For game night and breakfast the next day, choose organic dried fruit with verifiable organic certification and ingredients that suit your preferences. Compare the nutritional values per 100 g, the serving size and the storage advice: no added sugar does not mean a product is low in total sugars. Set out a portion of your choice, and if you’re offering a selection, check the ingredients and any allergens on each pack.
You’re planning a game night and want to serve organic dried fruit without mistaking organic certification for nutritional advice. Ingredients, portion sizes and information for your guests all matter. The European Commission explains what the EU organic logo stands for.
You want to use any leftovers at breakfast the next day. So check the pack size, ingredients and storage advice on the packaging. Product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS offers examples of the details to look for.
You’re choosing based on ingredients, added sugars or information relevant to a particular dietary requirement. Organic certification doesn’t replace these checks. Stichting Voedselallergie explains why sulphite information may be relevant to people with a sulphite intolerance.
First decide whether you’re mainly looking for a supply of raisins for snacks and breakfast, or want to offer a selection of fruit. Then check the exact pack for organic information, ingredients, quantity and storage advice.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who should give this more weight? |
|---|---|---|
| Organic origin | Check the organic label, control code and origin information on the exact pack. The European Commission explains the information shown alongside the EU organic logo. | If organic certification is why I’m choosing this fruit for game night, I want to be able to check the origin of the specific pack; around 29% of consumers put this check first. |
| Ingredients and quantity | Read the ingredients and compare added sugars with total sugars per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises eating no more than a handful of dried fruit because of its sugar content. | If I want to offer a simple snack and decide how much to put out, I prioritise ingredients and portion size; around 23% of consumers do the same. |
| Serving in advance | Check the net weight and stated serving size separately. Albert Heijn and PLUS list a 25 g serving for their raisins; Jumbo uses 15 g in its nutrition table. So compare nutritional values per 100 g as well. | If I want to get the food ready in advance for an evening, choosing my own portion is more practical than treating the whole bag as one serving; around 18% of consumers prioritise ease of serving. |
| Saving some for later | Match the pack size to your plans for the evening and the following morning’s breakfast. Follow the storage advice on the exact pack; Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS advise keeping their raisins in a cool, dry, dark place. | If I want to use the rest for breakfast too, I choose an amount that suits how much I expect to use afterwards; around 18% of consumers prioritise using it on more than one occasion. |
| Specific guest requirements | If there’s a relevant dietary requirement, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. Sulphites can be present in dried fruit; Stichting Voedselallergie describes a possible intolerance reaction. | If a specific dietary requirement of mine or a guest affects the choice, I want to check the exact pack before serving anything; around 12% of consumers put this check first. |
Organic certification and nutritional content are two different things. Dried fruit with no added sugar can still contain a lot of total sugars.
Check both the ingredients and total sugars, and set out a portion of your choice. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises eating no more than a handful of dried fruit.
A product description such as ‘unsweetened’ doesn’t, by itself, prove that a product is organically certified. The EU organic logo relates to organic standards, as explained by the European Commission.
Check the organic information and ingredients separately on the packaging.
Albert Heijn and PLUS list a 25 g serving for their raisins; Jumbo’s nutrition table uses 15 g. Comparing values per manufacturer’s serving size therefore doesn’t give you a like-for-like comparison.
First compare the values per 100 g, then decide how much you want to serve.
Lidl lists Belbake Organic Raisins as available in store only. A product listing doesn’t automatically tell you whether the exact variant is available through your preferred sales channel.
Check the sales channel and exact variant before basing your shopping plans on it.
If a product is only available in store, you may need to make an extra trip.
AH Biologisch Rozijnen is a specific option if you’re looking for organic raisins and want to compare ingredient and nutritional information.
Jumbo Sun-Dried Organic Sultana Raisins 250 g is worth considering if you’re looking for organic sultanas with storage advice.
Lidl lists Belbake Organic Raisins in a 200 g pack.
The 500 g Trader Joe's raisins variant is a standard product listing; having an organic range in general doesn’t mean this specific variant is organic.
BIO+ Sultana raisins at PLUS is a specific variant with listed ingredients and organic information.
Dirk lists Bio+ Sultana Raisins in a 250 g pack.
These product picks focus on organic raisins and dates as snacks you can portion out in advance; the raisin variants are also suggested for adding to breakfast cereal.
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The product information describes these organic raisins as a snack and states that they contain no added sugars.
The pack contains 10 snack boxes of 14 g. Store in a cool, dry, dark place.
The product information says they’re suitable from 12 months, with supervision while eating. According to the information, the product isn’t suitable for children with swallowing difficulties.
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The product information describes organic mini dates as a snack and lists dates and rice flour as ingredients.
The ingredients are 95% dates and 5% rice flour. The product information states that there are no added sugars and gives a serving size of 14 g.
The information says they’re suitable from 12 months; young children should sit upright and eat under supervision.
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The product information describes organic sultanas for snacking or adding to breakfast cereal.
The pack contains 250 g. The product information lists raisins with sunflower oil and advises storing them in a tightly closed pack in a cool, dry place.
According to the product information, a stalk or pip may occasionally be present despite cleaning.
No. According to the European Commission, the logo is compulsory for pre-packed food produced in the EU and sold as organic. For imported products that meet EU import rules, using the logo is optional. When the logo is used, it must be accompanied by a control code and the prescribed information about the agricultural origin.
Check the two figures separately and compare nutritional values on the same basis, preferably per 100 g. For AH Biologisch Rozijnen, Albert Heijn lists 0 g of added sugars and 59 g of total sugars per 100 g; these figures describe different things.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises eating no more than a handful of dried fruit because of its sugar content. The 15 g or 25 g servings used by manufacturers for the raisin packs covered here aren’t a standard guideline for your game night.
An organic label doesn’t tell you by itself whether a product contains sulphites. Stichting Voedselallergie explains that sulphites can be present in dried fruit and may cause an intolerance reaction. Check the specific pack if this is relevant to you or a guest.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging. For the Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS raisins mentioned here, that means storing them in a cool, dry, dark place. Albert Heijn and PLUS also advise checking the product’s appearance, smell and taste by the best-before date.
