If you’re making rusks with chocolate sprinkles for someone with coeliac disease, choose rusks and chocolate sprinkles that are each labelled ‘gluten-free’ or carry the Crossed Grain trademark. Also check both packs for any other relevant allergens, and keep crumbs from ordinary bread and baking products away while you prepare the food. If you regularly use bread alternatives, you may also want to check whether your chosen alternative contains iodised salt or baker’s salt, as this isn’t a given with every rusk.
You’re making or serving rusks with chocolate sprinkles for someone with coeliac disease. Both products must be gluten-free in their own right; according to the Dutch Coeliac Society, crumbs on a worktop or cutlery can also cause cross-contamination.
As well as checking for gluten, check the allergen information on the exact rusks and chocolate sprinkles you’re buying. A gluten-free label alone tells you nothing about allergens such as milk, egg or soya.
If you regularly use bread alternatives, you may want to know whether they contain iodised salt or baker’s salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt.
If you’re catering for someone with coeliac disease, start by checking that both products are labelled gluten-free, and prepare them on a clean surface. Then check for other allergens and, if you often use bread alternatives, look at the salt information on the rusks.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Check that both the rusks and chocolate sprinkles are labelled ‘gluten-free’ or carry the Crossed Grain trademark. When serving, use clean cutlery and make sure the worktop is free from crumbs. | If I’m serving someone with coeliac disease, I want to stop ordinary bread crumbs getting onto their food. Around 50% of consumers give this gluten-free check top priority. |
| Other allergens | Check the ingredients and allergen information on both chosen packs; assess any ‘may contain’ warning against the individual’s allergy requirements. | If someone has an allergy as well as coeliac disease, I need to know what other ingredients are in both products. For around 30% of consumers, checking for other allergens is the most important consideration. |
| Iodine and availability | If you regularly use bread alternatives, check whether the rusks list iodised salt or baker’s salt. Check in good time that the products you want are available. | If I often replace ordinary bread, I want to see how rusks fit into my diet and make sure I have the ingredients in time. Around 20% of consumers put this practical consideration first. |
Gluten-free rusks don’t automatically make the combination suitable for someone with coeliac disease: the chocolate sprinkles are a separate product.
Also check the pack of the chocolate sprinkles you’ve chosen for a ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain trademark.
A product can be gluten-free and still contain other allergens. Jumbo lists egg and milk among the allergens in Damhert Glutenvrij Beschuiten, while for Venz Puur Chocolade Hagelslag it lists milk and soya.
Check the current allergen information for the specific products you’re using.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, bread crumbs and shared cutlery can contaminate gluten-free food.
Clean the worktop, use clean cutlery and, if needed, open a fresh pack of topping.
Baker’s salt contains added iodine, but according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers don’t have to use it.
If you regularly use bread alternatives, check the label for iodised salt or baker’s salt; consider your iodine intake as part of your overall diet.
Damhert offers a gluten-free rusk option that could form part of a rusks-and-chocolate-sprinkles combination.
De Rit Chocoladehagelslag Puur is a possible topping for rusks that have been checked separately for gluten.
This Jumbo range is worth considering if you’re looking for gluten-free bakery products.
Albert Heijn is one place to look for gluten-free groceries, including products for a Christmas treat.
Venz is a mainstream chocolate sprinkle brand; suitability for someone with coeliac disease needs to be checked for each product.
De Ruijter offers various mainstream chocolate sprinkle products, including dark and milk chocolate varieties.
No. An ingredients list with no obvious wheat isn’t enough to check that a product is suitable. Look on the pack of the specific chocolate sprinkles for a ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain trademark.
Use a clean worktop and clean cutlery, and keep the gluten-free ingredients separate from ordinary bread and flour products. The Dutch Coeliac Society lists crumbs on a chopping board and a shared butter knife among the risks of cross-contamination.
No, you can’t tell from the ‘gluten-free’ label. Baker’s salt contains added iodine, but according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, its use isn’t compulsory. So check the label on your chosen bread alternative for iodised salt or baker’s salt.
No, you need to check for gluten and other allergens separately. Jumbo lists egg and milk in Damhert Glutenvrij Beschuiten, and milk and soya in Venz Puur Chocolade Hagelslag. Always read the pack of the product you’re actually using.
