If you have coeliac disease, choose a specific type of toast, cracker or bread that is labelled ‘gluten-free’, and avoid contact with gluten-containing crumbs at home. For jam, fruit or nut butter, a mild-tasting base is a better choice than toast bites with Italian herbs. Check the ingredients, allergens and flavour of the specific product you buy, too.
For you, the gluten-free label on the specific product packaging is what matters. The Dutch Coeliac Society also points out that gluten-containing crumbs can get onto your breakfast from worktops or kitchen utensils.
If jam, fruit or nut butter is meant to be the star, the flavour description of the base matters. For example, Jumbo lists Italian herbs in its Gluten Free Bakery Holland toast bites. That’s a different choice from a mild-tasting cracker or bread alternative.
If you want to pick everything up during the same shop, check the specific product and its current availability. Albert Heijn lists various gluten-free types of bread and crackers, although ranges can vary by shop and over time.
If you have coeliac disease, first check that the specific product is labelled gluten-free. Then choose based on how its flavour will work with your topping and how easy it is to find.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Eating and serving gluten-free | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the specific product packaging and check the ingredients and allergens. At home, use a clean worktop and clean utensils. | If I have coeliac disease, I also want to avoid contact with gluten-containing crumbs when adding toppings. For around 50% of consumers, this safety consideration comes first. |
| Flavour with sweet toppings | Read the flavour description and ingredients. If you’re looking for a mild base, watch out for herbs, garlic, tomato or cheese. | With jam or fruit, I don’t want a strongly savoury toast to overpower the flavour. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this flavour match. |
| Availability | Check which specific product you can buy in store or online. If needed, compare toast bites with crackers, crispbread or bread. | If you want to sort out breakfast as part of your regular shop, it helps to have an alternative in mind in case your preferred product isn’t available. This practical consideration matters most to around 20% of consumers. |
Jumbo displays regular Melba toast alongside products specifically labelled gluten-free. So the shelf layout doesn’t tell you whether a particular product is suitable for coeliac disease.
Always check the gluten-free label on the specific product packaging, even if you’ve bought it before.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, gluten-containing crumbs can get onto a gluten-free product via hands, worktops and kitchen utensils.
Wash your hands, clean the worktop and use clean utensils. Keep gluten-free products separate from ordinary bread and toast.
Jumbo lists paprika, tomato, garlic and oregano among the ingredients in Gluten Free Bakery Holland Toastjes Italiaans Gekruid. This flavour profile may clash with the sweet topping you want to use.
Before buying, read the flavour description. For a sweet topping, look for a product explicitly labelled gluten-free, with ingredients and a flavour that suit your breakfast.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that baker’s salt may be added to bread, bread alternatives and other bakery products, with a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. This doesn’t mean that every type of toast contains it.
If you want to know whether your toast contains it, check the ingredients on the specific product packaging.
Jumbo lists this brand’s Toastjes Italiaans Gekruid as a specific type of toast bite.
Albert Heijn lists crackers, crispbread and bread among the products under this brand.
Jumbo lists Schär Gluten-Free Crackers as a cracker option alongside toast bites.
Lidl is a shop to consider if you’re also looking at changing gluten-free ranges, rather than a toast brand.
These mini baguettes are a bread alternative if you’d rather not have toast bites for breakfast. Check the specific product packaging to see whether it’s gluten-free and whether its flavour suits sweet toppings.
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A bread alternative to consider if you prefer mini baguettes to toast bites with sweet toppings. Before buying, check the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergens on the specific product packaging, and find out whether you need to bake the rolls before serving.
In the Netherlands, the ‘gluten-free’ label means that a product contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kg, according to the Dutch Coeliac Society and the applicable European rules. If you have coeliac disease, you can’t tell from the product name, the apparent ingredients or its place on the shelf alone. Check the specific product packaging.
Check whether the finished product is explicitly labelled gluten-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society explains that oats can come into contact with gluten-containing grains during growing and processing. If you react to pure oats, discuss this with a doctor or specialist dietitian.
Use clean hands, a clean worktop and clean utensils, and keep gluten-free products separate from ordinary bread and toast. The Dutch Coeliac Society warns that cross-contamination can happen even after a gluten-free product’s packaging has been opened.
No, you can’t assume that every type of toast contains it. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that iodine compounds may be present in bread, bread alternatives and other bakery products through the use of baker’s salt, at a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. Check the ingredients list on the specific product to see which salt has been used.
