Choose organic white bread for a special meal when the shape of the bread and how you serve it are your priorities. A whole sourdough loaf is ideal for sharing, while par-baked baguettes or rolls need to go in the oven first. Check the organic certification and ingredients of the specific product. For everyday bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends choosing wholemeal or brown bread more often. Organic white bread isn’t automatically wholemeal or high in fibre.
For a brunch, drinks and nibbles or dinner, choose bread that suits the way you’re serving the meal: a whole loaf for the table, a baguette or individual rolls. Decide in advance whether you want to bake it before serving.
Look beyond words such as ‘sourdough’ and ‘premium’. For pre-packed bread, check for the EU organic logo and product information, and read the ingredients and allergen details too.
You might choose white bread for a special meal, but also compare it with wholemeal bread for everyday use. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that white bread contains fewer nutrients and recommends replacing it with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible.
First, decide how you want to serve the bread. Then check the organic certification, ingredients and nutritional information for each product. The words ‘sourdough’ or ‘multigrain’ alone don’t tell you everything you need to know.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Organic certification | For pre-packed bread, look for the EU organic logo and read the ingredients and any certification code on the packaging. | If I’m serving organic bread, I want to see what the certification is based on and which ingredients it contains. This is the most important check for around 40% of consumers. |
| Shape and serving style | Choose between a whole loaf, a baguette and individual rolls. For par-baked bread, check the baking instructions. | For a special meal, I want to know whether I can share the bread or need to bake it just before eating. The way it’s served is the top priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information and allergens | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and check the allergens and ingredients, including whether iodised salt is listed. | When I’m also weighing up my everyday bread choice, I want to compare white bread with wholemeal bread and know which ingredients it contains. This is the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
Organic certification doesn’t tell you whether bread is made with white flour or wholemeal flour. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, white bread contains fewer nutrients and isn’t included in the Dutch Wheel of Five.
For a special meal, choose the type of bread you want to serve. If it matters for your everyday choice, check separately whether a product is genuinely wholemeal.
Organic certification alone doesn’t tell you whether a product contains iodised salt. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt among the ingredients of AH Liefde & Passie Biologisch OerDesem blond.
Read the ingredients list on the bread you’re buying rather than assuming anything about its iodine content based on its organic certification.
These words don’t tell you how much fibre or salt a specific bread contains per 100 g. Jumbo lists 3.5 g of fibre per 100 g for its SlooOW baguette. Its SlooOW multigrain rolls list 5.4 g of fibre per 100 g and contain sesame and various grains.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and read the full allergen information on the current packaging.
PLUS published information about freshly baked organic bread in 2022. Jumbo says that a previously available organic white multigrain bread is no longer in its online range. Pages like these don’t tell you what’s available to buy now.
Check the current range and the packaging of the product you want to serve shortly before you buy.
Albert Heijn lists Biologisch OerDesem blond in this range: a 600 g organic white wheat sourdough loaf that can be served whole at the table.
Jumbo lists an organic white wheat baguette and organic white multigrain rolls from SlooOW as par-baked products to finish in the oven at home.
Smaakt is an alternative if, after comparing white bread, you’d rather choose an organic wholemeal product.
In 2022, PLUS published information about expanding its range to include freshly baked organic bread.
No. Organic certification doesn’t tell you whether bread is made with white flour or wholemeal flour. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible, and says that white bread contains fewer nutrients.
Look for the EU organic logo and product information on the packaging. According to the European Commission, the logo can only be used on products certified as organic by an authorised control body. Also read the ingredients of the bread you choose.
No, that isn’t guaranteed by organic certification. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in the ingredients of AH Liefde & Passie Biologisch OerDesem blond. So, if this matters to you, check the ingredients list on the specific loaf.
Check the baking and storage instructions, and read the allergen information on the packaging. Jumbo describes its SlooOW baguette and multigrain rolls as par-baked. The multigrain rolls contain wheat, rye, oats, barley and sesame, among other ingredients.
