For a snack night with someone who has coeliac disease, choose rusks whose current packaging explicitly says they are gluten-free or carries the Crossed Grain symbol. Also check for any other relevant allergens and whether they’re available at your store. Serve the rusks separately: the Dutch Coeliac Society points out that cross-contamination is also a risk.
They need rusks with a clear gluten-free label and a way of serving them that keeps crumbs from ordinary snacks away. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights the importance of both the label and preventing cross-contamination.
You want to have suitable rusks ready in time. Check that they can be ordered from your store before relying on an online product listing; Jumbo says that some of its gluten-free rusks are no longer available in its online range.
As well as checking the gluten-free label, you need to read the ingredients and allergen information for the specific product. For example, Jumbo’s product listing for Damhert rusks mentions egg and milk; gluten-free does not mean free from these ingredients.
If someone with coeliac disease is joining you, start by checking that the packaging clearly says the rusks are gluten-free. Then check whether they’ll be available in time and are suitable for anyone with other allergies.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label and serving separately | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging. When serving, keep the plate, knife and toppings separate from ordinary snacks. | If someone with coeliac disease is joining us, I want to be able to choose and serve rusks without them coming into contact with ordinary crumbs. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Availability | Check that the rusks can be ordered from your store. If necessary, look for a second option with an explicit gluten-free label. | When snack night is coming up, I don’t want to find out only when I place my order that my chosen rusks aren’t available. Around 30% of consumers say immediate availability is their top priority. |
| Other ingredients and allergens | Check the current ingredients and allergen list if a guest needs to avoid milk, eggs or other ingredients. | If I need to consider ingredients other than gluten, I want to know whether the rusks are suitable for that guest. This is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
Avoiding wheat isn’t the same as avoiding gluten: other grains can contain gluten too. So, for someone with coeliac disease, ‘wheat-free’ alone doesn’t tell you whether the rusks are gluten-free.
Check the current packaging for an explicit gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol, and read the ingredients list.
A page may remain online even when the product can no longer be ordered. Jumbo says this is the case for its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Beschuit and the Damhert rusks it lists.
Check the ordering status for your store before snack night, and keep another product with an explicit gluten-free label as an alternative.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, cross-contamination can also affect people with coeliac disease. During a shared snack night, crumbs can get onto gluten-free rusks via utensils or toppings.
Keep the packaging sealed until you’re ready to use the rusks. Serve them on a clean, separate plate with a separate clean knife, and use separate toppings or a clean portion.
Jumbo’s listing for Damhert rusks names egg and milk as allergens. Albert Heijn describes Schär Zwieback as lactose-free, but that label doesn’t answer every question about other allergens.
For each guest, check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you’ve chosen.
Schär Zwieback is a 175 g gluten-free rusk listed by Albert Heijn and PLUS.
Jumbo lists 120 g rusks under its Lekker Vrij van Gluten range.
Jumbo lists Damhert gluten-free rusks or biscottes in a 125 g pack.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, the label ‘gluten-free’ means that the product contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Check the current packaging before buying. The label doesn’t prevent the rusks from coming into contact with ordinary crumbs when they’re served.
Serve gluten-free rusks separately, on a clean plate and with a clean knife. Use separate toppings or take a clean portion, so crumbs from shared butter or utensils don’t end up on the rusks.
No. The label ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t tell you anything about the iodine content of a specific product. If this matters to your choice, check the ingredients and nutritional information, or ask the manufacturer whether baker’s salt has been used.
