Choose dried fruit against the particular allergen your household needs to avoid, then compare pack sizes among products that meet that requirement. GOV.UK says a free-from claim applies to the allergen it names, not every possible allergen. For a large shop, check the ingredients, allergy information and any precautionary warnings on the current pack before deciding whether its quantity and storage instructions suit your household.
If someone needs to avoid sulphur dioxide or sulphites, check each dried-fruit pack rather than assuming a fruit type or brand is suitable. Whitworths apricots, Tesco soft apricots, ASDA goji berries and M&S Orchard Fruits Medley provide product-specific examples that list sulphites.
Match the exact allergen to the product’s free-from claim, ingredients and precautionary warnings. A claim about one allergen does not settle whether the product suits someone avoiding nuts, peanuts, sesame, gluten or milk.
For lunchboxes, baking or shared snacks, establish dietary suitability before comparing quantities. Check the pack’s storage directions too, particularly if a larger pack will remain open for some time.
Start with the named allergen and the individual product label; consider quantity and storage only once the product fits that requirement.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Named allergen | Read exactly which allergen a free-from claim names, then check the ingredients and allergy information for the individual pack. GOV.UK says the claim applies to the specified allergen. | I need a product that fits our particular allergy requirement, not one described generally as “free from”. |
| Sulphites | Look for sulphur dioxide, sulphites and relevant sulphite ingredients in the current ingredients and allergy information. Tesco Soft Apricots and ASDA Goji Berries, for example, declare sulphites. | If someone in my household avoids sulphites, the fruit type alone cannot tell me whether a pack is suitable. |
| Precautionary warnings | Check “may contain” statements separately from the ingredient list. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary allergen labelling communicates possible unintentional allergen presence. | A nut or peanut warning matters to my choice even when those allergens are not listed as ingredients. |
| Quantity and storage | Compare pack weights and like-for-like unit prices only after the dietary check. Read the pack’s directions for storage after opening. | For a family shop, I want enough for our planned uses without choosing more than we can store and finish as directed. |
Whitworths Amazing Apricots, Tesco Soft Apricots, ASDA Goji Berries and M&S Orchard Fruits Medley each provide a product-specific example that lists sulphites.
If your household avoids sulphites, check the ingredients and allergy information on the current pack before buying or serving it.
GOV.UK says a free-from claim applies to the allergen named. A different allergen may appear in the ingredients or in a precautionary warning; ASDA Goji Berries, for example, list sulphites and carry a may-contain warning for nuts and peanuts.
Check every allergen relevant to your household against the individual product’s label.
A larger quantity is less practical if your household cannot store and use it in line with the pack’s directions after opening.
Once a product meets your dietary requirement, compare its quantity with your planned baking and snacking, and read its storage instructions.
These examples show why suitability needs to be checked at product level; they do not establish that an entire brand or range meets a free-from requirement.
Whitworths Amazing Apricots are an example to check when shopping for dried apricots.
Tesco lists Sunsweet Stoned Prunes in a 500 g pack, a quantity to consider for several household uses.
Tesco Soft Apricots 250 g illustrate why an own-brand pack still needs an individual allergen check.
Sainsbury’s provides allergen-specific information for its own-brand products.
ASDA Goji Berries 100 g show how different allergen statements can matter on the same product.
M&S Orchard Fruits Medley is a mixed-fruit example whose allergy information needs checking as a whole.
These prunes, dates, sultanas and longan offer pack quantities to consider for a family shop. Check the current label against your household’s named allergen requirement before choosing among them; pack size or a simple-sounding product name cannot establish free-from suitability.
No image available
The 500 g pack is a quantity to consider for shared snacks or several recipes. Check its current ingredients, allergy information and storage directions against your household’s needs; “pitted” does not establish allergen suitability.
No image available
Two 500 g packs offer a larger total quantity for planned family use. Check the current labels on the packs for your named allergen and for storage or preparation directions before choosing this format.
No image available
This 500 g sultana pack could cover baking and snacks in the same shop. Read its current ingredients, allergy information and any precautionary warnings before deciding whether it fits a free-from requirement.
No image available
The 500 g pack provides another prune quantity to compare for family use. Check the physical pack for the allergens you need to avoid and follow its storage and serving directions.
No image available
This 500 g pack adds longan to the fruit types you can consider for a larger shop. Check the current label for allergen statements and preparation directions rather than assuming a dried fruit meets a named free-from requirement.
No. GOV.UK says a free-from or allergen-free claim is a guarantee for the allergen it specifies. Check the full ingredients and allergy information for every allergen your household needs to avoid.
Some individual dried-apricot products list sulphur dioxide: the Whitworths Amazing Apricots ingredients and Tesco Soft Apricots allergy information are two examples. If sulphites matter to your household, check the current pack rather than assuming all apricots have the same ingredients.
It is a precautionary warning, not a statement that nuts are deliberately included as ingredients. The Food Standards Agency explains that such labelling communicates possible unintentional presence; consider the warning alongside the ingredients when checking a product against a nut allergy.
Use a listing to narrow down options, then check the product pack you receive. Sainsbury’s advises checking packaging, and the exact ingredients and warnings on the current pack are what you need for the household’s named allergen requirement.
Choose the quantity after confirming the product fits your dietary requirement. Compare like-for-like pack weights and unit prices, then check whether your household can store and use the fruit according to its directions after opening.