If you have coeliac disease, choose bread explicitly labelled gluten-free and prevent gluten crumbs from getting into your breakfast at home. Then compare serving sizes, allergens and storage instructions: ready-to-eat bread can be eaten straight away, while bake-at-home rolls need preparing.
You’re looking for bread explicitly labelled gluten-free and want to prevent cross-contamination at home, too. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights how gluten crumbs can be transferred via kitchen utensils or worktops.
You want to be able to prepare a sandwich quickly, so you’ll want to consider the number of portions, the packaging and whether the bread can be frozen.
Alongside the gluten-free label, you check the fibre and salt content per 100 g. If you have additional allergies, you also check what the bread contains and what it may contain.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and making sure you can prepare the bread without cross-contamination. Then decide whether you need ready-to-eat bread or have time to bake rolls.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling and cross-contamination | Read the gluten-free label and the full product information; at home, use clean utensils and a clean worktop. | If there’s also regular bread on the table, I want to prevent crumbs getting onto my breakfast. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Convenience on weekdays | Check whether the bread is ready to eat or needs baking, and look at the number of portions. | On a busy morning, I want to be able to grab some bread without using the oven first; this is the deciding factor for around 29% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information and other allergens | Compare the fibre and salt content per 100 g, and read the information about both the allergens present and any possible traces. | For my regular breakfast, I want to compare the nutritional information and know which other allergens to look out for. This is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Storage and portions | Check the pack size and the instructions for storing, opening and freezing the bread. | If I won’t get through a pack quickly, I want to know how to store the rest. This matters most to around 14% of consumers. |
Bread without wheat isn’t automatically suitable for people with coeliac disease; other ingredients and cross-contamination matter, too.
Choose bread explicitly labelled gluten-free, read the label and keep it separate from bread containing gluten when preparing it.
A pack should also suit the number of breakfast portions you need and the way you plan to store the bread.
Compare the weight and number of portions, and follow the freezing and storage instructions for your chosen bread.
Gluten-free breads may contain soya, for example, or carry warnings about possible traces of other allergens; this varies by product.
Check the current packaging for information about both what the bread contains and what it may contain.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the conditions under which iodine may be present in bread through bakers’ salt. This doesn’t mean that all gluten-free bread contains iodised salt.
Check the ingredients list for the specific bread if this is important to your choice.
Albert Heijn offers a pre-packed half loaf of gluten-free white bread that’s ready to eat.
Jumbo offers a 500 g gluten-free white loaf in this range.
PLUS lists a gluten-free white variety alongside brown and multiseed options.
Schär Meesterbakker classic is a gluten-free white bread made with millet, quinoa and sourdough.
Lidl describes its additional gluten-free products as part of a changing range.
These bake-at-home rolls are suited to a breakfast where you have time to prepare them. If you’re looking for bread you can spread straight away, ready-to-eat gluten-free white bread is a different option.
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An option if you have time to bake gluten-free rolls for breakfast; this isn’t ready-to-eat white bread.
Contains soya and may contain traces of lupin and mustard. Check the current packaging and preparation instructions.
No. Look for an explicit gluten-free label rather than simply a statement that the bread is wheat-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society also advises preventing cross-contamination from gluten crumbs at home.
If you have coeliac disease, use clean or separate utensils whenever knives, worktops or spreads could come into contact with bread containing gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Society also recommends keeping gluten-free products packaged for as long as possible.
No; check the label of the bread you choose. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread, bread substitutes and other baked goods through bakers’ salt, at a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. This isn’t a requirement for all bread.
You can if the instructions for your bread allow it. For AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half, Albert Heijn says it can be frozen at home on the day of purchase; for other breads, follow their own storage instructions.
