Shoppers avoiding a specific allergen
If you need to avoid wheat, sesame, soya, milk or lupin, for example, you’ll need the current ingredient and allergen information for the exact loaf. Multigrain bread can combine different grains and seeds.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Shoppers looking for gluten-free bread
A gluten-free label doesn’t tell you whether the bread is suitable for you in terms of other allergens. For example, PLUS lists soya as present in Schär Glutenvrije Meesterbakker Mehrkorn, and lupin, mustard and sesame as possibly present.
Shoppers buying fresh bread in store
You can ask which allergens are present before buying unpackaged bread. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that retailers must provide consumers with this information.
What should you look for when choosing?
Standard multigrain bread
Choose this: if the current information for the bread you’ve chosen confirms it’s suitable for all the allergens you need to avoid.
Consider: the name alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone with an allergy. According to Albert Heijn, AH Liefde & Passie Meergranen gesneden contains wheat and sesame, among other ingredients.
Packaged gluten-free bread
Choose this: if you need to avoid gluten and the other allergens listed on the packaging are suitable for you too.
Consider: gluten-free doesn’t mean free from all allergens. The label also doesn’t confirm that the slices are medium thickness.
Unpackaged or part-baked bread
Choose this: if you can get information about the allergens present in that exact loaf before buying, and it suits your needs.
Consider: information about the allergens present doesn’t necessarily tell you whether there’s a risk of cross-contamination. Jumbo warns of this for fresh products packed in store.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this most relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Specific allergens | For the exact packaged loaf, read the ingredients list and check both ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements. | If I have to avoid wheat or sesame, I want to know what’s in this bread before choosing it for its flavour. For around 50% of consumers, finding a match with the allergens they need to avoid comes first. |
| Gluten-free option | As well as checking the gluten-free label, check the other allergens. For Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn, PLUS lists soya and possible traces of lupin, mustard and sesame. | I’m looking for bread without gluten, but I also need to assess whether the other listed allergens are suitable for me. Around 30% of consumers make this gluten-free option their first priority. |
| Fresh bread and slice thickness | For unpackaged bread, ask which allergens are present and whether there may be cross-contamination. Then check the slice thickness of the bread you’ve chosen. | When buying fresh bread, I want to be able to ask about allergens in store and check that the slices are the thickness I want. This practical check comes first for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘multigrain’ tells you which allergens are present
The name of the bread doesn’t tell you whether it’s free from allergens. According to Albert Heijn, AH Liefde & Passie Meergranen gesneden contains wheat, rye, barley, spelt and sesame.
Compare the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact loaf with the allergens you need to avoid.
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Checking only for ‘gluten-free’
Gluten-free bread can still contain other allergens. For Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn, PLUS lists soya and possible traces of lupin, mustard and sesame.
Use the gluten-free label as your first filter, then read the full allergen information.
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Treating online information as the definitive label
Albert Heijn and PLUS point out that product and allergen information can change.
When buying, check the current packaging or, for unpackaged bread, the information available in store.
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Assuming ‘sliced’ means medium-sliced
A description such as ‘sliced’ or ‘pre-sliced’ doesn’t specify the thickness of the slices.
Once you’ve checked the allergens, look at the slices in store or ask the shop how thick they are.
Brands and shops to consider
Albert Heijn
Lists both sliced multigrain bread and a range of gluten-free bread online.
- For AH Liefde & Passie Meergranen gesneden, Albert Heijn lists wheat, rye, barley, spelt and sesame among the allergens present.
- Albert Heijn warns that product information can change. Check the packaging and confirm the slice thickness separately.
Jumbo
Has a gluten-free bread category online, along with allergen information.
- The online gluten-free bread category includes products from Schär.
- Jumbo says that it doesn’t list cross-contamination on the label for fresh products packed in store, and can’t rule it out.
Lidl
Provides a list of ingredients and allergens for its fresh-from-the-oven bread.
- The list gives you a place to look up information about freshly baked bread.
- Check the information for the bread you’re actually choosing, and ask in store about the slice thickness.
ALDI
Describes Luxe vloerbrood meergranen as pre-sliced.
- ‘Pre-sliced’ tells you how this bread is sold.
- Check the packaging for allergens and make sure the slices are the thickness you want.
PLUS
Provides online information about multigrain bread and Schär Glutenvrije Meesterbakker Mehrkorn.
- For the Schär bread, PLUS lists soya as present, and lupin, mustard and sesame as possibly present.
- PLUS warns that product and allergen information can change, so check the current packaging.
Dirk
Lists products including Bakker van der Akker Bakkers meergranen half.
- The product name distinguishes this half-size multigrain loaf from other loaf sizes.
- Check the current packaging or in-store information for allergens. ‘Half’ describes the loaf size, not the slice thickness.
Related products on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Should I read the label again when buying packaged multigrain bread?
Yes. Check the current packaging of the exact loaf you’re buying. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergens in prepacked foods must be clearly distinguishable in the ingredients list. Ingredients and allergen information can change.
Can I choose unpackaged multigrain bread if I have an allergy?
It depends on the information available for that specific loaf and the allergens you need to avoid. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, retailers must tell consumers which allergens are present in unpackaged products. Before buying, also ask about possible cross-contamination if it’s relevant to your choice.
Is gluten-free multigrain bread also free from other allergens?
No. ‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t mean that all other allergens are absent. For Schär Glutenvrije Meesterbakker Mehrkorn, PLUS lists soya as present and lupin, mustard and sesame as possibly present. Check the current packaging.
How can I tell whether bread contains iodised baker’s salt?
For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for baker’s salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt, so don’t assume that every multigrain loaf contains it.