Choose dried fruit based on what you or your guests need to avoid: check the ingredients and relevant warnings on the current packaging, and don’t rely on a ‘free from’ claim alone. If you need to avoid sulphites, pay particular attention to apricots. If you want to avoid added sugar, check the ingredients and consider measuring out portions in advance. Only then should colour and convenient packaging influence your choice.
If you need to avoid a specific allergen or gluten, check the ingredients list and relevant warnings on the packaging. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that allergens must be clearly highlighted in the ingredients list on packaged products.
If you need to avoid sulphites, check the product information rather than judging by the colour of the apricots. The Dutch Food Allergy Foundation describes sulphites as a possible cause of intolerance reactions.
If you’re serving snacks to others, portion size and how much each person gets matter too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes between dried fruit with and without added sugar, while the World Cancer Research Fund gives separate guidance on how much dried fruit to eat.
First decide which dietary requirement or ingredient takes priority, then consider the portions you want and how you’ll serve them.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Specific avoidance diet | Check the ingredients and warnings for the relevant allergen. | If someone at the table needs to avoid a specific allergen or gluten, I want to be able to assess the exact product. Around 36% of consumers prioritise suitability for their own avoidance diet. |
| Sulphites | Check for sulphites or preservatives E220–E228, as well as other relevant product information. | If sulphites need to be avoided, I don’t want to judge apricots by their orange colour. Around 29% of consumers give avoiding sulphites top priority. |
| Added sugar and portion size | Check the ingredients list and decide in advance how much you want to serve. | If I want to avoid added sugar, I check the ingredients and measure out a portion beforehand. Around 21% of consumers prioritise this consideration. |
| Serving and quantity | Choose between individual packs and a larger bag; check the contents and storage instructions. | I want to serve snacks easily without buying more than the group needs. Around 14% of consumers give the most weight to packaging and the quantity required. |
Dried fruit also includes fruit and nut mixes. A product category or general claim doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether a particular product is suitable for someone’s avoidance diet.
Check the exact product’s ingredients and any warnings relevant to that person.
According to producer Fris Gedroogd Fruit, sulphites can help preserve the orange colour of apricots. So the colour doesn’t confirm that a product is sulphite-free.
If you need to avoid sulphites, the ingredients matter more than the colour. Check the full product information even for an unsulphured variety.
Dried fruit contains naturally occurring fruit sugars, even when no sugar has been added.
Check the ingredients list and decide on a portion in advance. The World Cancer Research Fund recommends a maximum of 20 g of dried fruit a day; this is dietary guidance, not a product requirement.
Small boxes can make sharing easier, while a larger pack means you’ll need to portion it yourself and store what’s left.
Choose an amount that suits your group and follow the storage instructions on the packaging after opening. For raisins, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing them in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container.
The range includes single-fruit dried products and fruit and nut mixes, including dried unsweetened pineapple.
The range includes raisins in various pack sizes and pitted dried apricots.
Lidl presents Alesto as a range of nuts and dried fruit, with apricots as one example.
Examples include Trader Joe's raisins in a 500 g pack and a separate page featuring various cranberry mix options.
One specific example from the range is a 375 g stand-up pouch of dried apricots.
Search results include dates, pitted apricots, pitted prunes and dried figs.
These Joybuy products include dried or freeze-dried fruit snacks, including fruit mixes with nuts. The product information doesn’t confirm that any option is suitable for a specific allergy or avoidance diet, so always check the current packaging.
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The product description lists jackfruit as the only ingredient and states that no sugar has been added.
The pack is described as containing six individual 25 g sachets.
The product information doesn’t confirm that it’s suitable for a specific avoidance diet.
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The product information lists 100% jackfruit and no added sugar.
The pack contains 25 g.
The product information doesn’t confirm that it’s suitable for a specific avoidance diet.
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The product description lists grey dates and walnuts as ingredients and states that no sugar has been added.
Contains walnuts; not suitable for anyone who needs to avoid walnuts.
The product information doesn’t confirm that it’s suitable for any other specific avoidance diet.
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The product description lists guava as the main ingredient.
The ingredients information lists sugar and a preservative.
The product information doesn’t confirm that it’s suitable for a specific avoidance diet.
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The ingredients information lists dried strawberries and sugar.
The product description suggests enjoying them as a snack or using them as a topping.
The product information doesn’t confirm that it’s suitable for a specific avoidance diet.
No. Check that the claim relates to exactly what the person needs to avoid. Also check the ingredients and relevant warnings on the packaging; a general free-from claim doesn’t replace these checks.
The Dutch Food Allergy Foundation describes a reaction to sulphites as an intolerance reaction, not an allergic reaction. Sulphites can be added as preservatives E220–E228; if you need to avoid them, check the information for the exact product.
No. No added sugar doesn’t mean the fruit contains no naturally occurring sugars. Check the ingredients list and decide for yourself how much you want to serve.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that people without the relevant conditions don’t need to eat gluten-free. If avoiding gluten is necessary, assess the specific product; a gluten-free claim isn’t a general guarantee that it meets other dietary requirements.
Keep the snack checked for that guest separate from nut mixes and other snacks, use separate serving utensils and keep the packaging so you can check the ingredients. This is a practical precaution, not a guarantee of product safety.
