If you’re buying white bread for someone with coeliac disease, first check that the packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or displays the Crossed Grain symbol. An ingredients list that simply doesn’t show wheat is not a substitute. Then compare the other allergens, nutritional information and storage instructions for each loaf. If it matters to your choice, also check whether iodised salt is listed in the ingredients.
Start by looking for the gluten-free label on the pack, then check the latest allergen information. The Voedingscentrum identifies the ‘gluten-free’ label and the Crossed Grain symbol as indicators to look for.
You may want to compare the nutritional values per 100 g and check which type of salt is listed in the ingredients. Storage instructions also matter if you won’t finish a loaf quickly.
Compare packaged options by size, allergens and how to use them after opening. A loaf, small white rolls and a bread mix each call for different considerations.
If you have coeliac disease, make the gluten-free label on the packaging your first selection criterion. Only then compare the nutritional information and how much bread you’ll use within the stated storage period.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the pack, and read the latest allergen information. | When I buy bread for someone with coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on the ingredients list alone. For around 50% of consumers, checking the packaging comes first. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g; check the ingredients for iodised salt or baker’s salt. | Anyone who eats bread every day may want to compare the nutritional values of different loaves. For around 30% of consumers, this is the main consideration. |
| Packaging and storage | Check the quantity of bread and the instructions for storing it after opening and freezing. | If I won’t finish a pack quickly, I want to know whether I can freeze some of it. For around 20% of consumers, this convenience is the deciding factor. |
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the term ‘gluten-free’ may only be used if the food sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. This label says nothing about the presence of other allergens. The Voedingscentrum also points out that bread does not have to be baked with baker’s salt, so check the ingredients of the specific product.
A loaf with no mention of wheat does not, by itself, provide the same information at the point of purchase as an explicit gluten-free label. Possible cross-contamination also matters for people with coeliac disease.
Check the pack for the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol, as advised by the Voedingscentrum.
Ingredients and nutritional values vary from product to product. The Voedingscentrum also notes that bread does not have to be made with baker’s salt.
Compare fibre and salt using the same unit, preferably per 100 g, and check the ingredients if you want to know whether iodised salt has been used.
Instructions can vary. Albert Heijn says that half a loaf of AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half can be frozen on the day of purchase, while the product information for Schär Meesterbakker Classic advises using it within a few days of opening or freezing it straight away.
Choose an amount that suits how much you use, and follow the freezing advice on the packaging.
Albert Heijn warns that product ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
Use online information to compare loaves, but read the label on the pack you’ve bought before using it.
The own-brand range includes AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half, a packaged option for anyone looking for white bread.
The gluten-free bread category includes products such as Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit, as well as branded loaves.
Schär Meesterbakker Classic is a packaged gluten-free white loaf featured in the product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo.
Jumbo lists Consenza gluten-free white rolls for anyone looking for individual rolls rather than a whole white loaf.
No. If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, check that the packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’ or displays the Crossed Grain symbol. The ‘wheat-free’ label alone does not provide the same assurance.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the label may be used if the food sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. It does not mean the bread is free from other allergens.
No. The Voedingscentrum says that bread does not have to be baked with baker’s salt. Check the ingredients of the loaf you choose for iodised salt or baker’s salt.
Follow the advice for the specific loaf. Albert Heijn says that half a loaf of AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half can be frozen on the day of purchase and should be used within one month. For Schär Meesterbakker Classic, the advice is to use the bread within a few days of opening or freeze it straight away.
Yes, if other allergens matter to the person eating it. For example, the product information for Schär Meesterbakker Classic lists soya and possible traces of lupin and mustard. Always check the latest label on the loaf you buy.
