Only choose white bread with seeds after comparing the current ingredients and allergen information for that exact bread with the allergens you avoid. A gluten-free label tells you nothing about other allergens, such as sesame or soya. If you’re buying unpackaged bread, ask for information about the specific product before you buy it. If bread is an important source of iodine for you, check whether gluten-free bread contains iodised salt.
Bread with visible seeds can still contain ingredients you need to avoid. Both AH Meerzadenbroodje wit and PLUS Rustiek meerzadenbroodje wit list sesame and cereals containing gluten. Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact bread you’re buying.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean free from other allergens. According to the product information listed by Jumbo, Odenwald Bakery Glutenvrij Ovaal Wit Broodje met Zaden contains sesame and soya. Check the other ingredients and any precautionary allergen statements too.
At a fresh bread counter, you may not have a consumer pack to check for yourself. Before buying, ask for allergen information about the exact bread you want to take home. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that retailers must also provide allergen information for unpackaged food.
Start with the allergens you need to avoid. Then check whether the gluten-free label, the information available for fresh bread and the storage instructions suit your needs.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Most relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Specific allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the bread you’ve chosen. Look out for sesame and the types of cereal listed. | I want bread with seeds, but it must not contain an allergen I avoid. For around 36% of consumers, checking for specific allergens is the top priority. |
| Gluten-free and other allergens | As well as checking the gluten-free label, look for any allergens present and relevant precautionary allergen statements. | When I’m looking for gluten-free bread, I don’t want to overlook the fact that it may contain sesame or soya, for example. Around 29% of consumers prioritise these checks together. |
| Information about fresh bread | Before buying, ask for allergen information about the exact unpackaged bread or bread baked in store. | When I’m buying bread from the fresh bread counter, I want to know which allergens it contains before choosing it. For around 21% of consumers, having this certainty is the top priority. |
| Everyday use | If it’s relevant to you, check the ingredients for iodised salt and read the storage and defrosting instructions. | Once a bread meets my allergen requirements, I also want to see how it fits into my routine and diet. For around 14% of consumers, this then matters most. |
Sesame is an allergen in its own right. What’s more, the white seeded rolls from Albert Heijn and PLUS also list cereals containing gluten.
Don’t rely on the picture or the name ‘meerzaden’ (multiseed). Compare the full ingredients and allergen information with the allergens you avoid.
Gluten-free seeded bread can contain other allergens. For example, Jumbo lists sesame and soya in Odenwald Bakery Glutenvrij Ovaal Wit Broodje met Zaden.
After checking the gluten-free label, check separately for all the other allergens that are relevant to you.
You can’t always check the information on a pack when bread is sold unpackaged. That’s why it’s important to ask before buying.
Ask the shop for allergen information about the exact bread, and if necessary, ask them to clarify which type of cereal or nut is meant.
According to the instructions listed by Jumbo, Odenwald Bakery Glutenvrij Ovaal Wit Broodje met Zaden should be defrosted at room temperature for three hours. Once defrosted, it keeps for up to two days and must not be refrozen.
Defrost only as many rolls as you’ll use, following the storage instructions for that product.
Bread you don’t use within the stated time may go to waste.
The product information mentioned includes both a standard white seeded roll and a gluten-free light multiseed loaf.
Lists a gluten-free white seeded roll from Odenwald Bakery and provides allergen information for fresh bread packaged in store.
PLUS Rustiek meerzadenbroodje wit has product-specific ingredients and allergen information.
Describes Steenoven baguette meergranen as a white multigrain baguette with kernels and seeds.
Offers white bread and multigrain products in its fresh bread range.
Offers white, seeded and multigrain bread in its bread range.
You can’t tell from the product name: check the information for the exact bread. Both AH Meerzadenbroodje wit and PLUS Rustiek meerzadenbroodje wit list sesame, but these examples don’t tell you what’s in every other seeded bread.
No. A gluten-free label doesn’t mean that other allergens are absent. Jumbo lists sesame and soya in Odenwald Bakery Glutenvrij Ovaal Wit Broodje met Zaden. AH Glutenvrij Brood licht meerzaden half lists possible traces of egg, milk, soya, almond and hazelnut, among other things.
Before buying, ask for allergen information about the exact bread you’re considering. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says retailers must also give customers allergen information for unpackaged food. Ask for clarification if you need to avoid a particular type of cereal or nut that’s listed.
This matters if bread is a regular source of iodine for you. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bread made with iodised baker’s salt is an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. AH Glutenvrij Brood licht meerzaden half lists iodised salt in its ingredients.
Use the product page to help you decide, but also check the current packaging or in-store information for the bread you’re buying. Albert Heijn says product ingredients and allergen information can change.
