If you’re choosing an egg cake for someone with coeliac disease, look for one labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging, and check the other allergens too. For an advent calendar, the use-by date, storage instructions and portion size will determine whether you can wrap the cakes in advance or should add them later.
You’re looking for an egg cake labelled gluten-free and want to avoid it coming into contact with crumbs from ordinary biscuits while you fill the calendar. The Dutch Nutrition Centre stresses that even small amounts of gluten matter for people with coeliac disease.
You want to divide packaged egg cakes across the days of the calendar. Compare the number of cakes with the storage instructions, and check on delivery that the use-by date works for the days you have planned.
You need to check more than just the gluten-free label. The product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Happy Bakers and Bakker Leo lists various other allergens or possible traces in the egg cakes reviewed.
First, check the gluten-free label and the other allergens. Then compare the packaging and storage information with the days you plan to give the egg cakes.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who should give this more consideration? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label and contact with crumbs | Read the current label on the specific egg cake and keep it separate from ordinary biscuits while filling the calendar. | If I’m filling the calendar for someone with coeliac disease, I want to see a gluten-free label and avoid contact with ordinary biscuit crumbs; this is the top consideration for around 39% of consumers. |
| Other allergens | Check the ingredients, allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statements against the recipient’s allergies. | If the recipient also needs to watch out for other ingredients, I want to know whether the egg cake contains, for example, egg, milk, soya or nuts; this check comes first for around 23% of consumers. |
| Shelf life and calendar planning | Compare the date on the packaging you receive with the planned calendar days, and follow the storage instructions for that product. | I want to divide up the egg cakes in advance without a later calendar day falling beyond the use-by date; for around 23% of consumers, this is their main concern. |
| Portion size and nutritional information | Compare the portion size and nutritional information per 100 g and, where provided, per portion. | If the gluten-free label and allergens are suitable, I want to choose a cake with a portion size and ingredients that work for my treat; around 15% of consumers give this consideration the most attention. |
The name ‘egg cake’ doesn’t tell you whether it contains gluten. If it’s a treat for someone with coeliac disease, the label on the specific packaging matters.
Only choose an egg cake whose current label says ‘gluten-free’.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean the cake is also free from egg, milk, soya, nuts, sesame or sulphites. The products listed differ in this respect.
Compare the ingredients, allergen information and warnings on the packaging with the recipient’s allergies.
The remaining shelf life listed by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Happy Bakers varies by product. A date that seems a long way off when you fill the calendar may come too soon for a later day.
Check the date on delivery and add the egg cakes later if necessary. If you want to freeze them, follow only storage instructions that apply to the product you’ve chosen.
Crumbs from ordinary biscuits can get onto a gluten-free treat while you’re filling the calendar. The Dutch Nutrition Centre highlights the importance of preventing cross-contamination for people with coeliac disease.
Keep the egg cakes sealed and separate, and use clean hands and a clean work surface when filling the calendar.
Albert Heijn describes a 100 g pack of gluten-free egg cakes.
Jumbo lists gluten-free egg cakes from this brand in a pack of two.
Happy Bakers offers gluten-free egg cakes in a 240 g pack.
Bakker Leo lists gluten-free egg cakes in a pack of four, with each cake weighing 70 g.
Under European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the label ‘gluten-free’ may only be used on a food intended for consumers if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Check the label on the egg cake you’re actually putting in the calendar.
No, that label says nothing about other allergens. The product information reviewed lists egg, milk, soya and sulphites, among other things, and notes possible traces of nuts or sesame. So check the current allergen information for the recipient.
You can only decide by checking the use-by date and storage instructions on the packaging you receive. Compare the date with the last day you plan to give an egg cake, or add the cakes later.
Yes, as long as all the ingredients you use are suitable for a gluten-free diet and you prevent contact with gluten-containing ingredients and crumbs. A recipe described as ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t replace checking each individual ingredient.
