Who are you choosing the toast for?

A guest with coeliac disease

You want to offer toast with an explicit gluten-free statement on the current packaging. A crisp appearance or a ‘wheat-free’ claim is no substitute for checking.

A host serving sweet and savoury toppings

You’re looking for a base to suit the toppings you’ve planned: lightly salted crackers for a range of combinations, or seasoned toast if you’re serving savoury bites.

A guest with additional dietary requirements

As well as the gluten-free statement, you may need to consider ingredients such as egg, soya, milk, sesame or nuts. Check the ingredients and information about possible allergen presence on the packaging of each product you choose.

What should you look for when choosing?

Start by checking the gluten-free statement on the packaging. Then decide whether the flavour will work with your toppings and which other ingredients or allergens are relevant to your guests.

What to consider What to check when buying Who is this most important for?
Gluten-free statement Check that ‘gluten-free’ appears on the current packaging of the variant you’ve chosen. If my guest has coeliac disease, I don’t want to have to rely on the product name. For around 50% of consumers, an explicit gluten-free statement comes first.
Flavour and serving style Choose a lightly salted or seasoned option to suit the toppings you’ve planned; check the pack size too. I want to serve toast that goes with the sweet or savoury toppings on the table. For around 30% of consumers, the serving style is the deciding factor.
Other dietary requirements Read the ingredients and ‘may contain’ information; check for specific claims such as lactose-free if needed. If a guest also needs to avoid egg, soya or other ingredients, I want to be able to check before serving. Around 20% of consumers prioritise these additional dietary requirements.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing ‘wheat-free’ with ‘gluten-free’

    A type of toast or a statement about wheat doesn’t confirm that a product meets the requirements for a gluten-free claim. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, ‘gluten-free’ may be stated when a product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten for the final consumer.

    Check that the packaging of the variant you buy explicitly says ‘gluten-free’.

  • Assuming gluten-free means free from other allergens

    Ingredients vary between products: Jumbo lists egg in Gluten Free Bakery Holland’s product, while Albert Heijn lists soya flour in Schär and notes the possible presence of several allergens in Wasa.

    Ask which ingredients are relevant to your guest and read both the ingredients list and the ‘may contain’ information.

  • Relying only on an online ingredients list

    Albert Heijn notes in its product information that ingredients and allergen information may change.

    Use product pages to compare options, but check the packaging of the product you’ve actually bought before serving.

  • Assuming a cracker has the same ingredients as bread

    According to the Voedingscentrum, bread provides around 45% of iodine intake in the Netherlands. This doesn’t mean that an individual gluten-free piece of toast has the same ingredients.

    Check the packaging of your chosen toast for its ingredients, rather than assuming they’re the same as those in bread.

Brands to consider

Schär

Albert Heijn describes Schär Crackers as lightly salted, gluten-free crackers that can also be eaten with toppings.

  • The product information says gluten-free and wheat-free.
  • The ingredients list includes soya flour; check this if soya is relevant to your guest.

Wasa

Albert Heijn lists Wasa Gluten Free and Lactose Free Classic as crackers in individual portions.

  • The product information says gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan.
  • The same information says the product may contain milk, soya, sesame seeds and mustard. Check the current packaging if any of these allergens are relevant.

Gluten Free Bakery Holland

Jumbo describes its Italian-style seasoned toast as savoury, gluten-free toast.

  • The product information lists maize flour, gluten-free oat flour and Italian herbs.
  • The toast contains egg and, according to Jumbo, may contain nuts and sesame, among other allergens. Its seasoned flavour won’t suit every topping.

Albert Heijn Glutenvrij

In January 2026, Albert Heijn announced that it was expanding its gluten-free range in more than 400 shops.

  • You can look for crackers specifically labelled gluten-free within the range.
  • A gluten-free section doesn’t mean that every piece of toast or every cracker in the shop is gluten-free; check the packaging of the specific product.

Joybuy products for this topic

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

When can toast be labelled ‘gluten-free’?

Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the claim ‘gluten-free’ may be used if the food contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten for the final consumer. If you’re serving a guest with coeliac disease, check that the current packaging of the variant you’ve chosen carries this claim.

Is ordinary Melba toast automatically gluten-free?

No, the name Melba toast doesn’t confirm that a product is gluten-free. Check the packaging of the exact variant for the ‘gluten-free’ claim and read the ingredients information.

Can I serve gluten-free toast alongside ordinary toast?

If you’re serving someone with coeliac disease, use a separate, clean plate and serving tongs to prevent crumbs from ordinary toast getting onto the gluten-free toast. Also check the gluten-free statement on the packaging.

Does gluten-free toast always contain iodised baker’s salt?

No, don’t assume gluten-free toast has the same ingredients as bread. The Voedingscentrum says that bread provides around 45% of iodine intake in the Netherlands; check the packaging of your chosen toast to see whether baker’s salt is listed as an ingredient.

Is gluten-free toast also free from egg, soya and nuts?

Not necessarily: Jumbo lists egg in Gluten Free Bakery Holland’s Italian-style seasoned toast, and Albert Heijn lists soya flour in Schär Crackers. The product information also notes the possible presence of other allergens in some variants. So read the ingredients and ‘may contain’ information on the packaging of the product you’re serving.