Information › Allergies › Gluten
Gluten-free shopping
Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley, rye and spelt (and crosses such as khorasan). In coeliac disease gluten damages the gut lining; in gluten sensitivity it causes complaints without that damage. Either way, the label decides.
At a glance
- Kind
- Legal allergen (EU)
- On the label
- In bold in the ingredient list
- Also as
- tarwe, tarwebloem, bloem, gerst, gerstemout…
- Without gluten
- 15.850 products
- Supermarkets
- AH, Jumbo, PLUS, Dirk and Hoogvliet
Recognise
On the label as
- tarwe
- tarwebloem
- bloem
- gerst
- gerstemout
- rogge
- haver
- spelt
- griesmeel
- bulgur
- couscous
- paneermeel
- EU law requires ‘cereals containing gluten’ to be named by the grain: tarwe (wheat), rogge (rye), gerst (barley), haver (oats), spelt, khorasan.
- Manufacturers often name only the grain (‘tarwebloem’, wheat flour) and not the word gluten. This site therefore counts wheat, barley, rye, spelt and khorasan automatically when you exclude gluten.
- ‘Glutenvrij’ (gluten-free) may be printed below 20 mg of gluten per kilo.
- Oats are naturally gluten-free but often contaminated with wheat; choose oats with the gluten-free logo.
Shopping
Examples without gluten
- CiabattaSchär · 200 gHoogvliet € 2,85Albert Heijn € 2,99Jumbo € 2,99PLUS € 2,99Kan sporen bevatten: Lupine, Mosterd, Sesam, Soja
- Bon MatinSchär · 200 gHoogvliet € 3,22Albert Heijn € 3,29Jumbo € 3,29PLUS € 3,29Bevat: EierenKan sporen bevatten: Lupine, Mosterd, Soja
- Mehrkorn brood glutenvrijSchär · 300 gHoogvliet € 3,15Albert Heijn € 3,29Jumbo € 3,29PLUS € 3,29Bevat: SojaKan sporen bevatten: Lupine, Mosterd, Sesam
- Meesterbakker vital glutenvrijSchär · 350 gHoogvliet € 3,19Albert Heijn € 3,39Jumbo € 3,39PLUS € 3,39Kan sporen bevatten: Lupine, Mosterd, Soja
- Knusperbrot dunkelSchär · 125 gHoogvliet € 2,09Albert Heijn € 2,19Jumbo € 2,19PLUS € 2,19Kan sporen bevatten: Soja
- Meergranenbroodjes glutenvrijSchär · 210 gHoogvliet € 3,09Albert Heijn € 3,15Jumbo € 3,15PLUS € 3,15Bevat: SojaKan sporen bevatten: Lupine, Mosterd, Sesam
All 15.850 products without gluten
What to look out for in the shop
- Hidden sources: soy sauce, stock, cold cuts, beer, breadcrumbs, sweets with liquorice or wafer.
- Modified starch is usually maize or potato starch; if it comes from wheat, the label must say so.
- The shops' own ‘Glutenvrij’ category is a good start, but the filter here looks at the ingredients themselves.
Good to know
Recently with gluten in the recipe (8)These products recently took gluten onto their label: the recipe changed. This is exactly where reading the label matters most.
Cross-contamination and “may contain traces”Gluten-free is stricter than most allergens: under 20 milligrams per kilo.
Gluten-free is stricter than most allergens: under 20 milligrams per kilo. Crumbs in the butter, a shared toaster or frying oil used for breaded food are enough. The crossed-grain logo is the most reliable guarantee.
Symptoms and when to see a doctorCoeliac disease often causes stomach ache, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, tiredness and anaemia; in children also slow growth.
Short of breath, a swelling tongue or throat, or dizzy after eating? Use the adrenaline auto-injector if one has been prescribed and call 112 straight away. Even if it then seems to get better.
Coeliac disease often causes stomach ache, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, tiredness and anaemia; in children also slow growth. Complaints come hours to days after eating. Do not stop eating gluten before the diagnosis: the test only works while you still eat it.
Are oats gluten-free?
Oats contain no gluten of their own but are nearly always processed alongside wheat. Only oats with the gluten-free logo are safe with coeliac disease, and a small share of people with coeliac disease react to pure oats too.
Is spelt gluten-free?
No. Spelt is a kind of wheat and contains gluten. The same goes for khorasan (kamut), einkorn and emmer.
Which supermarket has the largest gluten-free range?
In the ingredient lists this site searches, Albert Heijn has the most products without cereals containing gluten, followed by Jumbo and PLUS. Filter on gluten and choose a shop to see it per shop.
What this site does and does not do
We read the ingredient list and the allergen declaration as the supermarket publishes them, and hide every product that contains the allergen. Products without allergen information are hidden by default too: unknown is not the same as safe. What we cannot do is read the pack in the shop. Recipes change, and the information here can lag behind. When in doubt the label in your hand decides, and for questions about your health your doctor or dietitian.
Other allergens
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II: the fourteen allergens that must be on the label.
- The ingredient lists and allergen declarations of Albert Heijn, Jumbo, PLUS, Dirk and Hoogvliet, re-read every week.
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