Hosts accommodating a milk- or gluten-free guest
Match any free-from claim to the allergen that child needs to avoid. The Food Standards Agency says a free-from claim applies to the specified allergen, not to every possible allergen.
Who is this for?
Parents putting together portioned party bags
Small raisin packs can be handed out without dividing a larger bag. Whitworths Sunny Raisin and Sainsbury’s Mini Snack Raisins are examples of portioned packs, but their short ingredient lists do not establish a free-from claim.
Hosts including toddlers or babies
Age changes how dried fruit should be served. UK Government guidance says not to give babies under one whole raisins or dried fruit and to cut them into small pieces; the NHS advises serving dried fruit to toddlers with meals rather than between meals.
What should you check?
Decide whether a guest needs a claim for a specific allergen before choosing between explicitly labelled free-from food and plain portioned fruit. Then check the exact pack and how it will be served.
An explicit milk- or gluten-free option
Choose when: A parent or carer confirms that the stated free-from claim matches the child’s needs. Sainsbury’s labels its Free From Choc Coated Raisins milk and gluten free.
Bear in mind: That claim does not establish suitability for other allergies, and this is chocolate-coated fruit rather than plain raisins.
Plain portioned raisins
Choose when: You want small packs for party bags and no guest requires a specific free-from claim. Whitworths Sunny Raisin comes as 8 × 14g; Sainsbury’s Mini Snack Raisins comes as 12 × 14g.
Bear in mind: Raisins and oil on an ingredient list do not, by themselves, establish that a pack meets a child’s allergy requirements.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Specific allergens | Confirm the allergen each child must avoid. Read the current pack’s free-from claim, ingredients and precautionary statements; the Food Standards Agency says a free-from claim applies to its specified allergen. | I need to know that a claim covers this guest’s particular allergy, not just that the fruit has a short ingredient list. |
| Mixes and coatings | Check every component and any “may contain” wording. Whitworths lists nuts in Favourites Trail Mix and declares soya and sulphur dioxide in its Raisin & Chocolate Shots, alongside precautionary warnings. | A snack containing fruit may still include, or carry warnings for, an allergen that matters to someone at the party. |
| Pack format | Compare the stated number and size of portions with the number of party bags. Check the label on the exact pack chosen, even if you shortlisted it online. | Small portions would make the bags easier to assemble, but I still need to check what I’m handing out. |
| Age and serving | UK Government guidance says to cut raisins and other dried fruit into small pieces for babies under one. The NHS advises giving dried fruit to toddlers with meals rather than between meals because of tooth-decay risk. | If younger children are attending, I want parents or carers to know when and how to serve the fruit rather than have it eaten straight from the bag. |
Party-bag pitfalls
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Assuming plain raisins are allergy-safe
A short ingredient list is not a free-from claim for a child’s specific allergen. Products in the dried-fruit aisle can also have different precautionary statements.
Ask the parent or carer what must be avoided, then check the physical pack for a matching claim and any relevant warnings.
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Treating every fruit mix as a free-from option
Coatings and mixed snacks can change the allergen picture: Whitworths’ Favourites Trail Mix lists nuts, while its Raisin & Chocolate Shots declare soya and sulphur dioxide and carry further precautionary warnings.
Check a mix or coated snack as its own product; do not substitute it for a plain or explicitly labelled free-from pack without reviewing its label.
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Handing dried fruit to toddlers to eat between meals
The NHS advises giving toddlers dried fruit such as raisins with meals rather than between meals because its sugars can cause tooth decay.
If it goes into a take-home bag, let the parent or carer decide when to serve it.
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Overlooking preparation for babies
UK Government early-years guidance says babies under one should not be given whole raisins or other whole dried fruit.
Do not hand a whole-raisin pack to a baby to eat as it is; the guidance says to cut the fruit into small pieces before serving.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why a party-bag choice depends on the exact product label, rather than the brand or retailer name alone.
Sainsbury’s
Its range includes both an explicitly labelled free-from coated-raisin product and plain portioned raisins.
- Sainsbury’s Free From Choc Coated Raisins are labelled milk and gluten free; Mini Snack Raisins come as 12 × 14g packs.
- Sainsbury’s says ingredients can change, so check the pack being handed out. The free-from claim on the coated raisins names milk and gluten, not every allergen.
Whitworths
Sunny Raisin offers a portioned plain-raisin format, while other Whitworths snacks have different ingredients and allergen statements.
- Whitworths Sunny Raisin is an 8 × 14g pack listing raisins (99%) and sunflower oil.
- Whitworths Favourites Trail Mix lists nuts, and Raisin & Chocolate Shots carry declared allergens and precautionary warnings; the Sunny Raisin ingredients cannot stand in for checks on those products.
Tesco
Tesco’s dried-fruit range includes larger plain-fruit packs as well as other fruit formats.
- Tesco lists 1kg seedless raisins and 1kg sultanas alongside products such as prunes.
- A dried-fruit category listing does not establish an individual product’s allergen suitability or how it will be portioned for party bags.
ASDA
Its plain raisins and raisin mix illustrate the importance of checking the exact product.
- ASDA Seedless Raisins 500g list raisins and sunflower oil.
- ASDA Three Raisin Mix declares sulphur dioxide or sulphites and says it may contain peanuts and nuts.
M&S
M&S lists raisin snack boxes alongside other fruit snacks, including coated fruit.
- Its fruit-snack listings include raisin snack boxes and chocolate-coated raisins, allowing a check of different formats.
- M&S advises shoppers to read the current ingredients list and says relevant cross-contamination warnings appear on packs.
Joybuy product options
These options are a strawberry fruit snack and a portioned raisin pack for party bags. If a guest has an allergy, check the pack for a claim covering the allergen they need to avoid; neither pack size nor an age label establishes that claim.
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Kiddylicious Strawberry Fruit Wriggles 12+ Months, 4 × 12g
The 4 × 12g format is an option when assembling small party bags; the product name states 12+ months. For a guest with an allergy, check the current pack for a free-from claim covering their specific requirement and for any relevant precautionary statements.
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Organix Goodies Raisins 12+ Months, 12 × 14g
The 12 × 14g raisin format may suit party bags needing several small portions; the product name states 12+ months. Check the current pack before using it for a child with an allergy. For toddlers, the NHS advises serving dried fruit with meals rather than between meals.
Common questions
Does “free from” mean a product contains no allergens?
No. The Food Standards Agency says a free-from claim guarantees absence of the allergen it specifies. A milk- and gluten-free label does not, by itself, answer a question about nuts, sesame or another allergen; check the full current pack against the child’s needs.
Can raisins go in a toddler’s party bag?
They can be included for a parent or carer to serve later, but the NHS advises giving toddlers dried fruit such as raisins with meals rather than as a snack between meals because its sugars can cause tooth decay.
Can a baby under one eat whole raisins?
No. UK Government early-years choking guidance says not to give babies under one whole raisins or other whole dried fruit; cut them into small pieces before serving.
Is the supermarket website enough to check allergens?
Check the physical pack as well. Sainsbury’s says product ingredients can change, and M&S advises reading the current ingredients list and relevant warnings. For a party guest with an allergy, compare that pack with the requirement confirmed by their parent or carer.