If you’re serving Christmas breakfast to someone with coeliac disease, first choose bread whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’, then prepare and serve it separately from bread containing gluten. Part-baked rolls are a good choice if you can use the oven just before eating; packaged multiseed bread works well for sandwiches or snacks planned in advance. With either option, check the allergens for the specific variety you choose.
For Christmas breakfast or brunch, it’s not just the choice of bread that matters. According to the Dutch Coeliac Association, crumbs containing gluten can also get onto gluten-free food via knives, chopping boards and spreads. So set aside a separate area and separate serving utensils.
Gluten-free part-baked rolls are an option if you have oven space just before eating. Read the cooking instructions and allergen information for the rolls you buy, and keep them separate from products containing gluten while preparing them.
Packaged gluten-free multiseed bread can be used for sandwiches or topped snacks at different times. Compare storage instructions, nutritional information and allergens for each variety; check the ingredients for iodised salt too, if that matters to your choice.
For a Christmas meal with someone who has coeliac disease, choosing bread labelled gluten-free goes hand in hand with having a plan to avoid crumbs. You can then compare part-baked rolls and packaged bread by when you’ll serve them, their ingredients and allergens.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and crumbs | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging. If you’re sharing a table, use separate preparation and serving utensils. | If I’m serving bread to a guest with coeliac disease, I don’t want ordinary bread crumbs getting onto it. For around 42% of consumers, gluten safety comes first. |
| Bread type and planning | Choose between part-baked rolls and bread you can serve without baking. Read the cooking and storage instructions, and check what’s available locally. | I want to know whether I’ll need oven space just before brunch, or whether I can set the bread out earlier. Around 33% of consumers put ease of serving and planning first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and read the allergen list for the variety you choose. Check the ingredients separately for iodised salt. | If a guest has another food allergy too, the bread needs to suit their dietary requirements; I also want to be able to compare ingredients and nutritional value. Around 25% of consumers give these product features top priority. |
The name gives you an idea of the type of bread or ingredients to expect, but it doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the term ‘gluten-free’ may only be used in the EU if the finished product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten.
Check the label on the current packaging; don’t rely on terms such as ‘multigrain’, ‘multiseed’ or ‘wheat-free’ alone.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Association, crumbs containing gluten can end up in gluten-free food. Sharing a knife, jar of spread or bread basket could therefore contaminate bread you’ve carefully chosen.
Set out the gluten-free bread and its accompaniments separately, with a clean chopping board and its own serving utensils.
‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t tell you whether a product contains soya or other allergens. The product information for the bread varieties mentioned here differs in this respect.
Ask which allergies are relevant to your guest, then read the full allergen information on the exact packaging you’re buying.
Some of the breads mentioned list iodised salt in their ingredients, while Schär Multigrain Rolls list sea salt. So the term ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t tell you which type of salt has been used.
Check the ingredients list for ‘iodised salt’ or ‘baker’s salt’ if this distinction matters for your purchase.
Compare individual bread varieties, not just the brand name: the type of bread, ingredients and allergens can vary within a brand too.
Schär offers gluten-free multigrain rolls to bake at home, as well as its packaged Meesterbakker Mehrkorn multigrain bread.
This Jumbo range includes gluten-free multiseed bread made with tapioca starch.
PLUS lists its own-brand gluten-free multiseed bread, as well as other types of gluten-free bread.
Yam offers a light gluten-free multiseed bread that you can compare with other packaged loaves.
No, ‘multigrain’ isn’t a gluten-free label. Check the current packaging for the words ‘gluten-free’. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this means the finished product must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten in the EU.
Use a clean, separate chopping board, a dedicated knife and separate spreads, and set the gluten-free bread apart. The Dutch Coeliac Association warns that otherwise crumbs containing gluten could get into gluten-free food.
No, it depends on the type of bread. Schär Multigrain Rolls are part-baked rolls, while Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Multiseed Bread is sold as packaged bread. Follow the cooking and storage instructions on the packaging you buy.
No, check the ingredients list to find out. Product information for Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Multiseed Bread and Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn lists iodised salt; Schär Multigrain Rolls list sea salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre notes that choosing bread without iodised salt may be important for iodine intake.
No, an online product listing doesn’t guarantee that the item will be available in your shop when you do your shopping. Check local stock shortly before your visit and check the packaging again when you buy it.
