Choose a toast or cracker whose packaging clearly states that the specific product is gluten-free. If you’re serving someone with coeliac disease, keep it sealed until serving time and use a separate, clean plate and serving tongs. Also compare pack sizes and check for any other allergens.
You want to serve a clearly labelled gluten-free product without it coming into contact with crumbs or shared serving utensils. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that cross-contamination can happen at work too.
You want to keep the gluten-free options easy to identify and separate, even when guests help themselves at different times. You can open small packs only when you need them.
As well as gluten, you may need to consider soya, egg or sesame, or a vegan diet. Compare the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product you plan to serve.
Start by checking the gluten-free statement and how you can serve the product separately. Then choose a pack format that suits the meeting and check each product for other allergens.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Most relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing gluten-free and serving it separately | Check the gluten-free statement and any warnings on the packaging you choose. Use a separate, clean plate and serving tongs. | If I’m preparing something for a colleague with coeliac disease, I want to make sure ordinary toast doesn’t come into contact with the separate gluten-free options. For around 50% of consumers, choosing the right product and serving it separately are the top priorities. |
| Serving it conveniently | Compare pack sizes and any individual portions, and decide what to open only once the meeting is under way. | For self-service, I don’t want to open all the crackers at once, and it needs to be clear which ones are gluten-free. That’s why around 30% of consumers prioritise being able to serve them separately with ease. |
| Other allergens and dietary requirements | Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact flavour variant, and ask about any additional requirements. | If someone attending also needs to avoid soya or egg, I can’t rely on the words ‘gluten-free’ alone. For around 20% of consumers, these additional requirements come first. |
Jumbo’s toast selection includes ordinary Melba Toast alongside products explicitly labelled gluten-free. So the product’s shape or where it sits in the range isn’t enough to identify whether a particular option is suitable.
Check the current packaging for the exact product for a gluten-free statement and allergen information.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says cross-contamination can happen at work too. At a self-service table, crumbs, hands, knives and shared dips can all come into contact with the gluten-free options you’ve set aside.
Open the product just before serving and use a separate, clean plate, serving tongs and dip.
Gluten-free toast or crackers may contain other allergens. The variants reviewed list ingredients such as egg, oats or soya, depending on the product.
Ask about any additional allergies in advance and read the label for the flavour variant you choose.
A plate placed among regular snacks won’t automatically stay free of crumbs. You’ll also need separate serving utensils when topping it up.
Keep unopened packs separate and only top up the gluten-free plate using clean utensils.
Italian Herb Toasts are a small toast option for bite-sized toppings.
Gluten-Free Crackers are thin crackers rather than traditional toast rounds.
Scrocchi are savoury, cracker-style snacks; the garlic and parsley variant reviewed is sold as gluten-free.
Gluten-free and lactose-free Classic is a crispbread or cracker alternative if you’re looking for something other than small toast rounds.
This rice toast is a good option if you’re looking for a toast-style snack to serve separately. Before serving it to a guest with coeliac disease, check the gluten-free statement and allergen information on the current packaging.
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A rice toast option for a separately served meeting snack.
The listed pack size is 65 g. Before buying, check whether the packaging for this variant states that it is gluten-free, and read the allergen information, especially if guests have additional allergies.
Check that the packaging for the specific variant clearly states that the product is gluten-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society warns that if there’s no such statement or gluten-free symbol, you shouldn’t rely on the product name alone.
You’ll need to follow a strict separate serving process for the gluten-free snacks. Use clean hands and utensils, keep the product sealed for as long as possible, and make sure regular toast and shared dips don’t come into contact with the gluten-free options, as advised by the Dutch Coeliac Society.
For a guest with coeliac disease, it’s best to choose a product without this warning. According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, the wording indicates a real risk that the product contains gluten above the threshold for a gluten-free claim.
Yes. Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant you’re choosing. The product information from Jumbo and Albert Heijn lists ingredients such as egg, oats or soya for some of the toasts and crackers discussed here. Warnings vary by product.
