If you have coeliac disease, choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging for your festival lunch, and avoid contact with crumbs from regular bread. Sliced bread can be packed without baking; bread rolls that need baking are suitable if you can prepare them at home and transport them according to the storage instructions. Check both options for other allergens too.
For them, it’s not just about the bread being labelled ‘gluten-free’. It also needs to be prepared and transported without coming into contact with regular bread or crumbs. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms in people with coeliac disease.
If you make sandwiches at home and want to eat as soon as you arrive at the festival, you’ll need to prepare differently from someone who has to bake their rolls first. Check how the product should be stored after opening or defrosting too.
According to product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo, gluten-free bread may still contain soya or carry warnings about other allergens. So make sure you read the full allergen information for the product you buy.
For a gluten-free festival lunch, check the packaging first and avoid contact with crumbs. Then choose between bread you can take with you as it is and rolls that need to be prepared at home.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free and protected from crumbs | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging and plan to prepare and transport the bread separately. | With coeliac disease, I want to see that the bread is gluten-free and keep my lunch away from regular bread crumbs. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Preparation and portability | Check whether baking is required and read the storage instructions for after opening or defrosting. | If I want to have lunch as soon as I get to the festival, my bread needs to be ready before I leave and easy to pack appropriately. For around 29% of consumers, this practical convenience is the top priority. |
| Other allergens | Read the allergen list and any warnings. If the product is sold unpackaged, ask for the information before buying. | If I’m buying bread for someone who needs to avoid an allergen as well as gluten, I want to know exactly what’s in the product. This additional check is decisive for around 21% of consumers. |
| Fibre and ingredients | Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and the ingredients list, once you’ve established that the bread is gluten-free. | When several gluten-free options are suitable, I want to compare their fibre content and ingredients. This comparison makes the difference for around 14% of consumers. |
A name that includes ‘multigrain’ doesn’t mean the bread is suitable for people with coeliac disease. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the label ‘gluten-free’ may only be used if the food, as sold to the final consumer, contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg.
Choose based on the explicit ‘gluten-free’ label on the packaging, not on the name of the grains or seeds.
At a stall, bread may come into contact with regular bread during preparation or serving. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergen information must also be made available to consumers for unpackaged products.
Before buying, ask whether the bread is gluten-free, what other allergens it contains and how contact with gluten-containing bread is avoided. Choose a different lunch if you can’t get a clear answer.
Rolls that need baking must be prepared before you leave. Jumbo also says that Schär Meergranenbroodjes should be kept chilled after defrosting, not refrozen and eaten within one day.
Read the preparation and storage instructions before choosing between rolls and ready-to-eat sliced bread.
Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo lists soya in the gluten-free breads discussed here and, depending on the product, warnings about other allergens.
Check the full allergen information on the packaging, especially if you’re taking bread for someone else.
Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows two different gluten-free options: sliced Meesterbakker Mehrkorn and frozen multigrain rolls that need baking.
Albert Heijn describes AH Glutenvrij Meerzaden broodjes as an option you can bake before you leave.
Jumbo describes its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Meerzaden Brood as gluten-free bread made with tapioca starch, seeds and kernels.
No. ‘Multigrain’ describes the bread, but it doesn’t mean it’s gluten-free. Bread may contain wheat, rye or barley, for example. If you have coeliac disease, choose bread that is explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging.
Before buying, ask whether the bread is gluten-free and how the stall prevents contact with regular bread and crumbs. Ask about allergen information too: the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that this must be made available to consumers for unpackaged products.
Gluten-free sliced bread doesn’t need baking if you want to prepare your lunch at home. Bake-at-home rolls are a good option if you can prepare them before you leave and follow the storage instructions. Jumbo says that Schär frozen multigrain rolls should be kept chilled after defrosting and eaten within one day.
No. The gluten-free label doesn’t tell you what type of salt has been used. Check the ingredients list if iodised salt is important when choosing bread.
