If your child has coeliac disease, don’t assume ordinary tiger bread is suitable: according to the product information, AH Tijger wit half and Jumbo Boeren Tijgerbrood Wit contain wheat. Bread or rolls labelled ‘gluten-free’ are an alternative for a school lunch, but they don’t have to have a crisp tiger-style crust. Check for other allergens too, and avoid contact with ordinary bread.
They’re looking for bread labelled gluten-free for lunch and want to prevent it coming into contact with ordinary bread or crumbs while it’s being prepared or packed. The Dutch Coeliac Society and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre stress the importance of handling gluten-free food carefully.
They want a bread-based lunch that fits in a lunchbox, such as slices of bread, a small crusty roll or ciabatta. Jumbo, Albert Heijn and PLUS list a range of gluten-free bread options.
As well as checking that the bread is labelled gluten-free, they look at other allergens and nutritional information such as fibre and salt. To find out whether bread is made with iodised salt, check the ingredients list for each product. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt.
If you have coeliac disease, start by checking that the bread is labelled gluten-free and preventing contact with ordinary bread. Then choose a type of bread that’s easy to take to school, and compare the rest of the label information.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free lunch | Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label on the packaging. When preparing the lunch, use clean utensils and a separate lunchbox. | My child has coeliac disease, so I want to make sure their lunch stays free from contact with ordinary bread crumbs when it’s packed too. Around 50% of consumers put that assurance first. |
| Practical bread shape | Choose between options such as sliced bread and rolls, and check the storage and preparation instructions for the product you select. | Lunch should be ready to eat straight from the lunchbox at school, with no extra preparation. Around 30% of consumers give this practical bread shape top priority. |
| Taste and label | Compare the ingredients, other allergens and nutritional information on each pack, including fibre and salt. | If my child is used to the texture of tiger bread, I want to know which other type of bread they might enjoy and what else it contains. This is the most important factor for around 20% of consumers. |
The name says nothing about whether the bread is suitable for someone who needs to avoid gluten. Albert Heijn lists wheat and barley in AH Tijger wit half; Jumbo lists wheat in Boeren Tijgerbrood Wit.
If your child has coeliac disease, choose bread based on the ‘gluten-free’ label on the specific pack, not on the name of the bread.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that even small amounts of gluten, such as bread crumbs, can matter if you have coeliac disease.
Use clean hands and utensils, and pack the gluten-free lunch separately from ordinary bread.
‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t tell you anything about other allergens, the amount of fibre or whether iodised salt has been used. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers don’t have to use bakers’ salt.
For every specific pack, check the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional information if these details matter to your choice.
A product appearing in a retailer’s range doesn’t mean it will be available every time you shop. That can be a problem if your child’s school lunch depends on one particular product.
Check availability at the shop where you buy it, and keep a suitable alternative to hand. If you choose a different product, check its label again.
Albert Heijn lists gluten-free bread online in several varieties, including white bread, multiseed bread and white rolls.
Jumbo lists gluten-free multiseed bread, sourdough bread and ciabattas online, among other products.
PLUS lists gluten-free white, brown and multiseed bread online, as well as small crusty rolls.
Dirk lists Schär gluten-free bread products online, including Meisterbäckers Classic and Vital.
ALDI mentions gluten-free bread on its page about bakery products and bake-at-home rolls.
Lidl has a page covering gluten-free products and dietary requirements.
These mini baguettes are a bread-based alternative for a school lunchbox, not tiger bread. If you have coeliac disease, check for the gluten-free label on the packaging and keep the bread separate from gluten-containing bread during preparation.
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The product description calls these mini baguettes a gluten-free bread alternative for a school lunch. Check the packaging for the gluten-free label, allergens and preparation instructions: the product information isn’t clear about how to prepare them.
Don’t assume it is. According to their product information, AH Tijger wit half and Jumbo Boeren Tijgerbrood Wit contain wheat, so they aren’t suitable for a gluten-free school lunch for a child with coeliac disease. Check the packaging of any other bread you choose.
Under EU Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, bread sold to the final consumer and labelled ‘gluten-free’ must contain no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg of food. The label doesn’t tell you about other allergens or contact with gluten while preparing the lunch.
Yes, if other allergens are relevant to your child. Read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked products.
Prepare the lunch with clean hands and utensils, and keep it separate from ordinary bread and crumbs. The Dutch Coeliac Society also recommends agreeing in advance with the school on how shared mealtimes will be managed.
No, it varies from one bread to another. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers’ salt contains iodine, but bakers aren’t required to use it. Check the ingredients list for the product you choose if you want to know whether iodised salt has been used.
