Choose dried fruit according to the specific substance a guest needs to avoid, and check the current ingredients and warnings on the packaging. Sulphite information needs to be assessed separately; choosing unsweetened fruit is a different consideration and doesn’t prove that a product is suitable for someone with an allergy. Keep the packaging with the snack and serve it separately with its own clean serving utensils.
You’re organising a neighbourhood gathering and want to choose snacks based on the specific allergens your guests need to avoid. Ingredients and warnings about possible cross-contamination are important. The Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Centre) stresses the importance of food labelling for people with food allergies.
You want to check dried fruit for sulphite information, separately from claims about sugar or gluten. Stichting Voedselallergie (the Dutch Food Allergy Foundation) lists dried fruit as a possible source of sulphites.
You’re looking for an unsweetened fruit option and also want to consider how much to serve. Albert Heijn lists an unsweetened dried mango option; that alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for guests with an allergy.
Start with the substance a guest needs to avoid, then consider separate preferences, such as unsweetened fruit. Think about how to keep the packaging and serving utensils with the right snack, too.
| What to consider | What to look for when buying | Who should consider this? |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding specific allergens or gluten | Check the ingredients and warnings for the relevant allergen. Check gluten information separately where necessary. | If I’m organising something for a guest who needs to avoid a specific allergen or gluten, I want to be able to check the relevant information on the packaging. Around 36% of consumers prioritise avoiding these. |
| Sulphites | Check the current packaging for sulphite information, including E220–E228. | If I’m catering for someone avoiding sulphites, I want to check this information separately from descriptions such as unsweetened or sun-dried. Around 29% of consumers prioritise avoiding sulphites. |
| Unsweetened fruit and portion size | Check that the exact product variant is unsweetened and look at the nutritional information on the packaging. | If I want to offer unsweetened fruit, I also consider how much to put out. Around 21% of consumers prioritise choosing unsweetened fruit and serving a mindful portion. |
| Easy to identify and serve separately | Keep the packaging with the right snack and use separate, clean serving utensils. | For a well-organised gathering, I want suitable snacks to be easy to identify and keep separate. Around 14% of consumers prioritise how snacks are served. |
A product name or general claim doesn’t automatically tell you whether the product is suitable for someone who needs to avoid a specific substance.
Find out which substance is relevant, then check the ingredients and the associated warning on the packaging.
These descriptions don’t tell you whether sulphites are listed. Stichting Voedselallergie describes sulphites as preservatives that can be added to food.
Check sulphite information separately if a guest needs to avoid sulphites.
Albert Heijn’s dried fruit range also includes mixes with almonds or cashews. These are different from plain fruit for a guest who avoids nuts.
Read the exact product name and ingredients, and keep the chosen snack separate from any mixes.
Ingredients and allergy information can change; Albert Heijn and PLUS advise customers to check the packaging.
Keep the packaging while the snack is on the table. That way, the product information stays with the correct variant.
If the packaging is no longer available, you’ll need to check again which product information applies to the variant you’ve served.
Albert Heijn lists an unsweetened dried mango option, as well as fruit and nut mixes.
Jumbo lists dried, pitted apricots in a 250 g pack.
Lidl presents Alesto as a range of dried fruit and nuts, including apricots, and suggests them for sharing.
ALDI lists TRADER JOE'S sun-dried apricots in a 250 g pack and describes them as soft.
PLUS lists dried apricots in a 375 g stand-up pouch.
Dirk lists its own-brand product 1 de Beste Aprikozen.
This selection features individual types of dried fruit for a sharing table. The product listings don’t confirm that any variant is suitable for a specific allergy or intolerance; always check the current packaging.
No image available
A single type of fruit to serve alongside other snacks; check the packaging if a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients.
The product information lists black dates as an ingredient and states that no additives or preservatives are used.
No image available
Dried dragon fruit is a single type of fruit for your sharing table; check the packaging for information relevant to your guests’ dietary needs.
No image available
An option if you’d like to serve dried guava as a single type of fruit; this isn’t an unsweetened variant.
The product description lists guava (95%), sugar and a preservative.
No image available
This dried soursop is only a suitable choice if its ingredients meet your guests’ needs.
The ingredients list includes sugar, glucose and sodium metabisulphite. Don’t choose this variant for guests avoiding sulphites or if you’re looking for unsweetened fruit.
Not on the basis of that claim alone. Check the ingredients and allergen information for the specific substance the guest needs to avoid; dried fruit can also contain sulphites.
Check the current ingredients information and look for sulphites, including E220–E228. A description such as unsweetened or sun-dried doesn’t answer that question.
Keep the packaging with the right snack and serve it separately with its own clean serving utensils. This helps keep the product information with the snack, but doesn’t guarantee that a particular arrangement is safe.
This type of warning relates to allergens that may accidentally get into a product. The NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) announced that, from 1 January 2026, it would check that labels on prepacked products carry the correct cross-contamination warnings during inspections. Check the information for the allergen your guest needs to avoid.
Albert Heijn and PLUS direct customers to their customer service teams for questions about product information. Keep the packaging to hand so you can ask about the correct variant.
