If you have coeliac disease, choose a pre-packaged rice cake whose current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’; under Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this claim is subject to a limit of 20 mg/kg of gluten. A plain or unsalted variety needs no preparation in your hotel room, but you should still check the label. Don’t assume an unwrapped rice cake from the hotel breakfast is a suitable alternative without first asking for specific allergen information.
You want to be able to check the label on your own snack when having coffee in your room, rather than relying on an unwrapped rice cake or a verbal assurance. An explicit ‘gluten-free’ claim on the packaging is essential.
You’re looking for a rice cake you can eat without preparation, a fridge or cutlery. With plain and unsalted varieties, you can compare the ingredients, salt content and pack size.
You want to take a suitable pack with you before heading to the hotel. Compare the varieties available in store and read the label on the pack you actually buy.
For someone with coeliac disease, the gluten-free claim on the current packaging comes first. After that, how you’ll use the rice cakes in your hotel room, your preferred flavour and availability will help you decide which option is practical.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current pack and check the ingredients and allergen information. Under Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this claim means a limit of 20 mg/kg of gluten. | If you have coeliac disease, you don’t want to have to guess whether an unwrapped rice cake is suitable when having coffee in your room; around 42% of consumers put the gluten-free claim first. |
| Using it in your hotel room | Choose a pre-packaged variety that’s ready to eat, and check the storage instructions once opened and whether the quantity will last for your stay. | Without a kitchen or cutlery, I want to be able to eat a rice cake straight from my own pack; around 25% of consumers put practicality first. |
| Flavour and salt | Compare plain, unsalted and flavoured varieties by checking the ingredients and salt content per 100 g. | With coffee, I’d prefer a plain flavour to something particularly sweet or salty; this preference is the deciding factor for around 17% of consumers. |
| Availability | Check what’s available locally, and if you choose an alternative, check the gluten-free claim on that pack too. | If you’re shopping just before setting off, you don’t want to rely on one particular shop’s variety; local availability comes first for around 16% of consumers. |
The main ingredient alone doesn’t tell you whether the product being sold carries a ‘gluten-free’ claim. Under Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this claim is subject to a limit of 20 mg/kg of gluten.
If you have coeliac disease, choose a pre-packaged product with an explicit gluten-free claim and check the current label.
With an unwrapped product, you can’t rely on a label of your own. Its appearance or where it’s placed on the buffet won’t tell you what allergen information applies to it.
Ask for information about the specific product before eating it, or bring your own pack with a label you’ve checked.
Albert Heijn warns that recipes and dietary or allergy information can change. So it’s worth checking a familiar variety again too.
Read the pack every time you buy, especially if you choose a different flavour or version.
A rice cake mentioned here may not be available at the shop where you do your shopping. For example, PLUS reported that the Consenza variety mentioned was not available locally.
Check availability before setting off, and if you choose a substitute, check its gluten-free claim again.
PLUS lists Consenza Rice Cakes without Salt, 100 g, as gluten-free, with a specification of less than 20 ppm.
Albert Heijn describes its 130 g AH plain rice cakes as gluten-free and lists wholegrain rice and 0.2% sea salt as ingredients.
ALDI lists its 130 g Goud Gebakken rice cakes with sea salt as gluten-free.
Jumbo groups rice cakes with products including corn cakes and flavoured varieties in its online range.
Lidl is one possible shop to look for rice cakes, but you’ll need to check the gluten-free claim on each product you consider.
No. Don’t rely on rice being the main ingredient alone. Choose a pack that explicitly says ‘gluten-free’; under Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this claim can be used when the gluten content is no more than 20 mg/kg. Also check the current ingredients and allergen information.
First check the allergen information for that specific rice cake; don’t judge whether it’s suitable by its appearance or where it is on the buffet. With your own pre-packaged product, you can check the label yourself before eating it.
A pre-packaged plain or unsalted rice cake with an explicit gluten-free claim needs no preparation. Also compare the ingredients and how many you’ll need during your stay. Albert Heijn lists wholegrain rice and sea salt in its plain variety, while PLUS gives a salt content of 0.01 g per 100 g for the Consenza unsalted variety mentioned here.
Use online information to compare varieties, but check the label on the pack you buy. Ingredients and dietary or allergy information can change; if you have coeliac disease, the current gluten-free claim on that packaging is particularly important when making your choice.
