Who is this guide for?

Diet-conscious organisers

You’re buying treats for people with a specific allergy or intolerance and want to distinguish between ingredients, specific dietary claims and cross-contamination warnings.

Consumers avoiding sulphites

You’re looking for dried fruit with no added sulphites and want to tell plain raisins apart from variants that explicitly list E220 or sulphites.

Parents handing out small treats

You want to plan the portions for your Easter egg hunt in advance, ideally without having to divide everything up yourself.

What should you look for when buying?

Start with the ingredient a participant needs to avoid, then choose between ready-portioned packs and portioning them yourself.

What to consider What to look for Who is this important for?
Dietary suitability Check the exact variant, the relevant dietary claim and any allergen warnings. When I’m buying treats for someone with a specific allergy or intolerance, I check the label for each variant. Around 36% of consumers make dietary suitability their top purchase priority.
Sulphites Look for sulphites, sulphur dioxide or E220 in the ingredients list; don’t compare only the product or brand name. When a participant needs to avoid sulphites, I want to distinguish between variants with and without added sulphites in the ingredients list. Around 29% of consumers make avoiding sulphites their top priority.
Children’s portions Check the weight per portion and count how many treats each child will have during the activity. When I’m handing out treats to children, I want to be able to plan a small portion and have them eat at a calm moment. Around 21% of consumers prioritise a manageable portion for children.
Handing out and taking along Compare the number of portions with the number of participants; portioning them yourself requires clean, sealable packaging. When I have little time to prepare, I prefer something that’s already portioned; portioning it myself gives me more flexibility but takes extra work. Around 14% of consumers prioritise convenience when organising.

A claim such as gluten-free or lactose-free applies to the stated dietary characteristics; it is not a general guarantee that a product is allergen-free. The Voedingscentrum distinguishes between lactose intolerance and a reaction to milk proteins in the case of a milk allergy. If you have a food allergy, it’s also important to check the current label for possible cross-contamination warnings; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, for example, refers to wording such as ‘May contain X’.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming gluten-free or lactose-free means allergen-free

    On their own, these claims don’t mean a product is suitable for every allergy. Lactose-free refers to milk sugar; a milk allergy involves a reaction to milk proteins.

    First note which ingredient or allergen needs to be avoided, then check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant.

  • Treating all varieties of raisins as the same

    PLUS Sultana rozijnen lists raisins and sunflower oil; PLUS Blanke rozijnen also lists E220 (sulphites). AH Hamsterchef Rozijnen and the apricot pieces variant also list sulphites.

    Check the full product name and ingredients list, even if it’s the same brand or type of fruit.

  • Confusing no added sugars with sugar-free

    Albert Heijn lists AH Hamsterchef Rozijnen as containing 0 g of added sugars and 65 g of sugars per 100 g. The Voedingscentrum recommends small portions of dried fruit.

    Count the treats each child has and use a snack box to help manage portions, not as a reason to hand out unlimited amounts.

  • Only looking at the amount of fruit in a bag

    You’ll need to portion and pack the contents of a bag hygienically; AH Hamsterchef Rozijnen comes in ten snack boxes.

    Choose the packaging format based on the number of participants and how much time you have to prepare the portions.

Supermarket brands for reference

Albert Heijn

Offers plain raisins and AH Hamsterchef snack boxes; check the dietary claims for each variant.

  • Albert Heijn lists AH Hamsterchef Rozijnen as ten 14 g portions, with gluten-free and lactose-free claims.
  • The variant with apricot pieces lists sulphur dioxide (E220/sulphites); the claims for plain raisins don’t automatically apply to this variant.

Jumbo

An option for portioning raisins yourself; check the product information for each variant.

  • Jumbo Zongedroogde Sultana Rozijnen 250 g lists raisins and cottonseed oil as ingredients.
  • Jumbo warns that a stalk or stone may remain; a simple ingredients list is not a general guarantee that a product is allergen-free.

Lidl

A supermarket option for dried fruit within the stated range.

  • Lidl lists dried fruit as available in selected stores.
  • The category description alone says nothing about whether a specific pack is suitable for your dietary needs.

Aldi

According to its product information, offers a bag of raisins to portion yourself.

  • ALDI’s official product information lists Trader Joe’s raisins in a 500 g pack.
  • A large bag isn’t individually portioned for handing out, and the pack size doesn’t prove that it’s suitable for particular dietary needs.

PLUS

The product information distinguishes between PLUS Sultana rozijnen and PLUS Blanke rozijnen.

  • PLUS lists raisins and sunflower oil as ingredients in its Sultana rozijnen, along with gluten-free and lactose-free claims.
  • PLUS Blanke rozijnen lists E220 (sulphites) and the instruction ‘Wash before use’.

Dirk

A supermarket option for raisins within the stated selection.

  • Dirk’s official product page confirms that raisins are part of its range.
  • Check the exact pack and product information for dietary characteristics; the category name alone doesn’t provide this information.

Products at Joybuy

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does lactose-free mean a snack is also suitable for someone with a milk allergy?

No. Lactose intolerance is related to milk sugar; with a milk allergy, the immune system reacts to milk proteins. So don’t treat a lactose-free claim as proof that a product is suitable for someone with a milk allergy. Check the allergen information on the exact pack.

What do cross-contamination warnings on Dutch labels mean?

A warning such as ‘May contain X’ refers to possible cross-contamination. This is different from an allergen being added as an ingredient. Since 1 January 2026, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has checked during inspections whether labels on prepacked products warn correctly about cross-contamination with allergens.

Can children eat raisins while they’re searching?

It’s better to plan for them to eat at a calm moment after the hunt. The Voedingscentrum recommends small portions of dried fruit; CJG Rijnmond advises children to sit upright while eating.

Do you need to wash all dried fruit before use?

Follow the instructions on the exact pack. PLUS Blanke rozijnen specifically says ‘Wash before use’; don’t treat this as a general rule for all dried fruit.

What extra effort does portioning yourself involve?

With a bag, you’ll need to divide the contents into portions and pack them hygienically. Ready-made snack boxes mean less work; first check whether the exact variant suits the dietary needs, then decide which packaging is most practical.