If you have coeliac disease, don’t buy regular multigrain bread based on its name or premium appearance. Choose a product clearly labelled gluten-free, and check the current packaging and preparation instructions. Then choose the type that suits your meal: sliced bread for sandwiches, part-baked rolls to serve warm, or a baking mix if you want to bake your own. When comparing products, also consider the ingredients, nutritional information and how iodine fits into your overall diet.
You’re looking for bread clearly labelled gluten-free, and you also want to prevent crumbs from ordinary bread getting onto it when storing, slicing and adding toppings. The Dutch Coeliac Association highlights the risk of cross-contamination.
For brunch or a meal with guests, the type of bread can make a difference. As well as checking the packaging for part-baked rolls, follow the preparation instructions and use clean utensils.
A baking mix lets you choose when to bake your bread. Check the mix’s ingredients and nutritional information, and avoid contact with ordinary flour or bread crumbs during preparation.
Start by checking that the bread is labelled gluten-free and considering how it will be prepared. Then compare the type of bread, availability and nutritional information for the occasion you have in mind.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Read the gluten-free labelling and allergen information on the packaging. Keep the bread and utensils free from crumbs of ordinary bread. | When I buy bread for someone with coeliac disease, I want to be able to check the packaging and prepare the bread separately. An estimated 36% of consumers put this need first. |
| Type of bread | Choose between sliced bread, part-baked rolls and a baking mix. For part-baked products, check the preparation instructions. | For brunch, I want to serve warm bread, while on an ordinary lunchtime I’d rather be able to grab a sandwich straight away. Around 29% of consumers consider the right type of bread their top priority. |
| Availability | Check the exact product at your chosen shop before planning a meal. A range page doesn’t tell you whether the bread is available at that shop. | If I need bread for guests, I don’t want to find out in the shop that I need to choose a different type. Around 21% of consumers give availability top priority. |
| Nutritional information | Compare ingredients, fibre and salt per 100 g. Check whether iodised salt is listed, and consider iodine as part of your overall diet. | If I follow a gluten-free diet long term, I want to know what this bread adds to my meals, rather than making assumptions based on the word ‘multigrain’. An estimated 14% of consumers put this nutritional information first. |
A multigrain name or an artisan look doesn’t mean the bread is suitable for a gluten-free diet. Ordinary bread containing ingredients such as wheat, spelt, rye or barley is not an alternative for someone with coeliac disease.
Check the gluten-free labelling on the current packaging before buying. The Dutch Coeliac Association describes the Crossed Grain trademark as a recognisable, independently checked reference point.
Albert Heijn and PLUS point out that ingredients and allergen information can change. So a product page you looked at previously is no substitute for checking the label on the bread you buy.
Read the physical packaging every time you buy, even if you choose the same product again.
The Dutch Coeliac Association says gluten can get onto gluten-free food through shared chopping boards, knives and toppings.
Use separate or thoroughly cleaned utensils, and keep gluten-free bread away from ordinary bread.
Seeds or the word ‘multigrain’ alone don’t tell you how much fibre, salt or iodine a particular loaf contains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre notes that iodised salt in bread contributes to iodine intake.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and the ingredients of the exact products. If needed, discuss any questions about your overall gluten-free diet with a specialist dietitian.
These examples can help you find the right product category, but a shop’s name doesn’t tell you whether an individual loaf is suitable.
Albert Heijn’s range includes Schär Rustico sliced multigrain bread.
Jumbo describes its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Meerzaden Brood as gluten-free bread made with tapioca starch and containing kernels and seeds.
PLUS stocks gluten-free multiseed bread and gluten-free multiseed rolls: two different options for sandwiches or a part-baked treat.
Dirk’s search results include gluten-free bread products such as Schär Meisterbackers Classic.
ALDI lists gluten-free rolls in its part-baked range.
Lidl provides information about gluten-free products and its bread range.
Ordinary multigrain bread containing wheat, spelt, rye or barley isn’t suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Choose bread clearly labelled gluten-free and check the current packaging. The Dutch Coeliac Association describes the Crossed Grain trademark as an additional, independently checked way to identify suitable products.
Use a clean knife and chopping board, and watch out for crumbs in a shared toaster or toppings. The Dutch Coeliac Association identifies this kind of contact as a practical cross-contamination risk.
It’s worth considering if you eat little ordinary bread or choose bread without iodised salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bread is an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. Check the ingredients and consider your overall diet, discussing it with a specialist dietitian if needed.
They can be a good choice if you want to serve warm bread, as long as you check the gluten-free labelling, allergens and preparation instructions for the exact product. PLUS gives a baking time of 10 minutes for its gluten-free multiseed rolls. Keep them separate from ordinary bread during preparation.
