If someone with coeliac disease is joining you for a meal, choose bread explicitly labelled gluten-free, and prepare and serve it separately from food containing gluten. Sliced white bread is handy for serving several individual portions; a gluten-free mini baguette or ciabatta works well in a bread basket, while a bread mix is only suitable if you have the time and a clean preparation area. Whatever you choose, check the current packaging for ingredients and other allergens.
You’re also serving regular pasta, pizza or bread, and want to prepare and set out the gluten-free bread separately. The Dutch Coeliac Association points out that you also need to prevent contact with crumbs.
You’re looking for a type of bread to serve with antipasti, dips or in a bread basket. As well as sliced white bread, you could consider a gluten-free mini baguette or ciabatta, as long as the label and preparation are suitable for your guests.
You look beyond the gluten-free label, perhaps because a guest also needs to avoid soya or other allergens, or because you want to compare fibre, salt and ingredients across products.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and making sure the bread will be prepared separately. Then choose a type of bread to suit the meal and compare the ingredients of the products that fit the bill.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free and served separately | Check the packaging for a gluten-free label. Use clean hands, separate utensils and separate serving equipment. | If regular pizza or bread is also on the table, I want to stop crumbs getting into the gluten-free food. Around 50% of consumers put this precaution first. |
| Type of bread and portions | Compare the shape and pack size with the number of portions you want to serve, and check any preparation instructions. | For antipasti, I want to serve small portions of bread that suit the meal. Around 30% of consumers prioritise shape and portion size. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Read the current allergen and ingredient list. Only compare fibre and salt on the same basis, for example per 100 g. | If a guest has additional allergies or I want to compare the ingredients in two breads, I need to check the label. For around 20% of consumers, this is their first consideration. |
Wheat-free does not automatically mean gluten-free. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the gluten-free label may only be used if the finished product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten.
For a guest with coeliac disease, choose a product labelled gluten-free and check the label on the pack you’re using.
Even a suitable product can come into contact with gluten through crumbs, hands, knives or shared dips. The Dutch Coeliac Association emphasises the need to prevent cross-contamination.
Clear a clean space and use separate utensils and serving equipment before opening the gluten-free bread.
The product information for Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit lists soya and possible traces of egg, milk and nuts. For Schär Meesterbakker classic, it lists soya and possible traces of lupin and mustard.
Ask about any additional allergies in advance and check the allergen information on the specific pack.
Iodised salt is listed in the ingredients of some of the products mentioned, but that product-specific information does not apply to every loaf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine is added to bread through bakers’ salt.
If iodised salt matters to your choice, check the ingredients list of the bread you want to buy.
Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit is a pre-packed 500 g gluten-free white loaf made with tapioca starch.
Schär Meesterbakker classic and the gluten-free Mini baguette are among the differently shaped products worth considering for this meal.
PLUS Wit glutenvrij is a supermarket own-brand option to compare with other gluten-free white bread.
Albert Heijn lists AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half alongside other products in its gluten-free bread range.
The editorial order below, based on the scenarios, runs from a small loaf for the Italian table to sliced loaves and then home baking. It is not a ranking by taste, safety or overall product quality. Assess every option by checking its label and considering how you’ll serve it.
| Position | Product | Features | Why consider it? | Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schär Mini baguette gluten-free 150 g | Gluten-free mini baguette, 150 g. | Dirk lists this small loaf, which you could serve in a bread basket or as part of antipasti portions. Plan how much you’ll need for your guests. | Dirk |
| 2 | Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit 500 g | Gluten-free white bread made with tapioca starch, 500 g. | Jumbo lists around 12 portions. This can help you plan how much sliced bread to serve to several guests; remember to check the listed allergens too. | Jumbo |
| 3 | Schär Meesterbakker classic 300 g | Gluten-free white bread with sourdough, millet and quinoa; PLUS lists 8.1 g of fibre per 100 g. | An option if you want to compare the ingredients and nutritional information of white bread. The listed soya and possible other allergens are also worth bearing in mind. | PLUS |
| 4 | Schär Mix B gluten-free bread mix 1 kg | 1 kg gluten-free bread mix; not a ready-made loaf. | Joybuy lists this mix for baking your own bread. Choose this option only if you have time to make the bread and can prepare it separately from food containing gluten. | Joybuy |
This bread mix is suited to baking your own bread for an Italian evening. It is not a substitute for ready-made sliced bread: you’ll need time and a clean, separate space to prepare it.
No image available
For anyone who wants to bake their own gluten-free bread for an Italian evening. This is a 1 kg bread mix, not a ready-made loaf. Make sure hands, utensils and serving equipment do not come into contact with food containing gluten. Check the current packaging for soya and other allergens.
If someone has coeliac disease, don’t rely on the absence of visible wheat on the label; choose bread labelled gluten-free. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 only permits this label if the finished product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Also check the current ingredient and allergen information.
Keep the gluten-free bread separate from dishes containing gluten, and use clean hands, separate utensils and separate serving equipment. The Dutch Coeliac Association warns about cross-contamination, including from crumbs, so avoid shared knives and dips too.
You can’t assume this based on the type of bread. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how iodine can be present in bread through bakers’ salt, while iodised salt is an ingredient in specific varieties of the products mentioned. Check the ingredients list for the bread you choose.
No. The gluten-free label says nothing about these other allergens. For Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit, Jumbo lists soya and possible traces of egg, milk and nuts. If anyone has additional allergies, always check the packaging of the exact variety you’re serving.
