If you have a food allergy, first check the current ingredients, allergens present and any warnings for the exact tiger bread you want to buy. Also ask whether that particular variety is actually medium-sliced: a label such as whole or half tells you nothing about the thickness of the slices. Once you’ve confirmed that the allergen information is suitable for your needs, you can then compare fibre content and check whether iodised salt is used.
If you’re buying bread for someone with a food allergy or coeliac disease, you’ll need information about the exact variety before you buy: its ingredients, allergens and any warnings. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses that allergen information must also be available for unpackaged bread.
If you’d like to compare white and wholemeal tiger bread after checking the allergens, look at the nutritional information per 100 g for the products you’re considering. A higher fibre content doesn’t remove the need to check for wheat, gluten and any other relevant allergens.
If you want sandwiches made with bread sliced to a particular thickness, ask whether the exact variety sold at that shop is available medium-sliced. A product name that includes whole or half doesn’t confirm how the bread is sliced. Check the allergen information for the loaf you actually take home, too.
Start with the allergen information for the exact loaf. Only then compare the fibre content, and check the slice thickness and ingredients such as iodised salt separately.
| What to check | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and warnings | Read the current ingredients and any ‘may contain’ warnings for the exact variety. If you’re buying unpackaged bread, ask for allergen information before you buy. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says this information must be available. | I need to be able to assess whether both the ingredients and warnings are suitable for my allergy. For around 56% of shoppers, checking allergens comes first. |
| Fibre | Compare the fibre per 100 g and check the ingredients and allergens for the white or wholemeal variety you’ve chosen. | Once I know a loaf is suitable for my needs, I want to compare its fibre content. Around 22% of shoppers give this comparison top priority. |
| Slice thickness and iodised salt | Ask whether the exact variety is medium-sliced. To check for iodised salt, read the ingredients or ask the baker; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. | For everyday sandwiches, I want to know how the bread is sliced and what type of salt it contains. These practical questions come first for around 22% of shoppers. |
Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows that ingredients and warnings can vary. The name tiger bread alone won’t tell you which allergens are present in a particular variety.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information for the bread you’re buying in that shop, rather than relying only on the product name or an earlier online description.
An allergen can still be relevant even if it isn’t listed as an ingredient. The product information checked mentions possible traces of milk, sesame, soya, nuts or lupin, depending on the bread.
Take these warnings into account when assessing what’s suitable for you. If you’re unsure, speak to your healthcare professional or a dietitian who specialises in allergies.
Jumbo Boeren Tijgerbrood Volkoren - Half lists wheat, gluten and barley. The fibre content doesn’t tell you whether the allergen information is suitable for you.
Check the ingredients and warnings first. Only then compare the nutritional information of products that are suitable for you.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. So you can’t tell from the name tiger bread whether it contains it.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask the baker.
These examples from Dutch shops can help you compare product information. Always check the exact variety and the slice thickness you want when you buy.
AH Tijger wit half is a white tiger bread variety for which Albert Heijn lists the ingredients and allergens.
Jumbo lists both white and wholemeal farm-style tiger bread, so you can compare information for two different products.
PLUS lists products including PLUS Volkoren tijger heel and Korenlanders Boeren tijger volkoren 1/2.
Dirk includes brown tiger bread in its bread range and lists Bakker van der Akker Boeren tijger wit heel as a product.
The Albert Heijn and Jumbo examples mentioned aren’t suitable if you need to avoid wheat and gluten: their product information lists both. Jumbo Boeren Tijgerbrood Volkoren - Half also lists barley. Always assess another product using its current label and taking into account what you need to avoid.
Yes. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, sellers of unpackaged food must provide information about the 14 allergens for which such information is required. Ask at the bakery counter for details about the exact loaf you want to buy.
Check the ingredients for iodised salt or baker’s salt, or ask the baker. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory, so the product name alone won’t tell you.
No, the label half doesn’t confirm the slice thickness. Ask the shop whether that exact variety is available medium-sliced, and check the ingredients and allergens of the loaf you buy.
