Office buyers serving someone with coeliac disease
Look for a clearly labelled gluten-free cracker and plan separate storage and serving. Coeliac UK advises keeping gluten-free food apart from gluten-containing food and avoiding shared crumbs.
Who are you buying for?
The right pack depends on who will eat the crackers and how they will be stored at work.
Buyers accommodating several dietary needs
Check the exact pack for oats, soya, milk and relevant precautionary statements. A gluten-free label does not answer every other ingredient or allergy question.
Buyers stocking everyday office snacks
Distinguish the gluten-free provision from familiar wheat-based crackers, and choose a pack size that suits how the office uses and stores its snacks.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the gluten-free label and individual ingredient needs, then decide how the crackers will remain separate once the pack is open.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free choice | Check the claim on the exact pack, not the brand or the cracker’s appearance. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten-free food as containing no more than 20 mg/kg gluten as sold. | I need an identifiable gluten-free option, not just a conventional cracker that looks similar. |
| Shared storage | Keep gluten-free and wheat-based crackers in distinct, clearly identified containers. Use clean hands, surfaces and serving utensils; Coeliac UK advises separation to prevent cross-contact. | Once the pack is open, I want colleagues to be able to identify and serve the gluten-free crackers without mixing them with wheat-cracker crumbs. |
| Other ingredients | Check whether an oat-based recipe suits the intended colleague. Read soya and other allergen information separately: Schär lists soya in its Crackers and Saltí recipes, and Saltí carries an egg precaution. | Someone may avoid oats or have another ingredient requirement, so a gluten-free claim alone is not enough for my choice. |
| Pack and storage | Check the pack weight and instructions for storage after opening. Sainsbury’s advises an airtight container for its Free From Crackers; any shared office container should also remain distinct from wheat-based snacks. | I need a practical amount for the office and a way to keep an opened pack clearly identified. |
What can go wrong in a shared tin?
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Putting a gluten-free pack into a mixed biscuit tin
Wheat-cracker crumbs can reach the gluten-free crackers after purchase.
Use a separate, clearly identified container and clean serving equipment, in line with Coeliac UK’s cross-contact advice.
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Assuming gluten-free means free from other ingredients of concern
Some gluten-free crackers contain oats or soya. Schär Saltí also carries a precautionary statement about egg.
Match the ingredients and precautions on the exact pack to the people who will eat it.
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Buying only a familiar conventional cracker
Tesco’s listings for Jacob’s Original Cream Crackers and Carr’s Table Water Biscuits both list wheat flour. Neither listed product fills the gluten-free role.
If colleagues also want conventional crackers, provide a distinct gluten-free choice and keep the two apart.
Brand and product references
These examples help distinguish particular recipes; an ingredient listed for one product should not be assumed to apply to everything under the same brand.
Nairn’s
Its Original Wholegrain Crackers are an oat-based gluten-free option for colleagues who can eat oats.
- Nairn’s lists a 160g pack and describes the current recipe as vegan.
- Nairn’s says this product is unsuitable for people who react to avenin in oats and notes equipment that handles milk. Check the purchased pack.
Schär
Its listed Crackers and smaller Saltí crackers offer gluten-free recipes without oats in their displayed ingredients.
- Schär lists a 210g pack for Crackers and a 175g pack for Saltí.
- Both displayed recipes contain soya; Saltí also carries a precautionary egg statement.
Sainsbury’s
Its listed Free From Crackers are a 137g gluten-free option made with oat, maize and rice flour.
- The retailer advises an airtight container after opening for quality.
- The recipe contains oats. Sainsbury’s also advises reading the pack label rather than relying solely on its online listing.
Asda
Its listed Free From Rosemary & Sea Salt Crackers are a flavoured gluten-free option in a 160g pack.
- Asda lists gluten-free oat, rice and maize flour for this particular recipe.
- The product contains oats, so check whether oats suit the intended colleague and read the purchased pack.
Jacob’s
Original Cream Crackers can be considered separately for colleagues who eat wheat, not as the gluten-free provision.
- Tesco’s listing for the 300g Original Cream Crackers includes wheat flour. This applies to the listed product, not every Jacob’s product.
Carr’s
The listed Table Water Biscuits are a separate conventional option for colleagues who eat wheat.
- Tesco’s listing for the 200g pack includes wheat flour and a possible sesame cross-contact warning; it is not the office’s gluten-free choice.
Joybuy cracker options
These two Joybuy options cover a gluten-free crispbread and a gluten-free cheese oatcake for the office snack area. Check the current pack against each colleague’s ingredient needs before serving.
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Schar Gluten Free Crispbread 150g
A gluten-free crispbread option for a separately identified office snack container. Check the pack’s ingredients and allergen information for the people who will eat it.
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Nairn's Gluten Free Cheese Oatcakes 180g
These gluten-free cheese oatcakes are an oat-based savoury option for colleagues who can eat oats. Coeliac UK notes that a small number of people with coeliac disease react to oats, so confirm individual needs and check the pack’s full ingredient and allergen information.
Common questions
Can gluten-free crackers go into the same tin as ordinary crackers?
Keep them in a separate, clearly identified container if they are for someone who needs gluten-free food. Coeliac UK advises separating gluten-free and gluten-containing foods and using clean equipment to avoid cross-contact.
Can everyone with coeliac disease eat gluten-free oat crackers?
No. Coeliac UK says most people with coeliac disease can eat gluten-free oats, but a small number react to avenin in oats. Check the individual’s requirements before buying an oat-based cracker.
Does gluten-free also mean free from soya or milk?
No. Schär lists soya in the displayed recipes for its Crackers and Saltí, while Nairn’s notes milk-handling equipment for its Original Wholegrain Crackers. Read the exact pack for ingredients and precautions relevant to your colleagues.
How should opened office crackers be stored?
Follow the pack instructions and keep the gluten-free crackers distinct from wheat-based snacks. Sainsbury’s advises storing its Free From Crackers in an airtight container after opening for quality; identify that container clearly if it is used in a shared office area.