For someone with coeliac disease, don’t rely on the name or crust of tiger bread. Choose packaged bread or rolls labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol instead. Gluten-free white bread or rolls can make a handy bread-based snack; check for other allergens too, and prepare them separately from ordinary bread.
You’re looking for a snack with a clear gluten-free label that will also stay free from ordinary bread crumbs while you add the filling. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends preparing gluten-free food separately.
You want to make a filled bread snack for the autumn half-term without expecting a gluten-free alternative to be just like tiger bread. PLUS lists gluten-free white bread and white rolls as separate product types.
After checking that it’s gluten-free, you also look at fibre, other allergens and the type of salt used. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the bread label tells you whether baker’s salt has been used.
When choosing a snack for someone with coeliac disease, a gluten-free label and crumb-free preparation come first. Then compare the type of bread, availability and information on the label.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging. At home, use clean utensils and keep fillings separate. | If ordinary bread is also being served, I want to stop crumbs getting onto the gluten-free snack via a knife or filling. Gluten safety comes first for around 39% of consumers. |
| Bread shape for the snack | Compare gluten-free white bread and gluten-free rolls by shape and how well they work with your chosen filling. | For a filled snack, I want a familiar bread shape without expecting it to be just like tiger bread. This is the top priority for around 23% of consumers. |
| Availability and planning | Check stock at your chosen shop and whether you can order or collect the product. | When I’m planning snacks for a day out, I want to know in advance whether I can order or collect the bread. Availability at the right time comes first for around 23% of consumers. |
| Nutrition information and allergens | Compare fibre per 100 g and read the allergen statement and ingredients list, including details of iodised salt or baker’s salt. | If I also need to consider nutrition information or other allergens, I want to be able to compare product labels. This information is the deciding factor for around 15% of consumers. |
The name describes a type of bread, not its gluten content. Under EU rules, a product may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten when sold to the end consumer.
For someone with coeliac disease, choose bread or rolls labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol. Only then decide which shape is best for the snack.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says gluten-free food should be prepared separately. Crumbs on a chopping board or knife, or in shared fillings, can still end up on the snack.
Make the gluten-free snack with clean hands, on a clean work surface and with clean utensils. Keep the bread and fillings separate during storage and serving.
A gluten-free label says nothing about other allergens. For example, PLUS lists soya on its product information for Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn, and notes that it may contain lupin, mustard and sesame.
If you have additional allergies, read the full, up-to-date allergen information for the product you choose.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread does not have to be made with baker’s salt. So you can’t tell which type of salt is used from the product category alone, even with gluten-free bread.
Check the label for baker’s salt or iodised salt if this matters to your comparison.
A shop to explore the ‘Vrij Van’ range.
An option for searching online for gluten-free bread in the bread category.
A shop where you can compare different types of gluten-free bread and rolls.
A shop to look for gluten-free bread alternatives.
A shop to explore bread or rolls for a snack.
Another shop to check for its current gluten-free range.
The name ‘tiger bread’ says nothing about its gluten content. For someone with coeliac disease, choose only a product whose packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or bears the Crossed Grain symbol. Don’t rely on the crust or where the bread is displayed in the shop.
Prepare and serve the gluten-free snack separately from ordinary bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends preparing gluten-free food separately: use clean hands, a crumb-free work surface, clean utensils and fillings that haven’t come into contact with ordinary bread.
No, a gluten-free label says nothing about other allergens. For example, PLUS lists soya on its product information for Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn, and notes that it may contain lupin, mustard and sesame. So be sure to read the allergen information for the product you buy.
No, that isn’t implied by the ‘gluten-free’ label. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be made with baker’s salt. Check the label to see whether the bread you choose contains it.
Yes, as long as the packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or bears the Crossed Grain symbol, and you can prepare and fill the rolls without them coming into contact with ordinary bread. Check the preparation instructions and other allergens on the packaging too.
