For someone with coeliac disease, only serve rusks with chocolate sprinkles if both products are individually labelled gluten-free or carry the Crossed Grain symbol. Prepare the lunch without gluten crumbs getting onto the food from the worktop, utensils or spreads. Albert Heijn lists Schär Zwieback as gluten-free rusks, but this says nothing about the chocolate sprinkles you choose; check the current packaging.
For this lunch, both the rusks and the chocolate sprinkles must be suitable, and no gluten crumbs must get onto the serving while it is being prepared. The Dutch Coeliac Society also highlights the importance of preventing cross-contamination.
A gluten-free portion needs to be easy to identify and prepared separately with clean utensils, especially when ordinary bread is being served to other children.
If you follow a gluten-free diet regularly, iodine intake is another consideration. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre identifies bread made with baker’s salt as an important source of iodine and advises looking at other sources of iodine if you eat little bread.
For a lunch for someone with coeliac disease, check both packages and how the food will be prepared. Under Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a product sold to the final consumer may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Rusks, chocolate sprinkles and preparation | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on both packages. Use clean utensils for the portion and spreads that are free from bread crumbs. | When making lunch for someone with coeliac disease, I want to avoid gluten coming from either product or an stray crumb; around 50% of consumers put this check first. |
| A practical holiday lunch | Check whether the rusks you want are available and decide in advance whether gluten-free bread or crackers would be a suitable alternative. | When a child is staying away from home, I want to be able to make a familiar lunch and keep the gluten-free portion separate; around 30% of consumers prioritise practicality. |
| Iodine when eating little regular bread | If you regularly use bread substitutes, check whether they contain iodised salt or baker’s salt, and consider this alongside the rest of your diet. | If regular bread is often replaced with gluten-free products, I also want to keep an eye on iodine sources; this is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers when making this choice. |
Gluten-free rusks do not confirm that the chocolate sprinkles are gluten-free too. A brand name or an ingredients list with no immediately recognisable gluten-containing ingredients is not a substitute for checking.
Check the current packaging of the chocolate sprinkles you have chosen separately for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says that even a crumb can be harmful to someone with coeliac disease. Crumbs can get onto the food from a knife, butter tub or worktop.
Use a clean plate and knife, clean the worktop and choose spreads that are free from bread crumbs.
Jumbo says that Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Beschuit 120 g is no longer in its online range. An old product page is therefore no reason to plan your holiday lunch around these rusks.
Check what is available before you shop and, if necessary, choose a suitable gluten-free bread or cracker alternative.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre notes that people who eat very little bread, or bread made without iodised salt, may not get enough iodine. This is particularly relevant to your regular diet, not a separate requirement for one holiday lunch.
If you regularly use gluten-free bread products, check whether they contain iodised salt or baker’s salt, and consider other sources of iodine as part of your overall diet.
A brand can help you search for rusks or chocolate sprinkles, but the label on the specific product you choose is what matters.
Schär makes gluten-free bakery products. Albert Heijn lists Schär Zwieback as gluten-free rusks.
Jumbo uses Lekker Vrij for a range of gluten-free products, including bread.
De Ruijter is a chocolate sprinkles brand, and Albert Heijn lists several of its products.
No, the chocolate sprinkles must also be labelled gluten-free or carry the Crossed Grain symbol. You should also prevent gluten crumbs from getting onto the portion while spreading or serving.
No. Under Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a product may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg when sold to the final consumer.
You can’t determine that from this alone if the food is for someone with coeliac disease. Check the current packaging for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol; don’t use the chocolate sprinkles for the gluten-free portion if you can’t confirm their status.
Iodine is mainly a consideration when regular bread is often replaced; it is not a separate requirement for one lunch with rusks. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre identifies bread made with baker’s salt as an important source of iodine and advises looking at other iodine sources if you eat little bread.
