For a conference brief focused on fat content, compare plain dried fruit with fruit-and-nut mixes using each product’s stated serving size: Sainsbury’s Mini Snack Raisins list less than 0.5g fat per 14g serving, while Whitworths fruit-and-nut mixes list 3.8g per 25g or 7.1g per 30g serving. Individual boxes simplify portioning; larger packs suit staff-served portions or meal preparation. Check sugars, ingredients and allergen information for the exact product before choosing either format.
If dried fruit is part of the refreshment brief, compare the fat shown for the portion you intend to serve. The ingredient list matters too: a fruit-and-nut mix is not the same choice as a pack of raisins or apricots.
Choose a format that lets delegates identify the food and obtain its allergen information. Whitworths apricots list sulphur dioxide, while its fruit-and-nut mixes include nuts or peanuts. The Food Standards Agency says catering food businesses must provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink.
Dried fruit can be portioned for a meal service rather than left out for continuous grazing. NHS guidance says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating it at mealtimes, rather than between meals, to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Start with the exact serving format, then read the nutrition panel and ingredients for that product. Packs with similar fruit names can differ in their portion sizes and added ingredients.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat and ingredients | Compare fat for the stated serving size and read whether the pack contains fruit alone or a fruit-and-nut mix. Whitworths lists 0.2g fat per 30g serving for Favourites Apricots, but 3.8g per 25g serving for Favourites Fruit & Nut Mix. | I need a fruit option for a brief focused on fat content, without treating a nut-containing mix as equivalent to plain dried fruit. |
| Portions and sugars | Check the pack or serving weight and its sugars figure. Sainsbury’s lists 9.7g sugars per 14g serving for Mini Snack Raisins and 22.2g per 30g serving for Mixed Dried Fruit. | For a delegate break, I want portions that are easy to identify rather than an unmeasured bowl. If dried fruit accompanies a meal, I can plan the serving around that menu. |
| Allergen information | Read the exact ingredients and allergen information; Whitworths Favourites Apricots list sulphur dioxide, and its cited fruit-and-nut mixes contain nuts or peanuts. Plan how that information will be available at service. | Delegates need to be able to identify ingredients and allergens even when fruit is transferred from its original pack to a serving dish. |
| Service format | Check whether individual packs suit distribution or a larger pack will be portioned by staff or used in a dish. Whitworths lists Sunny Raisins as a case of 10 x 12 x 14g packs; Sainsbury’s lists Mixed Dried Fruit in a 500g pack. | I may need ready-portioned food for a break, or fruit to add to a catered breakfast. The same pack format need not serve both jobs. |
Nuts change both the ingredients and the fat figure. Whitworths Favourites Fruit & Nut Mix lists almonds and cashews and 3.8g fat per 25g serving; its 1DERS fruit-and-nut mix lists peanuts and 7.1g per 30g serving.
Check the ingredients and fat for the intended portion. If nut mixes are offered, treat them as a distinct option with their own allergen information.
Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit lists less than 0.5g fat but 22.2g sugars per 30g serving. Its ingredients include candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup and sugar.
Read both nutrition lines and the ingredient list for the exact pack. Describe the fruit and its serving size without extending a statement about fat to its sugars.
Once food is moved into an unlabelled bowl, delegates may not be able to identify its ingredients. Whitworths Favourites Apricots list sulphur dioxide, and its cited mixes include nuts or peanuts.
Keep the original pack information accessible or prepare accurate information for each served product. The Food Standards Agency says catering food businesses must provide allergen information for prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink.
NHS guidance advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Consider serving it with breakfast or lunch, or as a defined portion alongside a catered meal, instead of presenting an all-day bowl as a dental-friendly snack.
These examples show why the product and pack format matter more than a brand name alone; they do not indicate which products are stocked on Joybuy.
Whitworths lists individually packed Sunny Raisins by the case, as well as apricots and fruit-and-nut mixes.
Sainsbury’s lists mini raisin boxes alongside larger packs of raisins and mixed dried fruit.
Tesco Groceries lists dried-fruit products including 500g raisins and prunes, as well as cranberry and mango packs.
M&S lists fruit snacks ranging from apricots and mango to mixed fruit and chocolate-coated raisins.
These options include individually packed prunes, mini raisin boxes and larger packs of apricots, raisins and sultanas. Choose by the serving method you plan to use, then check the exact pack’s nutrition and allergen information.
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The product name specifies individually wrapped prunes, a format to consider when distributing portions to delegates. Check the pack’s serving weight, sugars, fat and ingredients before including it in the menu.
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The 12 x 14g box format gives organisers a defined unit to hand out at a catered break. The 12+ Months designation is part of the product variant; check whether its packaging suits the event and read the nutrition panel for the exact box.
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This 250g apricot pack is an option when staff will prepare portions or add fruit to a meal. Check its fat per serving and the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen information, including whether sulphites are declared.
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A 500g raisin pack can be portioned by staff or used in a catered dish. Unlike a mini box, the pack weight does not define each delegate’s serving; check the nutrition panel against the amount you plan to serve.
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This 500g sultana pack is suited to a service plan in which staff measure portions or use the fruit in a meal. Compare its stated fat and sugars figures for the portion being served, and retain its ingredient information for delegates.
No: check the exact ingredients, serving size and fat figure. Sainsbury’s Mini Snack Raisins list less than 0.5g fat per 14g serving, whereas Whitworths Favourites Fruit & Nut Mix lists 3.8g per 25g serving and contains almonds and cashews. These are different products with different stated portions, not interchangeable descriptions of dried fruit.
Consider serving it with breakfast or lunch instead. NHS guidance says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
The Food Standards Agency says UK catering food businesses must provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink. Check each exact product: Whitworths Favourites Apricots list sulphur dioxide, while its cited fruit-and-nut mixes include nuts or peanuts. Make accurate information available if food is moved out of its original pack.
Individual boxes make the unit being handed out clear, while a bowl needs a portioning and ingredient-information plan. Neither format replaces a check of the exact product’s nutrition and allergens; choose according to how the conference food will be served.