If you’re catering for a guest with coeliac disease, choose rusks whose current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’. Then decide whether the dry, round base will work with your topping, and avoid contact with gluten-containing crumbs, utensils and shared jars. If another base would work better for your appetiser, choose one that is also explicitly labelled gluten-free.
This guest needs an explicitly gluten-free base, not just a gluten-free topping. Under EU Regulation 828/2014, the ‘gluten-free’ label may be used if the food contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten when sold to the final consumer.
If ordinary bread or crackers will also be served, you’ll need clean work surfaces and utensils. The Dutch Coeliac Association advises keeping gluten-containing and gluten-free products separate.
If you’re planning to use rusks as a base for a topping, consider in advance whether a dry, round rusk will work with your appetiser. If a different shape would be more suitable, your guest with coeliac disease will still need it to be explicitly labelled gluten-free.
Start by checking the gluten-free label and how you’ll serve the food. Only then choose between rusks and another explicitly gluten-free base for your topping.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten safety | Check that the current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’. Keep the product separate from gluten-containing crumbs and utensils when preparing and serving it. | If someone with coeliac disease is joining us, I want to make sure both the base and the way it’s served meet their needs. For around 50% of consumers, gluten safety would be the main consideration. |
| Base for the topping | Consider whether a dry, round rusk will work with the topping; if the topping is moist, add it shortly before serving. | For the appetiser I’m planning, I want a base that’s convenient to use when it’s time to serve. Around 30% of consumers would put this use first. |
| Finding the product and packaging | Search for the exact product name and check the pack size and availability of that particular version. | If I’m shopping for several guests, I want to be able to find the right pack in good time. Availability would be the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
A gluten-free topping doesn’t make ordinary rusks suitable for a guest with coeliac disease. The packaging of the base you choose must also say gluten-free.
Read the packaging of the rusks or alternative you’re actually going to serve.
Gluten can get into a gluten-free appetiser through bread crumbs on a board or knife, or in a jar. The Dutch Coeliac Association therefore advises using clean work surfaces and keeping gluten-containing and gluten-free foods separate.
Use clean utensils and separate toppings, and keep the gluten-free appetisers apart until you serve them.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt for baking isn’t compulsory. So neither the product category nor the ‘gluten-free’ label tells you whether your chosen rusks contain baker’s salt.
If baker’s salt matters to your choice, check the ingredients on the specific pack or ask the manufacturer.
Jumbo lists Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Beschuit 120 g as a separate product.
Jumbo lists Damhert Nutrition Glutenvrij Beschuiten Biscottes 125 g as a separate rusk option.
Albert Heijn lists Schär Zwieback beschuit glutenvrij as a separate product.
Under EU Regulation 828/2014, the ‘gluten-free’ label may be used if the food contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten when sold to the final consumer. If you’re catering for a guest with coeliac disease, check that the current packaging carries this label.
Not without taking care when serving them: crumbs, a shared board, a knife or an opened jar can bring the appetiser into contact with gluten. Keep gluten-containing and gluten-free products separate and use clean utensils, as advised by the Dutch Coeliac Association.
You can’t tell from the words ‘gluten-free’ or ‘rusks’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt for baking isn’t compulsory. If it matters to your choice, check whether baker’s salt is listed in the ingredients on the pack you’ve chosen.
Because a product’s information can change. Albert Heijn notes that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change regularly, so check the packaging of the product you’re going to serve.
