Breakfast-flake shoppers
Looking for organic flakes for porridge or muesli, for example, and wanting to check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
Who are these options for?
Cooks who also use flakes in meals
Looking for an ingredient for savoury dishes as well as breakfast. Jumbo lists coating vegetables, fish and meat as a use for Smaakt Organic Quinoa Flakes.
Anyone preparing an Indonesian rijsttafel
Looking for a crunchy topping to go with the meal rather than a breakfast flake. Seroendeng is made with coconut, peanuts and spices.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you’re looking for flakes for breakfast, cooking or as a topping for your rijsttafel. Then check the organic certification and any information relevant to your choice of ingredients.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Organic breakfast product | Check the EU organic logo, the code of the inspection body and the origin label on the packaging. Read the ingredients list too. | I’m mainly looking for an organic breakfast base and want to know what the flakes contain. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| For breakfast and cooking | Check the suggested preparation methods and whether the ingredients suit your dish. | If I’m buying flakes for both breakfast and a savoury dish, the product needs to work for both. This matters most to around 33% of consumers. |
| Topping for a rijsttafel | Choose seroendeng, made with coconut, peanuts and spices, rather than breakfast flakes; check the allergen information. | For my Indonesian rijsttafel, I’m specifically looking for seroendeng’s coconut and peanut topping, not a neutral breakfast flake. This is the top priority for around 17% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming all flakes are the same product
In Dutch supermarkets, the term ‘flakes’ can also refer to chocolate sprinkles for bread. These are different from oat, buckwheat or quinoa flakes for breakfast and cooking.
Search by the main ingredient and check the product description before choosing.
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Assuming organic means gluten-free
Organic certification says nothing about possible gluten contamination. According to the Voedingscentrum, oats can come into contact with gluten-containing grains during processing.
If gluten-free is essential for you, check the gluten-free label and allergen information on the packaging; don’t rely on the word ‘organic’ alone.
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Choosing breakfast flakes as a substitute for seroendeng
Jumbo says quinoa flakes can be used as a coating, but that doesn’t make them seroendeng. Seroendeng contains coconut, peanuts and spices.
Choose breakfast flakes for their intended use, and check the ingredients and allergen information for each product you buy for seroendeng.
Brands to consider
AH Biologisch
Albert Heijn stocks organic oat flakes; fine and jumbo flakes are separate product options.
- An option if you’re looking for oat flakes as a breakfast base.
- Check the current packaging for ingredients and allergen information. Oat flakes are not seroendeng.
Jumbo
Jumbo stocks organic oat and spelt flakes for a range of breakfast and baking uses.
- Jumbo describes its organic oat flakes as steamed and rolled oats, and says its spelt flakes can be used as a muesli base or for baking.
- Spelt is not suitable if you need to avoid gluten. Neither product replaces the ingredients in seroendeng.
Smaakt
Smaakt offers organic buckwheat and quinoa flakes; the quinoa flakes in particular have a stated use in cooking.
- Jumbo lists cooking the flakes into porridge and coating vegetables, fish and meat as uses for Smaakt Organic Quinoa Flakes.
- Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. An ingredient for coating is not the same as a traditional rijsttafel topping.
Related products on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check whether packaged flakes are organic?
Look for the EU organic logo, the code of the inspection body and the origin label for the agricultural ingredients on the packaging. The European Commission says the inspection code must appear next to the organic logo. Also check the ingredients and allergen information for your intended use.
Are organic oat flakes automatically gluten-free?
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, oats do not naturally contain gluten, but they can be contaminated with gluten-containing grains. If you need to choose a gluten-free product, check the label and allergen information for that specific product.
Can I use breakfast flakes instead of seroendeng?
Not as an equivalent substitute for the topping served with an Indonesian rijsttafel. Seroendeng is made with coconut, peanuts and spices; Jumbo does list another savoury use for Smaakt Organic Quinoa Flakes: coating food.
Can I rely on the allergen information in an online product description?
Always check the product packaging before use. Albert Heijn notes that ingredients, nutritional values, dietary details and allergy information can change.