure the information is available to whoever is answering guests’ questions about the portions.
These product ranges show how a large breakfast cake and an individually wrapped bar can suit different buffet needs. Always check the packaging of the variant you choose.
The 285 g gluten-free, uncut breakfast cake is a larger cake that you can portion separately for the buffet. Albert Heijn and PLUS list this variant; Jumbo mentions the Crossed Grain symbol in its listing.
The 65 g breakfast-cake bar is an individual portion. Albert Heijn says it is made in a completely gluten-free environment.
Jumbo lists its 300 g gluten-free, uncut breakfast cake as providing twelve portions and bearing the Crossed Grain symbol.
The label helps you choose a product, but on its own it isn’t enough to ensure safe serving at a buffet. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says there are conditions for using the label; you should also prevent contact with gluten during storage, cutting and serving.
Set aside a clearly marked area for the breakfast cake and use clean utensils reserved exclusively for the gluten-free portions. The Dutch Coeliac Association’s hospitality guidance recommends a separate or higher buffet area as a way to prevent cross-contamination.
Guests must be able to get allergen information for non-prepacked portions. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that, for unpackaged food, this information must be provided in a way other than on packaging. So agree with your caterer how guests can check the information for each portion.
No. That doesn’t follow from the product category or the gluten-free label. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. If iodine content matters to your choice, ask the manufacturer which ingredients are used.
