A quick breakfast, with coeliac disease in mind
You want to take a packaged breakfast with you that needs no preparation. Check the ‘gluten-free’ label and allergen information on the packaging for the exact product you’re buying.
Who are these alternatives suitable for?
Planning breakfasts in advance
You want to have portions ready for several mornings at work or school. A loaf could be a good option if you have time to portion it and can follow the storage instructions.
Prefer to prepare it at home
You’d rather have a bake-at-home roll or a product that you defrost first. Make sure you have time for this extra preparation before you leave in the morning.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, choose a product with the right gluten-free label and allergen information. Then decide whether you need to be able to leave straight away or have time at home to prepare portions.
Ready-to-eat raisin bun
Suitable if: you want to take a bun-shaped portion with you, with no preparation needed. The gluten-free raisin buns listed by Albert Heijn are ready to eat.
The trade-off: the AH pack contains two 70 g buns, which may be less convenient if you only want to take one.
Gluten-free raisin bread
Suitable if: you want to plan several breakfasts in advance and can prepare portions at home.
The trade-off: a loaf isn’t automatically a ready-to-go portion, so check whether your chosen product is available too.
Frozen or bake-at-home alternative
Suitable if: you have time at home to defrost or bake a product.
The trade-off: this extra step makes it less practical if you suddenly need to head out straight away. And a bake-at-home roll isn’t necessarily a raisin alternative.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling and allergens | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging of your chosen product, and check the ingredients and other allergens. | If I’m choosing a bun or bread because I have coeliac disease, I want to check the label on my pack and know which other allergens it contains. For around 46% of consumers, checking the label comes first. |
| Ready to take with you | Check how many pieces are in the pack, and whether the product is ready to eat or needs defrosting or preparation first. | On mornings when I need to leave straight away, I want to be able to grab a portion without needing to slice or prepare it. Being able to take it straight away is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Stocking up and portions | Compare storage instructions and portion sizes. Check the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion if it matters to your choice. | For several mornings at work or school, I want to plan portions in advance and compare nutritional information, even if I need to prepare them at home. This kind of planning matters most to around 18% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming an ordinary raisin bun is gluten-free
The regular raisin and currant buns described by Jumbo are made with wheat. So the shape and the raisins don’t tell you whether a bun is gluten-free.
Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label on the packaging of the product you’re buying, then check the ingredients and allergens.
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Relying on an old product listing when deciding what to buy
A product listing can help you compare shapes and ingredients, but it doesn’t confirm what you can buy at the time you shop.
Check availability just before you leave, and read the packaging of the product you actually choose.
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Confusing ‘gluten-free’ with free from all allergens
A gluten-free label doesn’t mean that a product is free from other allergens, such as egg or soya. Nutritional values can also vary between products.
Check for other allergens separately and, if it’s relevant to you, compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g and per breakfast portion.
Brands to consider
AH Glutenvrij
Albert Heijn lists both gluten-free raisin buns and gluten-free raisin bread.
- The listed buns contain 34% raisins and come in a pack of two weighing 140 g. According to Albert Heijn, you can eat them straight away or freeze them at home.
- The 240 g raisin bread is a different type of product. Check whether this version is available before buying, and read the current packaging.
Consenza
Consenza offers gluten-free bake-at-home rolls. Albert Heijn has also listed Consenza raisin bread.
- Bake-at-home rolls are an option if you have time to prepare breakfast at home.
- A bake-at-home roll isn’t necessarily a raisin bun. The raisin bread listed by Albert Heijn was a frozen product, so check the availability and instructions for any current version.
Yam
Jumbo listed Yam Sliced Raisin Bread as gluten-free raisin bread.
- The ingredients listed by Jumbo include gluten-free oat flour, raisins and baker’s salt: useful details to compare against the packaging of a current product.
- Jumbo says this product is no longer part of its online range. The listing therefore doesn’t confirm that you can buy it now.
Related products on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
What does ‘gluten-free’ mean on the packaging?
Under EU Regulation 828/2014, a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ can contain no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. If you have coeliac disease, check the label on the specific product you’re choosing, rather than relying only on its name or where it’s displayed in the shop.
Are ordinary supermarket currant buns gluten-free?
No, you can’t tell from the shape of a product. For example, Jumbo describes its regular raisin and currant buns as wheat products. Choose a product specifically labelled gluten-free and check the label.
Should I look out for other allergens in gluten-free raisin buns?
Yes. A gluten-free label doesn’t mean that other allergens are absent. Check the allergen information on the packaging every time you buy, especially if you need to avoid ingredients other than gluten too.
Do all gluten-free baked goods contain iodised baker’s salt?
Don’t assume they do. Check the ingredients list of your chosen product for iodised salt or baker’s salt. A publication in the Dutch Government Gazette describes efforts to encourage the use of iodised salt in bread and bread substitutes, but this doesn’t confirm that it’s included in every gluten-free product.