Choose seeded wholemeal bread if you’d like a separate slice with a satisfying texture alongside your coffee and cake. If you’d prefer the bread to take a back seat to the cake, fine wholemeal bread may be a better fit. For seeded bread, check the ingredients: the name ‘mixed seeds’ doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether it’s fully wholemeal.
You eat your bread as a separate slice with your coffee and want to taste or feel the seeds and kernels. Check the seed mix on the packaging and decide whether you’d like a hearty loaf or would rather let the cake take centre stage.
You want seeds, but don’t want to assume from the name alone that the bread is fully wholemeal. Compare the ingredients and the stated proportion of wholemeal flour: mixed-seed bread can also contain white wheat flour.
If allergens such as sesame matter to you, you’ll need the information for the exact type of bread. If you want to know whether it’s made with iodised baker’s salt, check the salt information too. According to the Voedingscentrum, not all bread is baked with baker’s salt.
First decide whether you’re looking for a seeded texture to enjoy with your coffee and cake, or would prefer a finer bread. Then check the ingredients of the type you want to buy: ‘mixed seeds’ and ‘wholemeal’ don’t mean the same thing.
| What to consider | Check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Texture alongside cake | Which seeds and kernels are listed, and would you prefer a hearty or a finer slice? | With my coffee and cake, I want a separate slice where I can clearly taste and feel the seeds. For around 40% of consumers, texture comes first. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Compare the proportion of wholemeal flour in the ingredients and the fibre per 100 g. | If you choose seeds and want to eat wholemeal bread, don’t rely on the words ‘mixed seeds’ alone. Around 30% of consumers prioritise choosing wholemeal. |
| Allergens, salt and iodine | Read the allergen information and salt content per 100 g. If relevant, check whether baker’s salt or iodised salt has been used. | If certain ingredients matter to me, I want to check the exact product before choosing it. For around 30% of consumers, checking the label is the main concern. |
Seeds don’t tell you how much wholemeal flour the bread contains. For Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half, PLUS lists both 30% wholemeal wheat flour and 22% white wheat flour.
Read the ingredients list and compare the stated proportion of wholemeal flour if wholemeal is a deciding factor for you.
Seeded bread can also contain allergens such as sesame or gluten-containing cereals. Any mention of possible traces also deserves attention for the exact product.
If you have an allergy, use the current allergen information for the bread you’re buying; don’t rely on the label for a different variety.
According to the Voedingscentrum, it isn’t compulsory to bake with baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether it’s included from the type or name of the bread.
Check the ingredients for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’. If you need this information, ask which ingredients are used when buying unpackaged bread.
An example to look at if you want to check the ingredients of wholemeal bread with a variety of seeds.
A range where you can compare fine wholemeal bread, wholemeal multigrain bread and seeded varieties.
An example of a label showing the difference between a mixed-seed name and the actual ingredients in the bread.
A brand to explore if you’re looking for wholemeal bread with seeds and grains.
A range with separate mixed-seed, sunflower-seed and wholemeal varieties.
An option to consider if you’d prefer fine wholemeal bread to a pronounced seeded texture alongside your cake.
No. The name ‘mixed seeds’ doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much wholemeal flour a loaf contains. For example, PLUS lists 30% wholemeal wheat flour and 22% white wheat flour for Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half. Check the ingredients of the variety you’re considering.
Check the allergen information for the exact variety, especially if sesame or gluten-containing cereals are relevant to you. For its Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half, PLUS lists wheat, barley, spelt, soya and sesame, and possible traces of nuts. Another bread may have a different composition.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, it isn’t compulsory to bake bread with baker’s salt. Check the label for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’ in the ingredients, or ask when buying unpackaged bread.
Follow the storage instructions for the bread you buy. For Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half, PLUS says to store it in a cool, dry and dark place; check the instructions on your own packaging for shelf life or freezing.
