Choose according to the specific dietary requirement: Albert Heijn and PLUS list certain raisin and mango products as gluten-free and lactose-free. This is not a general guarantee that a product is free from all allergens, so check the ingredients and warnings on the exact packaging and ask the parent or carer if you’re unsure. When handing out snacks, also consider how well the child can chew and make sure they eat while sitting down calmly.
You want to know which substances a child needs to avoid and whether ingredients or cross-contamination warnings affect your choice. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are listed on labels.
You’re looking for specific information about sulphites in dried fruit. Stichting Voedselallergie lists E220–E228 as sulphite designations; a product being labelled organic or unsweetened does not, by itself, mean it is sulphite-free.
You want to choose portions and pieces that suit how well children can chew. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises taking the size of pieces, eating calmly and supervision into account for young children.
Start with the substance a child needs to avoid, then consider how you’ll serve the snack, portion sizes and how much you’ll need.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable for the specific allergen | Check the ingredients and warnings on the exact packaging; if you’re unsure, ask the parent or carer. | If I’m shopping for children with different allergies, I want to know which substances they need to avoid and whether any warnings are relevant. Around 29% of consumers make suitability for a specific allergen their top purchasing priority. |
| Avoiding sulphites | Check for sulphites, sulphur dioxide and E220–E228; don’t rely on a label such as organic alone. | When sulphites are a concern for a child, I want to be able to assess the information for that specific product. Around 23% of consumers put avoiding sulphites first. |
| Pieces and eating calmly | Consider how well the child can chew; if in doubt, cut pieces smaller and make sure children sit down calmly while you stay nearby. | When young children are eating too, I want to be able to choose a snack shape that suits how well they can chew. Around 18% of consumers give serving food appropriately and supervision top priority. |
| Sugars and portions | Check total sugars separately from added sugars and plan small portions. | For a party treat, I want to serve small portions and distinguish between total and added sugars. Around 18% of consumers look at this first. |
| Quantity and storage | Compare the pack size with the number of portions you need and follow the storage instructions on the packaging. | If I’m shopping for a group, I want to choose a pack that suits the portions planned and store any leftovers properly. Around 12% of consumers put quantity and storage first. |
A gluten-free or lactose-free label relates only to that specific substance. Other allergens and warnings about possible cross-contamination need to be assessed separately.
Check the ingredients and warnings on the exact packaging, and confirm which substance the child needs to avoid.
Jumbo lists dried mango as an ingredient, but also warns that this product may contain nuts and peanuts, among other things.
Read the warnings as well as the ingredients list and follow the parent or carer’s agreed approach.
AH Raisins lists 0 g of added sugars and 59 g of total sugars per 100 g. These are different nutritional details; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises keeping portions of dried fruit small.
Read both the ingredients and the nutritional information, and plan small portions.
Even when a snack meets the dietary requirements, the size of the pieces, how well a child can chew and eating calmly all matter. PLUS warns that, despite careful checks, its Sultana raisins may contain small stalks and stones.
If in doubt, cut pieces smaller, make sure children sit down calmly and stay nearby while they eat.
Dutch product pages list specific features for several dried fruit products.
Jumbo Dried Mango 125 g lists dried mango as its ingredient.
PLUS Sultana raisins is a listing for raisins in a 375 g bag.
ALDI Netherlands lists Trader Joe’s Raisins in a 500 g pack.
Dirk lists 1 de Beste Sultana raisins as its own-brand product.
Lidl has a product page for dried fruit.
These Joybuy products are freeze-dried jackfruit in individual portion packs.
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The six 25 g sachets are a good choice if you want to hand out individual portions.
The product information lists jackfruit as the only ingredient and says no sugar has been added. The nutritional information lists 65 g of sugars per 100 g.
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The individual pack is a good choice if you want to offer one sachet per portion.
The product information lists jackfruit as the only ingredient and says no sugar has been added.
No. Lactose intolerance affects the body’s ability to digest lactose; a food allergy involves an immune reaction to certain substances, such as cow’s milk proteins. If a child has a cow’s milk allergy, check the information about milk and don’t base your choice on the lactose-free label alone.
It’s a warning about possible cross-contamination, and doesn’t necessarily mean the allergen has been deliberately added as an ingredient. Jumbo includes this kind of warning for Dried Mango 125 g. If a child has the relevant allergy, ask their parent or carer how to handle it.
Use clean hands, crockery and utensils, and keep the agreed preparation separate. Stichting Voedselallergie warns that removing, sieving out or cutting away a prohibited ingredient is not enough; don’t give that snack to the child concerned.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists raisins as a possible snack around a child’s first birthday, when they start eating meals with the family. Keep the portion small, consider how well the child can chew, and make sure they sit down calmly while you stay nearby.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that the 14 legally designated allergens must be listed on the label, usually clearly identified in the ingredients list. From 1 January 2026, new Dutch rules apply to warnings about possible cross-contamination. Transitional rules apply to existing safely packaged stock, with the production date determining which rules apply.
