If you’re choosing taaitaai for a guest with coeliac disease, look for a clear ‘gluten-free’ claim on the current packaging. The product name or inclusion in a gluten-free range isn’t enough. At a hotel breakfast buffet, keep the portion separate from foods containing gluten, preferably in its packaging, and check whether the guest needs to avoid any other allergens too.
You’re looking for taaitaai with a clear gluten-free claim and want to check the current ingredients and allergen information before ordering. You’ll also need to know how to serve it at the buffet without it coming into contact with foods containing gluten.
You’ve chosen a gluten-free product, but need to prevent it coming into contact with crumbs or shared utensils when it’s put out or served. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends keeping gluten-free products in their packaging for as long as possible, preferably until they’re served.
You’re looking for gluten-free taaitaai for a guest who also needs to avoid certain ingredients. Check the allergen information for each variety: Albert Heijn lists oats and almonds for Consenza, while the product information for Maître Mathis mentions milk and lupin.
First, check the gluten-free claim on the packaging. Then decide how the portion will be served at the buffet, and finally compare the other allergens with the guest’s needs.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free claim | Check for the ‘gluten-free’ claim and review the ingredients on the current packaging. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, this claim may only be used when the food sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. | I’m buying for a guest with coeliac disease and don’t want to assume the product is gluten-free just because it’s called taaitaai. Around 50% of consumers would consider a clear gluten-free claim the most important thing to check. |
| Buffet presentation | Check whether the portion can stay wrapped or be kept separate, and what clean, dedicated equipment will be used to serve it. The Dutch Coeliac Society warns about cross-contamination, including from crumbs. | At a self-service buffet, I want to stop my chosen gluten-free product coming into contact with gluten via the buffet dish or serving tongs. Around 30% of consumers prioritise how it’s served. |
| Other allergens and planning | Compare the current allergen information with the guest’s needs and confirm that your chosen variety is available before ordering. Gluten-free doesn’t mean free from other allergens. | I need to take another allergen requirement into account as well as gluten, and choose a product I can buy in time for the planned breakfast. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this combination. |
A range page doesn’t confirm that the specific taaitaai you’ve chosen is gluten-free. If you’re buying for a guest with coeliac disease, check the claim on the finished product.
Before ordering, ask to see the current packaging for the specific variety, and read both the front and the ingredients and allergen information.
A product bought as gluten-free can come into contact with crumbs, hands or shared utensils while it’s being served. The Dutch Coeliac Society therefore recommends keeping it in its packaging for as long as possible.
Ideally, serve the portion while it’s still wrapped, or keep it separate and use clean, dedicated serving equipment.
A gluten-free claim doesn’t rule out other allergens. Albert Heijn lists oats and almonds for the Consenza variety. For Maître Mathis, the product page lists milk and lupin, and says it may contain nuts, sesame and egg.
Ask which other allergens are relevant to the guest, then compare these with the current packaging for the variety you plan to serve.
A product page may remain online after a variety has been removed from the online range. Jumbo says this is the case for Gluten Free Bakery Holland; Albert Heijn marks Maître Mathis as no longer available in its range.
Confirm availability with your chosen supplier before adding the taaitaai to your buffet plan, and decide what suitable alternative you can offer if you can’t order it.
Albert Heijn lists Consenza Taai taai poppetjes gluten free 125 g as gluten-free taaitaai and provides ingredient information for this variety.
Jumbo has a product page for Gluten Free Bakery Holland Taai Taai Glutenvrij 130 g.
Albert Heijn provides product information for Maître Mathis Taai taai glutenvrij 125 g, including allergen information.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the ‘gluten-free’ claim may only be used if the food sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Check the claim on the current taaitaai packaging; the product name isn’t a substitute for this.
If you’re catering for a guest with coeliac disease, make sure the taaitaai doesn’t come into contact with crumbs containing gluten or shared equipment at the buffet. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends keeping gluten-free products in their packaging for as long as possible and, ideally, serving them while they’re still wrapped.
Check the allergen information on the packaging for your chosen variety, taking the guest’s needs into account. Albert Heijn lists oats and almonds for Consenza; the Maître Mathis product page lists milk and lupin, and says it may contain nuts, sesame and egg.
Hotels must make allergen information about unpackaged buffet food available to guests. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that information about unpackaged food, such as food served in the hospitality industry, must be provided in a way other than on packaging and made available before the guest makes their choice.
