If you’re hosting a retirement drinks reception with a guest who has coeliac disease, choose small toasts or crackers whose current packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’ or bears the Crossed Grain symbol, and serve them separately from regular toast. Gluten Free Bakery Holland offers small toasts; Schär Crackers are an alternative in individual packs, but they aren’t Melba toast. Check for other allergens too, and make sure gluten crumbs don’t get onto the gluten-free snack via cutlery or dips.
You’re organising a retirement drinks reception or similar occasion and want to choose a gluten-free snack and serve it separately. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that cross-contamination from crumbs must also be prevented.
You want small toasts as a base for a party snack, but you need to check the gluten-free label and other allergens as well as the shape. A cracker can be an alternative if the toast shape isn’t important.
Pay attention to the nutritional information, allergens and whether baker’s salt or added iodine is listed. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt, so you can’t tell the iodine content from the product type alone.
If you’re catering for a guest with coeliac disease, first check the gluten-free label and how the food will be served. Then compare whether small toasts or crackers are a better fit for the snack.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing gluten-free and serving separately | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging. Use clean, separate serving equipment. | If I’m hosting a drinks reception for someone with coeliac disease, I want to make sure regular toast or crumbs don’t get onto their snack; this assurance comes first for around 50% of consumers. |
| Shape and portions | Compare small toasts with crackers and check whether they’re individually portioned. | I want small toasts for toppings on a sharing platter, while individual cracker portions can sometimes be more practical; around 30% of consumers give this way of serving top priority. |
| Nutritional information | Read the nutritional information and check separately whether baker’s salt or added iodine is listed. | If I eat gluten-free bread alternatives regularly, I want to know what the label says about salt and iodine; for around 20% of consumers, this nutritional check is their main concern. |
Melba toast isn’t automatically gluten-free. Albert Heijn lists wheat flour and barley malt flour, among other ingredients, in AH Melba toast naturel.
Check the current packaging for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol, and read the allergen information too.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says that crumbs and shared kitchen utensils can cause cross-contamination. Shared dips also need care.
Keep the gluten-free product sealed until you’re ready to serve it, and use clean hands, separate utensils and a separate dip.
Regular salt doesn’t tell you whether baker’s salt has been used. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt.
Check the packaging for baker’s salt or added iodine if this is important to your choice of product.
According to Jumbo, Gluten Free Bakery Holland Toastjes Italiaans Gekruid contains egg and may also contain nuts and sesame. Soy is also relevant for Schär Crackers.
Ask which other allergies you need to consider for your guests, and check the current packaging of both the base product and the topping.
Jumbo sells Toastjes Italiaans Gekruid 100 g as gluten-free toasts for party snacks.
Schär Crackers are a gluten-free alternative for anyone who doesn’t need traditional Melba toast.
At Albert Heijn, you can compare Schär Crackers with regular toast products, but the product label is what matters most.
Jumbo lists both Gluten Free Bakery Holland toasts and Schär Crackers in its range of toasts and savoury snacks.
Lidl also sells regular Melba toast; the product name alone doesn’t make it suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
This rice toast is an option for a party snack served separately from regular toast. If you’re serving a guest with coeliac disease, check the gluten-free label on the current packaging.
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Rice toast for anyone looking for an alternative to regular party toast. The product description says it’s gluten-free; check this on the current packaging before serving it to someone with coeliac disease.
Size: 65 g. If there are any additional allergies to consider, check the current information about sesame and soy. Use clean, separate serving equipment.
Don’t choose regular Melba toast unless the current packaging explicitly says it’s gluten-free. According to Albert Heijn, AH Melba toast naturel contains wheat flour and barley malt flour.
No. If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, check that the packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or bears the Crossed Grain symbol; grains other than wheat can also contain gluten.
Keep gluten-free toast separate from regular toast, and use clean hands, separate utensils and a separate dip. The Dutch Coeliac Society warns that crumbs can also cause cross-contamination.
No, the word ‘salt’ doesn’t tell you whether baker’s salt has been used. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt; check the label to see whether baker’s salt or added iodine is listed.
