For a child aged 3 or over who needs to avoid gluten or nuts, choose a fruit snack whose current pack explicitly addresses those allergens rather than assuming dried fruit is free from them. Tesco lists BEAR Fruit Yoyos Raspberry 5 x 20g and BEAR Fruit Splits Strawberry & Apple 9 x 20g as gluten free and nut free, but check the pack you receive before serving. For dried fruit, the NHS advises eating it at mealtimes rather than repeatedly between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
A portable fruit snack needs a declaration for the particular allergen being avoided. Tesco’s listings for the specified BEAR multipacks give product-level gluten-free and nut-free information; check that the pack in hand agrees.
Ingredients and precautionary wording matter alongside a free-from claim. The Food Standards Agency explains that wording such as “may contain” communicates possible unintended allergen presence.
Pack size and timing both matter. The NHS 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 the risk of tooth decay.
Start with the child’s specific allergen requirements, then compare the pack’s ingredients, portion size and when it will be eaten.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Specific allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen declaration and any “may contain” statement. Match free-from wording to the allergen that must be avoided. | I need a clear answer about my child’s particular allergy, not a general claim that a snack is free from. |
| Sulphites and warnings | Check for sulphur dioxide or sulphites and for nut, peanut or other relevant warnings. ASDA lists sulphites in its dried mango and says it may contain nuts and peanuts. | A fruit-only description would not answer my question if we need to avoid sulphites or an allergen named in a precautionary warning. |
| Ingredients and portions | Compare the ingredient list, any no-added-sugar claim and the nutrition panel. Check whether the stated weight is for one serving or a whole multipack. | For a day out, I want to know what is in each portion and how much fruit snack I am packing. |
| When to serve it | The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating it at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay. | I can plan dried fruit with lunch instead of using it for repeated between-meal snacks. |
Marks & Spencer’s dried pineapple listing describes a fruit product but also lists sulphites and says it is not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergies.
Check the exact product’s full ingredients and allergy statements against the allergen being avoided.
The Food Standards Agency identifies sulphites as an ingredient used in dried fruit. ASDA’s dried mango lists sulphites and warns that it may contain nuts and peanuts.
If those substances must be avoided, do not rely on the fruit name or front-of-pack description; read the current pack’s declarations.
Ingredients vary between fruit snacks. Tesco describes its dried cranberries as infused with pineapple juice concentrate, so the fruit category alone does not describe the full recipe.
Compare the ingredients and nutrition values for the serving you intend to use.
The NHS says a 30g dried-fruit serving counts as one 5 A Day portion, but advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Plan dried fruit with breakfast or lunch, while checking that any other snack meets the child’s allergen requirements.
These examples show why suitability depends on the particular product and pack, not the brand or dried-fruit category as a whole.
Tesco lists specified BEAR Raspberry Yoyos and Strawberry & Apple Splits multipacks as fruit snacks for children aged 3 or over.
Its product listings provide ingredients and allergen information for the specified BEAR fruit snacks and other dried fruit.
Its dried mango provides an example of why bagged fruit needs a product-specific allergen check.
Its dried-fruit listings include products with sulphites and product-specific allergy warnings.
Its fruit-containing snack range illustrates why a dried-fruit brand name is not an allergen declaration.
These BEAR fruit snacks offer different flavours and pack formats to compare for half-term meals. For any allergy-managed purchase, check the exact product pack against the substances your child must avoid.
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The 5 x 20g format lets you compare portion sizes for a packed meal. Check this pack’s own ingredients and allergen statements before serving; information for another raspberry fruit snack is not a substitute.
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This strawberry and apple option comes in a stated 5 x 20g format. Check the Paws pack’s allergen declaration directly rather than applying information from BEAR Splits, which is a different product.
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The Giant Fruit Yoyos apple and blackcurrant variant is listed as 5 x 20g. If you need a free-from snack, check this variant’s current ingredients and any precautionary wording before packing it.
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This apple variant is listed as a 100g pack. Check its serving information and allergen statements on the current pack when planning a child’s meal; the total pack weight is not a serving size.
No. Match the claim to the specific allergen being avoided and check the exact pack. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary wording such as “may contain” signals possible unintended allergen presence.
Tesco lists BEAR Fruit Splits Strawberry & Apple 9 x 20g and BEAR Fruit Yoyos Raspberry 5 x 20g as gluten free, nut free and with no allergens present. Check the physical pack before serving, and do not transfer those declarations to a different product or pack size.
Sulphites are used in some dried fruit, according to the Food Standards Agency. ASDA’s dried mango and M&S’s Tropical Fruit Medley list sulphites, so check the ingredients if they must be avoided.
Yes. The NHS 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 the risk of tooth decay.
Ask for current allergen information that covers the particular snack and allergy before buying. Sainsbury’s says its in-store-prepared products can carry a cross-contamination risk and that it cannot guarantee the absence of allergens in them.