Choose dried fruit against the specific allergen you need to avoid: check the current ingredients, allergen statement and any precautionary wording on the exact pack before deciding it suits your household. Plain fruit can contain sulphites, while snack mixes can introduce other allergens; once a pack meets your requirements, consider its size and how you will use it.
If you need to avoid sulphur dioxide or sulphites, check the exact ingredients and allergen statement rather than relying on the fruit name. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphites are often used in dried fruit, including raisins, apricots and prunes.
Check each snack’s ingredients and precautionary wording, particularly when fruit is combined with other ingredients. Whitworths’ Shots Variety Pack, for example, carries a precautionary warning about cereals containing gluten.
Start with the allergens each person needs to avoid. Then compare pack sizes and ingredients: a mixed snack can have a different allergen profile from a single-fruit pack.
Check allergen suitability first, including any cross-contact warning. Pack size and intended use only help you choose between products that meet that requirement.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Declared allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen statement. Look specifically for sulphur dioxide or sulphites if you avoid them; check all ingredients in a mix. | I need a pack that fits my named allergen requirement, not one that merely looks like plain fruit. |
| Cross-contact | Read any precautionary wording, such as a ‘may contain’ statement. Keep a manufacturer’s product-family statement within the range it covers. | For my household, a suitable ingredient list alone may not settle the choice if there is a relevant cross-contact warning. |
| Product format | Compare single-fruit packs with mixes by their complete ingredient lists. Check for added nuts, chocolate or cereal ingredients where relevant. | A simple fruit pack may be easier for me to assess; if I choose a mix, I still need to check every ingredient that matters to us. |
| Pack size | Check the stated weight and whether the fruit needs preparation. Compare products only after confirming that each meets your avoidance requirement. | I want an amount and format my household will use, without compromising the allergen check. |
The Food Standards Agency identifies sulphites as an ingredient often used in dried fruit. Tesco Soft Apricots 250G and Whitworths Amazing Apricots 140g both list sulphur dioxide or sulphites.
If sulphites are the substance you avoid, check the ingredients and allergen statement on the exact pack.
Other ingredients can change a snack’s allergen profile. Whitworths’ Shots Variety Pack lists milk, soya and sulphur dioxide, alongside precautionary warnings for other allergens.
Read the complete ingredient list and precautionary statement, not just the fruit pictured on the front.
Ingredients and allergy advice can change, so an earlier check may not describe the pack now in your hand.
Read its current label each time, particularly if the packaging has changed or a different product has been substituted.
These examples show why suitability belongs to the particular product and pack, not to a brand or retailer as a whole.
Tesco’s dried-fruit range includes different fruit types and pack sizes.
Whitworths offers individual dried-fruit products as well as mixed snack formats.
Sunsweet’s European FAQ makes gluten and allergen cross-contact statements about its prunes.
Asda’s listing for Whitworths Amazing Apricots 140g provides product-specific ingredients and allergy advice.
These options include wolfberries, figs and coconut flakes. They are different formats rather than interchangeable free-from choices: check each exact pack against the allergen you need to avoid.
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A two-pack wolfberry option for a household that will use the fruit in prepared food or drinks. The product information describes 100% goji berries and instructs users to wash and cook them before consumption. Check the current pack’s allergen and precautionary information against your requirements.
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A single 100g wolfberry pack if that quantity suits your plans. The product information describes 100% goji berries and instructs users to wash and cook them before consumption. Check the current pack’s allergen and precautionary information against your requirements.
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A fig pack to assess if you are avoiding sulphites: its stated ingredients are dried figs and rice flour. Its product information also carries a precautionary warning about nuts and peanuts, which matters if either is relevant to your household. Confirm the current label before use.
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A freeze-dried coconut snack for shoppers who want this format. The product information states that it contains coconut and 3% added sugar. Check the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen wording for your own avoidance requirement rather than treating it as a general free-from option.
No. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphur dioxide or sulphites are often used in dried fruit, including raisins, apricots and prunes. Read the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen statement and any precautionary wording for the substance you need to avoid.
No. Tesco Soft Apricots 250G and Whitworths Amazing Apricots 140g both list sulphur dioxide or sulphites. Check the current label of any alternative before deciding it meets your requirement.
No. A gluten-free statement does not by itself address milk, soya, nuts or sulphites. Sunsweet’s European FAQ makes separate allergen statements about its prunes, according to the manufacturer; check the exact product and pack rather than applying those statements to other fruit snacks.
Use the webpage to narrow your options, then read the physical pack before use. Retailer product information can change, and a substitution may have different ingredients or precautionary wording.