If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ and prepare and serve it separately from regular bread. Bake-at-home rolls are a good choice for serving warm, provided you have a clean preparation area and enough oven space; you can portion sliced multigrain or multiseed bread in advance. Always check the label on the pack you buy for other allergies and questions about iodised salt.
You want to offer bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ without it coming into contact with crumbs, shared knives or regular bread during preparation or serving. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises preparing gluten-free food separately and using clean cutlery.
You want to bake rolls just before the buffet and need to allow for oven space, baking time and a separate, clean preparation area.
As well as checking that the bread is labelled ‘gluten-free’, you’re looking for specific allergens such as soya or oats. If iodised salt matters to you, check the ingredients list too.
If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, first check the bread and how you’ll serve it. Then choose between bake-at-home rolls and sliced bread to suit your buffet plans; you can also check any other details on the label.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Serving gluten-free food | Check that it is labelled ‘gluten-free’. Set aside a separate plate and clean, dedicated cutlery, as advised by the Dutch Coeliac Society. | If regular bread is also being served, I want to prevent crumbs or shared spreads from coming into contact with the gluten-free bread. Around 50% of consumers would make safe serving their main consideration. |
| Bread type and preparation | Compare sliced bread with bake-at-home rolls. For rolls, check the baking time and oven temperature on the packaging. | For a warm serving, I want to know whether I have the time and oven space; otherwise, I’d rather prepare slices in advance. Around 30% of consumers would prioritise how the bread is served. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Read the latest label for ingredients, allergens and ‘may contain’ statements. If you wish, check whether iodised salt or baker’s salt has been used. | If a guest has another allergy, I want to be able to check the bread for those specific ingredients. Around 20% of consumers would make other label checks their first priority. |
The type of bread alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
Choose a pack labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the ingredients and allergens on the latest label too.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says that crumbs and shared cutlery can contaminate gluten-free food.
Keep the gluten-free bread on a separate plate and use a dedicated knife or tongs, along with spreads that haven’t come into contact with regular bread.
The rolls need time in the oven and must be kept away from crumbs from regular bread while they bake.
Check the temperature and baking time on the packaging in advance, and use clean baking equipment. Then serve the rolls separately.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread does not have to be baked with baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether it contains it from the type of bread alone.
Check the ingredients list if iodised salt or baker’s salt is important to your choice.
Schär offers both multigrain rolls to bake at home and sliced Meesterbakker Mehrkorn bread. This gives you a choice within the range between warm rolls and slices for the buffet.
Albert Heijn lists both multiseed rolls to bake at home and sliced dark multiseed bread that’s ready to eat in this range.
PLUS Meerzaden glutenvrij is a 500 g loaf that you can serve in slices.
Not automatically: choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’. Check the allergen information on the packaging too, rather than relying on the name ‘multigrain’ or ‘multiseed’ alone.
Prepare and serve it in a clean, separate area, using dedicated cutlery and spreads that haven’t come into contact with regular bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises taking these steps to prevent contact with crumbs and shared utensils.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory. Check the label if you want to know whether a particular bread contains baker’s salt or iodised salt.
Not necessarily: gluten-free breads may contain ingredients such as soya or oats, and the information varies from product to product. If someone has another allergy, check the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack you plan to serve.
