If your child has coeliac disease, choose a packaged roll labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the label on the variety you buy. AH Gluten-free White Rolls and the white and seeded rolls from PLUS are specific options. The right choice also depends on any other allergens and how you prepare the rolls at home. When packing lunch, avoid contact with crumbs from ordinary bread and discuss lunch arrangements with the school.
They’re looking for a gluten-free school lunch and also take care to avoid crumbs when preparing and packing it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the importance of preventing cross-contamination, while the Dutch Coeliac Association recommends agreeing arrangements with the school.
On a school morning, the preparation instructions matter, as does having enough time to let the roll cool before packing it. AH provides oven and air fryer instructions for its white gluten-free rolls.
If there’s another allergy to consider, ‘gluten-free’ alone isn’t enough to choose a product. Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety, as you would for AH’s white and seeded rolls.
For gluten-free rolls in a school lunch, check the label first. Then consider how you’ll prepare them at home and whether there are any other allergies or dietary needs to take into account.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling and contact with crumbs | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging. Keep the roll separate from ordinary bread and crumbs when preparing and packing it. | If my child has coeliac disease, I don’t want a suitable roll to come into contact with crumbs. For around 42% of these consumers, this is their main concern. |
| Baking and storage | Read the instructions for the appliance you’ll be using and check the storage guidance, including after opening. | On a school morning, I need to be able to bake the roll and let it cool before it goes into the lunchbox. Around 33% of these consumers give this morning convenience top priority. |
| Other allergens and nutritional information | Check the ingredients, allergen warnings and relevant nutritional values for the exact variety you’ve chosen. | If my child has another allergy or I want to check the nutritional information, I can’t rely on ‘gluten-free’ alone. For around 25% of these consumers, these additional checks matter most. |
A gluten-free roll may contain other allergens or carry a warning about them. For example, AH lists warnings for the possible presence of egg, milk, soya, almonds and hazelnuts on its white gluten-free rolls.
Check the ingredients and allergen information for the variety you’re actually buying, especially if you’re switching between white and seeded rolls.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, spelt contains gluten. A description such as sourdough doesn’t, by itself, mean that a roll is gluten-free either.
If you have coeliac disease, choose a roll labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging. Don’t rely on its colour, grain type or how it’s made.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, even a bread crumb can matter if you have coeliac disease. A gluten-free label won’t prevent contact with ordinary bread while you’re packing lunch.
Use clean hands, a clean work surface and a clean lunchbox. Discuss with the school how to keep food and activities separate where necessary.
A category page won’t tell you which ingredients and allergens are listed on the packaging of your roll. The range may also change.
Before buying, check the variety name. At home, read the physical label and preparation instructions again.
Albert Heijn’s own-brand range includes white gluten-free rolls to bake at home.
PLUS lists white and seeded rolls as gluten-free products, both sold in packs of two.
Schär is a gluten-free brand which, according to its own availability information, is sold through various types of shop.
Jumbo has a gluten-free range that includes bakery products.
Lidl publishes information about its additional gluten-free range.
ALDI mentions gluten-free rolls in its general information about bread rolls.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a product may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if the finished product contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. If you have coeliac disease, check for this wording on the current packaging. ‘Wheat-free’ or ‘multigrain’ doesn’t mean the same thing.
Not simply because it’s made with spelt or sourdough. Spelt contains gluten, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, and making bread with sourdough doesn’t automatically make it gluten-free. Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label on the product.
Prepare and pack the gluten-free roll with clean hands, on a clean work surface and in a clean lunchbox, keeping it separate from ordinary bread. The Dutch Coeliac Association also recommends discussing with the teacher or school management how the school handles food and activities.
Yes, if other allergens are relevant to your child. For example, AH’s white gluten-free rolls carry warnings about the possible presence of egg, milk, soya, almonds and hazelnuts. Always read the allergen information for the variety you buy.
No, this isn’t guaranteed by the Dutch rules on bakers’ salt. The Commodities Act Decree on the Addition of Micronutrients to Foods sets an upper limit of 65 mg of iodine per kg of bakers’ salt. Check the ingredients list to see which salt a particular roll contains.
