If one of your guests has coeliac disease, choose a product explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ for your King’s Day drinks party, and check the allergen information too. Mini toasts or crackers are ready to serve; gluten-free flatbread needs more preparation if you want to make larger topped bites. Keep gluten-free snacks separate from regular bread and shared utensils while preparing and serving them.
Wants to see on the packaging that the base for the snacks is gluten-free, and to avoid crumbs from regular bread getting mixed in during serving. According to the Voedingscentrum, even a small bread crumb can cause symptoms in someone with coeliac disease.
Is looking for snacks to suit guests with different dietary needs and needs to keep the gluten-free base, toppings and serving utensils separate from regular snacks.
Compares mini toasts, crackers and flatbread by product type, ingredients, other allergens and nutritional information, without assuming that ‘gluten-free’ also means ‘free from other allergens’.
For someone with coeliac disease, start by checking for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging and make sure the food can be served without coming into contact with regular bread. Then choose between ready-to-serve mini toasts or crackers and flatbread that needs preparing or cutting.
| What to look for | What to check | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Serving gluten-free food | Check that the packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’. For a mixed drinks party, use clean, separate plates and serving utensils. | If I’m eating with coeliac disease, I want a clearly labelled base for party snacks that won’t come into contact with ordinary bread crumbs. This is the main concern for around 50% of consumers when choosing. |
| Shape and preparation | Check whether you can serve mini toasts or crackers straight away, or whether the flatbread needs preparing and cutting first. | For my King’s Day snack board, I want to put out bite-sized snacks without having to prepare flatbread at the last minute. Ease of serving is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Other label information | Read the ingredients and allergen information. If you wish, compare the nutritional value per 100 g and check whether the label mentions iodised salt. | As well as gluten, I need to look out for other allergens and want to compare products’ nutritional information. This is the main purchasing concern for around 20% of consumers. |
The type of product doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Even an ingredients list that looks suitable at first glance is no substitute for an explicit ‘gluten-free’ label.
Check the current packaging before you buy, and if you have coeliac disease, choose a product labelled ‘gluten-free’.
Product information for the mini toasts, crackers and flatbreads mentioned here lists ingredients such as egg, oats or soya, or warns of possible traces of other allergens. Which of these matter will depend on the guest and the product.
Ask guests about any other allergies and check the full allergen information on the current packaging of every product you choose.
According to the Voedingscentrum, even a small bread crumb can cause symptoms in someone with coeliac disease. A packaged gluten-free product can come into contact with crumbs from regular bread while you’re adding toppings or serving it.
Use clean, separate knives, spoons, chopping boards and plates, and place the gluten-free snacks separately on the table.
According to the Voedingscentrum, using baker’s salt in bread is not compulsory. So don’t assume that gluten-free toast and crackers always contain a particular type of salt or added iodine.
Check the label if the type of salt used is important to your choice. Don’t judge a long-term diet based on a single party snack.
Jumbo lists this brand’s 100 g Toastjes Italiaans Gekruid: a product type suited to bite-sized party snacks.
Jumbo describes Schär Crackers as gluten-free crackers; Albert Heijn also lists Schär Flatbreads as gluten-free flatbread.
Albert Heijn’s gluten-free range includes AH Glutenvrij Crackers zaden and bakery products.
Consenza offers crackers, crispbread and rice cakes as different types of gluten-free products.
According to EUR-Lex, the EU ‘gluten-free’ label applies to products containing less than 20 mg of gluten per kg of finished product. If you have coeliac disease, check that the chosen mini toast is actually labelled ‘gluten-free’; don’t judge whether it’s suitable based only on the product name or ingredients list.
Check the specific product: the presence of oats doesn’t in itself replace the need for a ‘gluten-free’ label. Check for that label as well as the current ingredients and allergen information, especially if the guest needs to avoid other ingredients too.
Keep the gluten-free base, toppings and serving utensils separate from regular bread and toast. Use clean plates and knives; according to the Voedingscentrum, even a small bread crumb can cause symptoms in someone with coeliac disease.
No, you can’t assume that. According to the Voedingscentrum, using baker’s salt in bread is not compulsory. Check the label of the product you choose if the type of salt used is important to you.
