Who is this choice relevant to?

If you’re hosting a date with coeliac disease

You want to serve bread with dinner, soup or a sharing platter. Check the packaging for a gluten-free label as your first step. When preparing the bread, keep it separate from crumbs and utensils that have been used for other foods. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights the risk of cross-contamination.

If you want to serve bread with a special touch

You’re looking for a style of bread that goes with dinner, without mistaking gluten-free multiseed or sourdough bread for tiger bread. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list a range of gluten-free bread styles in their online shops.

If you buy gluten-free bread regularly

As well as choosing bread for this dinner, you’ll want to check each product’s ingredients and other allergens. If you eat it regularly, it may also be worth checking the label for baker’s salt or iodised salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory.

What should you look for when choosing?

When you’re serving a guest with coeliac disease, a clear gluten-free label matters more than the style of bread you’d like. Once you’ve checked that, choose a loaf to go with dinner and prepare and serve it without cross-contamination. Ordinary tiger bread isn’t a gluten-free alternative just because of its name or appearance.

What to consider What to check when buying Who is this most important for?
Serving gluten-free bread Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging and read the allergen information. Have clean utensils and separate toppings ready for serving. If my date has coeliac disease, I want to serve bread without crumbs from ordinary bread coming into contact with it. For around 42% of consumers, preparing food gluten-free is the top priority.
Bread style for dinner Compare gluten-free white, multiseed or sourdough options to find a style that suits the occasion. Check the allergens for each one too. For a bread board with dinner, I want to choose a flavour and appearance that fit, without mistaking a different type of bread for tiger bread. Bread style is the first consideration for around 33% of consumers.
Checking the label for regular use Check the current ingredients and nutritional information. If you eat the bread regularly, you may also want to look for baker’s salt or iodised salt. If I’ll keep buying gluten-free bread after this dinner, I want to know how the ingredients and other allergens can vary between products. For around 25% of consumers, comparing labels is a priority.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming tiger bread means gluten-free

    The name describes a type of bread, not whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Jumbo lists ordinary tiger bread and gluten-free bread as separate options.

    Choose a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ for your guest and check the label on that specific loaf.

  • Preparing gluten-free bread alongside ordinary bread

    Crumbs can get onto gluten-free bread from a chopping board, knife, toaster, butter or toppings. The Dutch Coeliac Society stresses that cross-contamination must also be avoided.

    Wash your hands and use a clean work surface, clean utensils and separate toppings. Keep the gluten-free bread away from ordinary bread until it’s ready to serve.

  • Overlooking other allergens

    ‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t mean that a product is free from all other allergens. For example, the Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn bread on PLUS’s product page lists soya and possible traces of lupin, mustard and sesame. This doesn’t automatically apply to other Schär breads.

    Ask which allergies are relevant to your guest, then check the current allergen information for the product you’ve chosen.

  • Assuming all bread contains iodised salt

    According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt to make bread isn’t compulsory. For one dinner, this won’t determine whether the bread is suitable for someone with coeliac disease, but the salt information may be worth checking if you eat bread regularly.

    If you eat a particular bread often, check its ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt rather than assuming it contains either based on the type of bread.

Brands and shops to consider

These names can help you compare bread styles and product labels. Whether a loaf is suitable for your guest depends on the specific product and how you serve it.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn’s online shop lists gluten-free bread from its own brand and other brands, including Schär and Consenza.

  • The online range includes white, dark multiseed and sourdough options to compare as dinner bread.
  • Check that the product you choose is currently labelled ‘gluten-free’. A different bread style isn’t automatically gluten-free tiger bread.

Jumbo

Jumbo’s online shop lists both ordinary tiger bread and gluten-free loaves, including options from Schär, Yam and Céréal.

  • You can compare a range of gluten-free bread brands with the ordinary bread options listed there.
  • The fact that tiger bread appears in a bread category doesn’t mean that product is labelled gluten-free.

PLUS

PLUS’s online shop lists gluten-free bread from its own brand and other brands, including white, brown and multiseed options.

  • Product pages provide information about the ingredients, allergens and storage advice for each loaf.
  • PLUS says that product information can change, so check the latest label before buying and serving.

Schär

Schär is a gluten-free bread brand stocked by the online shops of Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS.

  • The range includes different bread styles. PLUS describes Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn as gluten-free multigrain bread.
  • The allergen information for Meesterbakker Mehrkorn applies to that specific product. Check other Schär breads individually.

Bread options on Joybuy

These products are options if you want to make your own bread or serve small rolls with dinner, rather than if you’re specifically looking for tiger bread. Before serving any of them to someone with coeliac disease, check the current gluten-free label, allergens and preparation instructions.

Schär Bread Mix-Mix B Gluten Free, 1 kg

Schär Bread Mix-Mix B Gluten Free, 1 kg

If you’d like to make bread to serve with dinner, this is a 1 kg bread mix, not ready-made tiger bread. Check the current packaging for the gluten-free label, other allergens and preparation instructions. Use clean utensils when making it.

View on Joybuy
Gluten-free mini baguettes, 7 pieces

Gluten-free mini baguettes, 7 pieces

If you’re considering serving small rolls with dinner, the product name indicates that the pack contains 7 pieces. Check the packaging before buying to see whether these are part-baked rolls or a mix, and how they need to be prepared. If your guest has coeliac disease, check the current gluten-free label and allergen information before serving.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Is ordinary tiger bread suitable if my date has coeliac disease?

Not just because it’s called ‘tiger bread’. Choose bread clearly labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging and avoid cross-contamination when preparing it. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 sets the ‘gluten-free’ threshold at a maximum of 20 mg of gluten per kilogram.

How can I serve gluten-free bread alongside ordinary bread?

Prepare and serve the gluten-free bread separately from ordinary bread. Use clean hands, a clean work surface and clean utensils, and provide separate toppings that haven’t been touched by a knife with ordinary bread crumbs on it. The Dutch Coeliac Society warns that crumbs can also cause cross-contamination.

Where can I find allergen information on packaged bread?

Read the label on the pack you’re buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information must be shown on the label of pre-packed products. As well as gluten, check for any other allergens that are relevant to your guest.

Should I check the iodine content if I eat gluten-free bread regularly?

It’s worth checking whether the label lists baker’s salt or iodised salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread made with iodised baker’s salt is a source of iodine, but bakers aren’t required to use this salt. Don’t assume based on the type of bread alone; check the label on the bread you actually eat.