Choose dried fruit based on the specific ingredient your guest needs to avoid, not on a general ‘free from’ claim or the name of the supermarket. Check the full ingredients list and any relevant warnings on the exact pack; sulphites need to be checked separately, and how you serve the food matters too. The Dutch Food Allergy Foundation advises checking the entire ingredients list; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the Netherlands Bakery Centre outline points to consider when checking allergen information and avoiding unwanted contact with other foods.
You’re shopping for guests who need to avoid a specific allergen and want to check the ingredients, warnings and serving arrangements. A supermarket name or general ‘free from’ claim isn’t enough to assess a product. The Dutch Food Allergy Foundation advises checking the full ingredients list.
You’re looking for dried fruit for someone who needs to avoid sulphites, and checking preservatives separately from gluten, milk or nuts. The Dutch Food Allergy Foundation identifies dried fruit as a possible source of sulphites.
You want to offer suitable snacks clearly labelled and kept separate, taking account of the product type, pack size and the risk of allergens being transferred accidentally. The Netherlands Bakery Centre outlines steps to reduce cross-contamination; for a buffet, that also means planning how to serve the food.
Start with the specific ingredient your guest needs to avoid, check sulphites separately and plan how to serve the portion separately.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| The allergen to avoid | Read the full ingredients list and any relevant warnings on the exact pack. Check with your guest which ingredient they need to avoid. | When I’m choosing for a guest who needs to avoid a specific allergen, I want to know exactly what’s in the product. That’s why this is the top shopping priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Sulphites | Check sulphites and preservatives E220–E228 separately; ‘pitted’, ‘soft’ and ‘sun-dried’ don’t tell you anything about them. The Dutch Food Allergy Foundation identifies sulphites as preservatives that may be present in dried fruit. | If sulphites need to be avoided, I want to assess them separately from other allergens. Around 29% of consumers put checking for sulphites first when shopping. |
| Serving without unwanted contact | Read any relevant warnings and prepare dietary portions separately using clean, separate serving utensils. The Netherlands Bakery Centre describes the risk of allergens being transferred unintentionally. | At a shared buffet, I want to offer an assessed portion clearly labelled and separately. This is the top shopping priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Quantity and ingredients | Compare the pack size with the number of portions you’re planning, and assess sugar or syrup separately from allergens. Product listings from Lidl, ALDI and PLUS, for example, refer to 200 g, 500 g and 375 g packs. | Once the dietary requirements have been checked, I want to choose a suitable quantity and assess the ingredients separately. Around 14% of consumers put this practical consideration first. |
The full ingredients list and the specific dietary restriction determine whether a product is suitable. Lactose-free, for example, doesn’t mean free from cow’s milk protein; Haga Hospital gives hard cheese as an example of a product that can be lactose-free yet still contain cow’s milk protein.
First, find out which ingredient your guest needs to avoid, then assess the exact product and any added ingredients.
These words describe a product type, texture or processing method. The Dutch Food Allergy Foundation identifies sulphites as preservatives that may be relevant to dried fruit.
Check the ingredients and allergen information separately for sulphites.
Allergens can accidentally get into food that doesn’t intentionally contain them. Choosing the right product alone won’t prevent contact at the buffet.
Keep assessed dietary portions separate and use clean serving utensils.
Preparing food separately takes extra planning and may require an individual portion or serving dish.
Assessing a product for allergens and making a nutritional choice are two different things. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises eating no more than 20 g of dried fruit a day; this is nutritional advice, not a buffet portion size or an allergen-safety limit.
Assess sugar or syrup separately from dietary requirements, and plan portions to suit your buffet.
Product listings can help you compare fruit types, product formats and pack sizes, but they aren’t a general ‘free from’ guarantee. Always check the label on the exact pack.
The dried fruit range includes both individual fruit types and mixed fruit and nut packs.
The product listing describes 250 g packs of pitted dried apricots.
Lidl Netherlands lists dried tropical fruit in different varieties in 200 g packs.
ALDI lists Trader Joe’s sun-dried apricots in 250 g packs and raisins in 500 g packs.
PLUS lists dried apricots in a 375 g stand-up pouch.
Dirk lists 1 de Beste Apricots as a relevant dried fruit product.
These products offer a range of dried fruit types and pack formats to compare. Check the ingredients and warnings on the exact pack before choosing a product for a guest with dietary requirements.
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The six 25 g bags may be handy if you want to serve individual portions; check the exact pack when assessing whether it meets dietary requirements.
The product description lists jackfruit (100%) and allergen information.
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The small pack may be suitable if you want to serve an individual fruit portion; check the pack for ingredients and warnings.
The product description lists jackfruit as an ingredient and includes an allergen statement.
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This is a different fruit to consider alongside apricots or jackfruit; check the ingredients against the exact pack.
The product description lists 95% guava, as well as sugar and a preservative.
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The slices could be considered as a fruit snack or as an ingredient in yoghurt and desserts; check whether the ingredients suit the dietary requirements.
The product description lists strawberries and sugar as ingredients.
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These apricots are only an option if sulphites don’t need to be avoided: the product description lists sodium metabisulphite.
The ingredients list includes apricot, sugar, maltose syrup, citric acid and sodium metabisulphite. Not suitable for guests who need to avoid sulphites.
No. Lactose and cow’s milk protein are different components; Haga Hospital gives hard cheese as an example of a product that can be lactose-free yet still contain cow’s milk protein. Also check any cheese, chocolate or other additions against your guest’s specific milk allergy.
No. The Dutch Food Allergy Foundation describes reactions to sulphites as intolerance reactions. Check sulphites separately; an assessment of sulphites doesn’t tell you whether the fruit is suitable for someone with a different food allergy.
Prepare the portion you’ve checked separately and use clean, separate serving utensils. Keep the pack so the ingredients information remains available. This is a practical way to reduce unwanted contact, not a guarantee that a product is safe.
Yes. The NVWA states that allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked products. This doesn’t mean that a product without one particular allergen is suitable for everyone with other food sensitivities; check the information against the specific dietary requirement.
Reassess the product using the pack you actually received, rather than relying on an earlier ‘free from’ conclusion. Albert Heijn and PLUS direct customers to their customer or consumer services with questions about product information. If there’s a specific safety warning, check the product details with the NVWA.
