If you’re shopping for someone with coeliac disease, choose bread or rolls clearly labelled ‘gluten-free’ rather than relying on the crust or name of ordinary tiger bread. For a quick top-up shop, first look for a suitable type of bread, then check the ingredients, storage instructions and how to prepare it at home without contact with ordinary bread crumbs. A gluten-free alternative doesn’t have to have the same crust or taste as tiger bread.
For a quick shop, your first priority is a bread alternative clearly labelled gluten-free. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that a strict gluten-free diet is essential for people with coeliac disease; a pale colour or tiger-style crust doesn’t indicate whether bread is suitable.
You need bread for a particular meal and are choosing between options such as sliced bread and rolls. The shape, pack size and storage instructions will help you decide whether it suits what you want to make today.
Once you’ve checked the gluten-free label, you also want to compare fibre and salt per 100 g. If iodine is relevant to your choice, check whether the ingredients list mentions baker’s salt or iodised salt; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory.
When you’re picking something up for someone with coeliac disease, a gluten-free label is essential. What matters most after that depends on the meal you’re planning and how much bread you’ll use.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging and check the ingredients and allergen information for the variant you’ve chosen. | When I’m shopping for someone with coeliac disease, I want to see confirmation on the packaging rather than judge by how the bread looks. Around 42% of consumers prioritise clear proof that a product is gluten-free. |
| A suitable type of bread | Choose a type that suits the meal and check whether the product needs to be baked before serving. | If I’m making lunch straight away, I need bread that works for the sandwich or roll I have in mind. Around 25% of consumers prioritise something that’s ready to use. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g; if you’re interested in iodine, look for baker’s salt or iodised salt in the ingredients list. | I also want to know how the nutritional information compares between two gluten-free breads, rather than make assumptions based on the name alone. For around 17% of consumers, this is the first consideration after the gluten-free label. |
| Quantity and storage | Check the pack size and storage instructions for once it’s been opened. | If I only need a few portions, I want to avoid leaving the rest of the pack unused. A suitable pack size is the main consideration for around 16% of consumers. |
The name, crust and where the bread is displayed in a bakery don’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. European rules set a limit of 20 mg of gluten per kg of product for anything labelled ‘gluten-free’.
Check the gluten-free label on the packaging of the bread you’re actually buying.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says crumbs can get onto gluten-free bread from a knife, chopping board, worktop or shared butter.
Wash your hands and use clean, crumb-free utensils and spreads.
The gluten-free label doesn’t tell you how much fibre or salt the bread contains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also says that baker’s salt isn’t a compulsory ingredient in bread.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and read the ingredients list if baker’s salt matters to your choice.
If the pack size doesn’t suit how much you’ll use, some of it may be left uneaten once opened.
Check the pack size and follow the storage instructions. Only freeze bread if the packaging says you can.
The downside of buying a larger pack is that some bread may go to waste once it’s opened.
Schär offers gluten-free bread products on product and range pages at Albert Heijn, PLUS and Dirk.
Jumbo’s range includes 500 g white and brown gluten-free loaves.
Albert Heijn’s own-brand range includes white bread, seeded bread and an Italian roll.
PLUS offers own-brand gluten-free white, brown and seeded bread alongside branded products.
ALDI lists gluten-free bread and rolls among its bakery products.
Don’t choose ordinary tiger bread for someone with coeliac disease based on its name or crust. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that a strict gluten-free diet is essential for people with coeliac disease, so look for a bread alternative clearly labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the packaging of the variant you’ve chosen.
Use clean hands, a clean worktop and crumb-free utensils when handling gluten-free bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that crumbs can also be transferred via shared butter, knives and chopping boards.
No, you can’t tell whether it contains iodine from the ‘gluten-free’ label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory; check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt.
Choose a quantity that suits the number of portions you expect to use and read the storage instructions for once the pack has been opened. If you want to freeze the bread, first check whether the packaging gives instructions for doing so.
