If you have coeliac disease, only choose multigrain or multiseed bread that is explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’: grains and seeds in the name tell you nothing about whether it contains gluten. Then check the current packaging for other allergens, fibre, iodised salt and storage instructions. Before your first food shop, also check whether your chosen product is available in your shop or through your delivery service.
Start with the explicit gluten-free label, not the appearance or the words ‘multigrain’ and ‘seeds’. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes a gluten-free diet as the treatment for coeliac disease.
Gluten-free does not mean that bread is free from soya, oats or other allergens. So check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on each pack.
Check the nutritional information per 100 g and the ingredients when replacing regular bread. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread without iodised salt can affect your iodine intake; don’t assume that all gluten-free bread contains iodised salt.
First, check that the bread you’re actually buying is labelled gluten-free. Then compare the other ingredients and practical information on the packaging.
| What to check | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging of the correct bread variety; don’t rely on the product name alone. | When buying bread for coeliac disease for the first time, I don’t want to have to guess whether multigrain bread contains gluten. Around 36% of consumers prioritise an explicit gluten-free label. |
| Other allergens | Read the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements for the variety you’ve chosen. | If I need to avoid another allergen as well as gluten, I want to know what’s in this particular bread. For around 29% of consumers, checking for additional allergens is the top priority. |
| Fibre and iodised salt | Compare fibre per 100 g and check whether iodised salt is listed in the ingredients. | When gluten-free bread replaces my usual bread, I also want to compare the nutritional information and salt ingredients. Around 21% of consumers give these points top priority. |
| Availability and storage | Check what’s currently available in store or for delivery, and read the storage instructions on the packaging. | For my first food shop, I want to be able to find suitable bread and know how to store it. For around 14% of consumers, this practical consideration comes first. |
These words don’t describe whether a product is gluten-free. Bread can contain grains that contain gluten, no matter how many seeds it has.
If you have coeliac disease, use the explicit gluten-free label as your first selection criterion.
Gluten-free bread can still contain other relevant allergens. For example, Jumbo lists soya in its Lekker Vrij multiseed bread, while PLUS lists oats and soya in its gluten-free multiseed bread.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging every time you choose a variety.
You can’t assume that all gluten-free bread contains iodised salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that bread without iodised salt can affect iodine intake.
Check the ingredients list for iodised salt on each product.
Bread listed online may not be available at every branch at that time. Information on a product page can also change.
Check what’s currently available shortly before buying, and use the packaging of the product you pick up for your final label check.
Albert Heijn lists AH Glutenvrij Brood licht meerzaden half as a separate bread variety.
Jumbo lists Lekker Vrij van Gluten Meerzaden Brood as 500 g of gluten-free bread with kernels and seeds.
PLUS lists Meerzaden glutenvrij as 500 g of bread containing ingredients including linseed and sunflower seeds.
Schär sells packaged gluten-free bread products; Dirk lists products including Meisterbackers Vital glutenvrij, 350 g.
Yam lists a light gluten-free multiseed bread made with certified gluten-free oats.
No. ‘Multigrain’ doesn’t tell you whether bread contains gluten. If you have coeliac disease, choose bread explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the packaging of the variety you’re buying.
Yes. For example, PLUS lists gluten-free oat flakes in its gluten-free multiseed bread. Check the gluten-free label for the whole product, and separately check the other ingredients and allergens.
No, don’t assume it does. Jumbo and PLUS list iodised salt in the multiseed breads mentioned here, but check the ingredients of the specific bread you’re buying.
Because ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t mean a product is free from other allergens. Jumbo lists soya and says its Lekker Vrij multiseed bread may contain almonds, egg and milk; check the current packaging before you buy.
Use a product listing to help you plan your choice, but check what’s currently available at your shop or through your delivery service. Also check the packaging when you buy it: Albert Heijn says that product information, including ingredients and allergens, can change.
