If someone with coeliac disease is joining you for a meal, choose white bread or rolls clearly labelled gluten-free. Make sure they’re prepared and served without coming into contact with ordinary bread crumbs. Sliced bread works well for sandwiches or toasties, while individual rolls are handy for snacks served separately, provided you check the preparation instructions. Also compare allergens and fibre per 100 g for each product. If bread is an important source of iodine for you, check whether iodised salt is listed.
You need a clearly labelled gluten-free snack that won’t come into contact with ordinary bread crumbs during preparation. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that even a crumb can be harmful, so it’s important to use separate utensils and serve the food in a separate area.
You want to serve ordinary and gluten-free snacks side by side. Separate fillings, clean utensils and clearly separated portions help prevent crumbs from getting onto the gluten-free snacks.
You want to compare fibre per 100 g, ingredients and allergens as well as gluten-free white bread. If bread is a regular part of your meals, you can also check whether a product lists iodised salt; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre names bread as a possible source of iodine.
Start with a clear gluten-free label and preparation that prevents cross-contamination. Then choose a shape that suits your snacks and compare the current product packaging.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving gluten-free food | Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label or Crossed Grain symbol, and use clean, separate utensils and fillings. | If someone with coeliac disease is eating with me, I want to make sure a safe product choice isn’t undermined by crumbs; around 33% of consumers would put gluten-free food served without crumbs first. |
| Shape and portions | Compare sliced bread with individual rolls, and check whether the product can be baked at home or frozen. | I want to prepare differently for a table full of sandwiches than for individual snacks; around 27% of consumers would prioritise the serving format that best suits their needs. |
| Nutrition information | Compare fibre per 100 g and check the ingredients and allergens, including whether iodised salt is listed. | If bread is eaten regularly, I want to compare products on the same nutritional basis and avoid overlooking other allergens; around 20% of consumers would prioritise comparing labels. |
| Availability | Before shopping, check which bread shapes your local branch stocks, and read the current packaging when you buy. | If the snacks need to be ready on a particular day, I want to know where I can find the shape I need; around 20% of consumers would prioritise choosing the shop. |
For someone with coeliac disease, contact with bread crumbs can make gluten-free food unsuitable. The Dutch Coeliac Society also advises taking care to avoid cross-contamination from utensils and shared food.
Use clean, preferably separate utensils and keep fillings, dips and the gluten-free serving area separate.
A product without wheat isn’t automatically suitable for someone with coeliac disease: other grains also contain gluten.
Check the current packaging for a clear gluten-free label, and read the ingredients and allergen information too.
Fibre content and ingredients vary from product to product. If one loaf lists iodised salt, that tells you nothing about the label on another.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and check the ingredients and allergens for the exact product you’re buying.
The bread shape you want won’t necessarily be available at every branch, and product information and packaging can change.
Check what’s available locally before you buy, then check the gluten-free label and packaging again when you pick up the product.
An extra trip to the shops takes time if the bread shape you planned to buy isn’t available.
AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half is a sliced white loaf that’s suitable for sandwiches, among other things.
Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit comes in a 500 g loaf, providing several portions.
PLUS lists both Wit glutenvrij and gluten-free white rolls, so you can compare a loaf with individual snack portions.
Schär offers Meesterbakker Classic as a white bread option, as well as mini baguettes for a different kind of snack.
ALDI lists gluten-free bread options among its bake-at-home rolls and snacks, so it’s worth checking if you’re looking for individual portions.
Lidl is another shop to check for gluten-free bread options, but don’t assume a particular bread shape will be available.
Dirk lists Schär Mini Baguette glutenvrij and Schär Meisterbackers Classic as branded products.
This product selection is suited to bread snacks served individually. Before buying, check exactly what’s in the pack, how the product should be prepared and whether the current packaging says ‘gluten-free’.
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Mini baguettes can work well for snacks served individually. Check the product’s shape, preparation instructions and pack contents before planning your portions.
For a guest with coeliac disease, check that the current packaging clearly labels the product gluten-free and prepare it without contact with ordinary bread crumbs. Also read the allergen information if other allergies are a concern.
Not on the basis of ‘wheat-free’ alone. Choose a product with a clear gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol, and avoid contact with crumbs containing gluten during preparation.
Prepare and serve them using clean, preferably separate utensils. Keep butter, fillings and dips separate too, so ordinary bread doesn’t leave crumbs near the gluten-free food.
No. Check the ingredients for each product. Jumbo lists iodised salt in Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit, and the product information for Schär Meesterbakker Classic lists it too; that doesn’t mean every other gluten-free bread contains it.
You can, as long as the storage or freezing instructions for your chosen bread allow it. Albert Heijn says AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half can be frozen on the day of purchase; follow the packaging instructions and store it separately from ordinary bread.
