Choose dried fruit against your specific allergen requirement, then check the full ingredients and nutrition information rather than treating “free from” as a weight-management claim. A fruit-only ingredient list is a useful starting point if you want to avoid added sugar, but it does not establish allergen suitability. The NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion; compare that amount with the pack size and the portion you intend to eat.
The useful checks differ depending on whether portion size, added ingredients or a particular allergen determines your choice.
If dried fruit is part of a weight-management routine, compare the pack with the NHS’s 30g dried-fruit portion rather than assuming a small-looking packet contains one portion. Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust advises limiting dried fruit because it is high in natural sugars.
Check the exact product’s ingredients, allergen declaration and any precautionary wording. Fruit ingredients alone do not establish suitability: M&S Orchard Fruits Medley, for example, declares sulphites and says it is unsuitable for people with nut, peanut or sesame allergy.
Read the whole ingredient list when choosing fruit for snacking or cooking. M&S lists sweetened cranberries, candied peel and sweetened pineapple in one mixed-fruit product, so its recipe differs from a fruit-only product.
Start with any allergen you must avoid. Then compare ingredients, nutrition information and pack size against how you plan to use the fruit.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Read the pack weight and nutrition information per 100g and per serving. The NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion; a packet may contain less or more. | I want an amount I can portion consistently, rather than eating directly from a large bag. |
| Added ingredients | Check for named sugars, syrups, sweetened fruit and candied peel. Compare energy and sugars on the same per-100g basis, then consider your intended portion. | A short fruit-only ingredient list matters to me more than the sweetness or cooking properties of a mixed-fruit recipe. |
| Specific allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen declaration and precautionary wording. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary allergen labelling communicates possible unintentional allergen presence. | I need to check for my particular allergen; a general “free from” message does not answer whether this product meets that requirement. |
| Sulphites and product variants | Look for sulphur dioxide or sulphites and read product-specific suitability statements. Recheck the current pack when changing fruit type, flavour or pack size. | If I avoid sulphites, nuts, peanuts or sesame, I cannot assume another dried-fruit mix has the same declaration. |
An allergen exclusion does not describe the product’s sugar or energy content. M&S lists sweetened fruit and candied peel in one mixed-fruit product.
Check the full ingredients and compare nutrition values per 100g before deciding how much to serve.
M&S Orchard Fruits Medley declares sulphites and carries nut, peanut and sesame suitability warnings. The Food Standards Agency says precautionary allergen wording can indicate possible unintentional presence.
Read the declaration on the specific pack you intend to use, including when switching between variants.
It is harder to keep track of the amount eaten when there is no serving boundary. The NHS uses 30g as one dried-fruit 5 A Day portion.
Set out the amount you intend to eat before putting the bag away; do not assume the whole pack is one portion.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s advise checking product packaging because food information can change.
Check the label on the item received, and consult the current retailer list if you use an own-brand allergen-specific list.
These examples show where pack formats or product-level information may help you compare options; a brand or retailer name does not establish that every product meets a free-from requirement.
Whitworths shows a dried apricot and mango variety pack in 30g formats on its own site.
Tesco’s dried-fruit listing includes own-label prunes, cranberries, mango and raisins.
M&S product pages give ingredient and allergen details for individual dried-fruit mixes.
Sainsbury’s provides allergen-specific lists for own-brand and in-store prepared products, which it says are updated monthly.
These dried-fruit packs offer different fruit types and pack sizes to assess for a portion-conscious choice. Check each current label against any specific allergen exclusion and your preferred ingredients; the selection is not a blanket free-from range.
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The 10g pack gives you a defined amount smaller than the NHS’s 30g dried-fruit 5 A Day portion. Check the pack’s ingredients and allergen declaration if either determines your choice.
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This peach option also comes in a 10g pack, making the packet amount clear when planning a portion. Read its own ingredients and allergen information rather than assuming it matches the mango variant.
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The 40g pack is larger than the NHS’s 30g dried-fruit 5 A Day portion, so decide whether you intend to use the whole pack or set some aside. Check the exact pack for ingredients and allergen wording.
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This 280g bag calls for a separate serving decision if you are tracking portions. Check the current ingredients and allergen declaration for this Original Flavour variant before relying on it for a free-from requirement.
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For this 300g pack, set out the amount you intend to eat rather than treating the bag as one serving. Read the full ingredients and safety wording on the current pack, particularly if you need to avoid nuts or another allergen.
No. An allergen exclusion does not establish a product’s sugar or energy content. Compare its ingredients and nutrition panel with other products on the same per-100g basis, then consider your portion. Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust advises limiting dried fruit because it is high in natural sugars.
The NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals. A pack labelled 10g, 40g or 300g is not automatically the portion you will eat.
Read the current pack’s ingredients, allergen declaration and any precautionary wording for that specific product. The Food Standards Agency explains that wording such as “may contain” communicates possible unintentional allergen presence; it is not a guarantee that the allergen is absent.
No. M&S Orchard Fruits Medley declares sulphur dioxide (sulphites). Check the exact mix’s label rather than assuming that all fruit types or variants use the same ingredients and preservatives.
Use the website to compare products, then check the packaging of the item you receive. Tesco and Sainsbury’s advise checking the current pack because product information can change.