Vegans comparing dried-fruit snacks
Compare fat on the per-100g panel and check vegan suitability on the exact pack. An ingredient list also helps distinguish plain fruit from products containing oil or other additions.
Who these choices suit
Vegan bakers buying larger packs
A mixed-fruit pack may suit baking, but check its vegan statement and whether ingredients such as candied peel or sulphites fit what you plan to make.
Shoppers managing animal-origin allergens
Vegan suitability and allergen safety are separate checks. GOV.UK guidance says vegan labelling does not guarantee that animal-origin allergens are absent through cross-contamination.
What to check before buying
Start with vegan suitability and any relevant allergen warnings, then compare fat, ingredients and the amount you expect to use. In a Food Standards Agency-commissioned Ipsos UK online survey in December 2023, people with food hypersensitivities and people shopping for them were asked about awareness of cross-contamination; the results do not describe all vegan shoppers.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Vegan and allergen labelling | Read the exact pack’s vegan statement, ingredients and any precautionary allergen wording. A vegan label does not guarantee freedom from cross-contamination, according to GOV.UK. | I need to check a particular animal-origin allergen, not just whether the food is vegan. Before the Ipsos UK survey, 53% of respondents with a relevant food hypersensitivity and 50% of those shopping for someone with one knew that a vegan product might still be unsuitable because of cross-contamination. |
| Declared fat | Compare fat per 100g, not per pack. Department of Health and Social Care guidance gives 3g per 100g as the Great Britain low-fat benchmark for solid foods; it does not establish a reduction against another product. | I’m comparing lower-fat choices and want figures measured on the same basis. |
| Sugars and ingredients | Read sugars per 100g alongside the ingredient list. Check for additions such as sunflower oil, candied peel, glucose syrup or sugar, and for sulphites where relevant. | Plain fruit, a flavoured snack and a baking mix would serve different purposes in my kitchen. |
| Pack and portion | Check the pack weight against the amount you intend to eat or bake with. The NHS states that 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. | A small snack box may be convenient, while a larger pack may better match a baking recipe. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming vegan means allergen-free
GOV.UK says vegan labelling means animal-origin ingredients were not intentionally used; it does not guarantee their absence through cross-contamination.
If milk, egg, fish, crustaceans or molluscs are relevant to you, read the exact pack’s allergen declaration and any precautionary wording rather than relying on the vegan statement.
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Reading low fat as plain fruit or low sugar
The BEAR, Whitworths and Tesco product information declares differing sugar figures and ingredients, including sunflower oil in the raisins and candied peel in the mixed fruit. Their fat figures do not answer those separate questions.
Compare both fat and sugars per 100g, then use the ingredient list to choose between a simpler fruit snack and a mix intended for baking.
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Counting every snack box as a full dried-fruit portion
The NHS uses 30g of dried fruit for one 5 A Day portion. A 14g box of Whitworths Sunny Raisins is smaller than that amount.
Check the box weight rather than judging by its appearance. The NHS also advises having dried fruit at mealtimes instead of between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Brand and product references
These details concern the named products, not every dried-fruit product made by each brand.
BEAR
Sainsbury’s lists BEAR Fruit Dried Mango & Passionfruit 85g as vegan-friendly.
- The listing declares 0.7g fat and 48g sugars per 100g, with mango, passionfruit and lime as ingredients.
- The listing states no added sugar and no sulphites.
- No added sugar does not mean the listed sugars figure is zero.
Whitworths
Whitworths labels Sunny Raisins suitable for vegans.
- The product information declares 0.9g fat per 100g.
- Its ingredients include raisins (99%) and sunflower oil; it declares 66.5g sugars per 100g.
Tesco
Tesco labels its Dried Mixed Fruit 1Kg suitable for vegans; the pack format is relevant to baking and cooking.
- The listing declares 2.5g fat per 100g.
- The mix contains sulphites and includes candied peel with glucose syrup and sugar. It declares 57g sugars per 100g.
Dried fruit options on Joybuy
These Joybuy options cover small dried-fruit snack packs and larger packs of dates or prunes. For each one, use the current pack label to check vegan suitability, fat per 100g, ingredients and allergen information before deciding.
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Fang Jia Puzi Dried Red Date Slices 200g
A 200g pack of sliced dried red dates may suit snacking or cooking. Check the current ingredients, vegan suitability and per-100g nutrition panel.
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Forest Feast Tropical Pineapple 120g
This 120g pineapple pack is an option for a fruit snack. Check its vegan statement, sulphite and other allergen wording, and fat and sugars per 100g on the current pack.
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Kooky Gently Dried Dragon Fruit 20g
The 20g pack is sized for an individual snack rather than a large baking batch. Check the current vegan and allergen wording and compare its per-100g nutrition panel.
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Kooky Freeze Dried Jackfruit 12g
This 12g freeze-dried jackfruit pack is a small snack format. If you need fruit for cooking, check the quantity required; also read the current vegan, allergen and nutrition information.
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J.ZAO Pitted Chilean Prunes 500g
This 500g pack of individually wrapped prunes offers a different format from the smaller fruit packs. Read the current ingredient list, vegan suitability and per-100g panel rather than relying on claims in the product name.
Frequently asked questions
Does vegan dried fruit necessarily suit someone with a milk or egg allergy?
No. GOV.UK guidance says a vegan label indicates that animal-origin ingredients were not intentionally used, but does not guarantee their absence through cross-contamination. Check the exact product’s allergen declaration and precautionary wording for the allergen that matters to you.
What does low fat mean when comparing dried fruit?
Department of Health and Social Care guidance gives no more than 3g fat per 100g as the Great Britain low-fat benchmark for solid foods. Compare products on that per-100g basis. The benchmark alone does not show that a product has reduced fat compared with another version.
How much dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion?
The NHS states that 30g of dried fruit counts as one portion. It advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk, so check the weight of a snack box rather than assuming it contains one portion.
Why compare sugars when the fat figure is low?
Fat and sugars are separate entries on the nutrition panel. The Sainsbury’s BEAR listing declares 48g sugars per 100g, Whitworths declares 66.5g for Sunny Raisins, and Tesco declares 57g for its Dried Mixed Fruit. Check the ingredients too if you want to distinguish plain fruit from a product containing oil or candied peel.