When choosing multigrain bread, first check the current ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements for the exact variety. The name ‘multigrain’ or a gluten-free label alone isn’t enough to tell you whether the bread is suitable for your allergy. Then, if you want slices that can hold generous toppings, look for a stated slice thickness or ask whether an unsliced loaf can be cut thickly. ‘Hearty’ and ‘hearth-baked’ tell you nothing about the thickness of the slices.
Start with the ingredients and allergens in the bread you’re actually buying. Jumbo’s Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen, for example, contains wheat, barley, oats and rye, among other ingredients. The gluten-free multigrain breads on Albert Heijn’s product pages list different allergens.
If you’re making generously topped sandwiches or toasties, you’ll want to know how thick the slices really are. A stated slice thickness or the option to have an unsliced loaf cut thickly on request gives you a clearer idea than a description such as ‘hearty’.
If you want to know whether a loaf is made with bakers’ salt or iodised salt, check the ingredients or ask the baker. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt.
First, decide which allergens you need to avoid and check the exact variety for them. Then compare the slice thickness and any other features that matter for your purchase.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Your allergens | Read the ingredients, allergens and any relevant ‘may contain’ statements for the exact variety. If you’re buying unpackaged bread, ask about the allergens before you buy. | If I need to avoid an allergen, I want to know whether this particular bread contains it or may contain it. Allergen checks are the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Slice thickness | Look for a stated slice thickness or an explicit option to have the bread cut thickly. ‘Sliced’ and ‘hearth-baked’ don’t tell you how thick the slices are. | For a generously topped sandwich, I want to know the slice thickness in advance. A confirmed slice thickness is a priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Iodised salt | Check whether bakers’ salt or iodised salt is listed in the ingredients; ask if you’re buying unpackaged bread. | If the type of salt matters to my choice of ingredients, I don’t want to infer it from the bread’s name. Around 21% of consumers prioritise this question. |
| Where to shop | Check the latest product information and look at the packaging or the allergen information at the point of sale before you buy. | I want to know where I can see the bread and check the relevant allergen information too. For around 14% of consumers, choosing a shop that makes this practical is the most important factor. |
The name doesn’t mean the bread is free from gluten-containing cereals. Jumbo lists wheat, barley, oats and rye, among other ingredients, in its Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen.
Don’t use the product name to check for allergens: read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack.
Albert Heijn’s product pages list sesame in its gluten-free Consenza multigrain bread, and say it may contain egg, lupin, nuts and soya. Schär Rustico lists soya and says it may contain lupin.
For any gluten-free variety, check separately for the allergens you need to avoid, including any relevant ‘may contain’ statements.
These words don’t tell you the slice thickness. For example, Bakkerij Lamers gives a standard slice thickness of 11,5 mm for one of its multigrain breads, with a thick-sliced option at 14,5 mm. Those measurements don’t automatically apply to bread from other sellers.
If thick slices matter for your snack, ask about the measurements or the slicer setting.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers don’t have to use bakers’ salt. The type of bread alone won’t tell you which salt has been used.
Read the ingredients on packaged bread or ask if you’re buying it unpackaged.
These shops offer a starting point for comparing multigrain breads. Check the latest allergen information for each loaf, and ask separately about slice thickness.
Albert Heijn has product pages for regular and gluten-free multigrain bread, including varieties from Consenza and Schär.
Jumbo lists regular multigrain bread and also names gluten-free bread brands in its range.
Lidl offers multigrain bread from its bakery section, as well as an ingredients and allergen guide for freshly baked bread.
ALDI lists products including sliced luxury multigrain hearth loaves and sliced farmhouse wholemeal multigrain bread.
PLUS has product information for Brood van Soma Haverkorn multigrain bread.
Dirk’s range includes both regular multigrain bread and gluten-free multigrain products from Schär.
Not based on the name ‘multigrain’. Jumbo lists wheat, barley, oats and rye in Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen. For every other loaf, check the ingredients for the exact variety again.
The gluten-free label doesn’t tell you that. According to Albert Heijn’s product pages, the Consenza multigrain bread checked contains sesame, while Schär Rustico lists soya. Also read the other allergen and ‘may contain’ statements on the latest packaging.
Ask about the allergens at the point of sale before you buy the bread. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that sellers must provide customers with this information. Ask for more details if you can’t tell whether the information covers the allergen you need to avoid.
Look for a specific slice thickness or ask which slicer setting is available. For one of its loaves, Bakkerij Lamers lists 11,5 mm for standard slices and 14,5 mm for thick slices, but you can’t apply those measurements to other loaves.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt. Check the ingredients on packaged bread or ask which type of salt has been used if you’re buying it unpackaged.
