If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, choose a roll that’s explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’, and prepare and serve it separately from regular bread. Then compare the number of rolls in each pack, the baking time and the allergens. A white roll, a seeded roll and an alternative bake-at-home roll each have different implications for your dinner planning.
You want to offer a gluten-free roll without it coming into contact with crumbs from regular bread while it’s being baked or served. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that even a stray bread crumb can matter for someone with coeliac disease.
Choose the type and quantity of bread based on who’s joining you, and plan the baking time around when you’ll be serving dinner. White rolls, seeded rolls and other gluten-free bake-at-home rolls are different products.
As well as gluten, you may need to consider sesame, soya, nuts, milk, egg or wheat. The allergen information on the packaging of the product you choose will help you decide whether it’s suitable to serve.
Start by checking that the product is labelled gluten-free, and make sure it’s prepared separately. Then consider which allergens matter to your guests. After that, the type of roll, pack size and baking time become the deciding factors.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free preparation | Check that the packaging says ‘gluten-free’. Use clean, separate utensils when baking and serving. | If regular bread is also on the table, I want to keep crumbs away from the roll for my guest with coeliac disease. Around 36% of consumers would consider this their main priority when choosing. |
| Other allergens | Read the allergen information for the exact product; look out for sesame in PLUS seeded rolls and wheat in Ouni rolls. | If a guest needs to avoid another allergen as well as gluten, the full ingredients and allergen information will guide my choice. Around 29% of consumers would put this first. |
| Type of roll and planning | Compare the number of rolls in each pack, and follow the oven temperature and baking time on the packaging. | I want the gluten-free rolls to be ready at the same time as the rest of dinner, with enough for the guests who’ll be eating them. This would be the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Nutrition information | Compare fibre per 100 g and check whether iodised salt is listed in the ingredients. The ingredients list doesn’t tell you how much iodine a serving provides. | If I choose gluten-free bread regularly, I want to be able to compare the nutrition information for different rolls, rather than focus only on this dinner. Around 14% of consumers would make this their first question when choosing. |
‘Multigrain’ and ‘sourdough’ don’t, by themselves, tell you whether a product is gluten-free; spelt is a type of wheat. So, for a guest with coeliac disease, the name of the bread is no substitute for checking the packaging.
Check that the product you choose is explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’, and read the label again if you buy a different variety.
Crumbs on a wire rack, breadboard or knife could end up on the gluten-free roll. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre stresses that even a small amount of gluten can matter for someone with coeliac disease.
Use clean baking paper and utensils, keep the fillings separate, and serve the gluten-free roll apart from the regular rolls.
A gluten-free product may contain other allergens. PLUS seeded rolls contain sesame; the Ouni roll lists gluten-free wheat starch and wheat as an allergen.
Ask which allergens your guests need to avoid, then check the packaging of each roll you’re considering.
A product you’ve chosen for dinner may not be available at your local shop. Pack sizes also vary: some contain one roll, while others contain several, which can affect how many you need for the table.
Check current availability at your local shop or for your delivery postcode, and plan for the number of guests who’ll need gluten-free rolls.
Albert Heijn describes its white gluten-free rolls as part-baked, sold in packs of two and finished off in the oven at home.
PLUS lists white and seeded rolls in its gluten-free range. The seeded variety is part-baked and comes in a pack of two.
Schär makes gluten-free rolls that can be served alongside other rolls, including Kaiser rolls and multigrain rolls. These are separate product varieties.
PLUS lists the Ouni Gluten-Free Roll DV as a single roll, for anyone looking for an individual portion.
Check that the packaging of the rolls you choose explicitly says ‘gluten-free’, and keep them separate from regular bread during preparation and serving. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, even a stray bread crumb can matter for someone with coeliac disease.
Make sure crumbs or residue from regular rolls can’t come into contact with the gluten-free roll. Use clean baking paper and a clean wire rack, or bake the rolls separately. When serving, use a separate knife and separate utensils for the fillings too.
No. ‘Multigrain’ describes the type of bread, not whether it’s gluten-free, and spelt is a type of wheat. If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, choose only a product that’s explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging.
No. The Ouni Gluten-Free Roll DV lists both gluten-free wheat starch and wheat as an allergen. If a guest needs to avoid wheat, the ‘gluten-free’ label alone isn’t enough to make this roll a suitable choice.
It means iodised salt has been used as an ingredient, but it doesn’t tell you how much iodine is in one roll. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists bread as a source of iodine. If you regularly choose other types of bread, you can compare the nutrition information as part of your overall diet.
