Compare dried fruit

Research · Dried fruit

What our research found about dried fruit

Dried fruit concentrates sugar and calories, so serving sizes are small and labels matter. Some products add sugar (cranberries are commonly sweetened), oils to prevent sticking, or sulfur dioxide to keep color; the ingredient list will show it. Unsweetened dates, figs and mulberries are typically one ingredient. Fruit powders and superfood blends are a different format from whole dried fruit.

Harvard’s Nutrition Source treats whole fruit as the benchmark and notes that dried fruit is easy to overeat, so compare per-ounce sugar, fiber and added ingredients. If you are sensitive to sulfites, look for sulfur dioxide or sulfites in the list, which is why many brown (unsulfured) fruits are labeled that way.

Products

273 brands

Full labels recorded

1141% of the shelf

Maker says organic

0maker’s claim

List an added sweetener

1of 11 labels

List a seed oil

2of 11 labels

Typical label length

1ingredients (median)

Counts use complete, current ingredient labels only. Records without a published label stay unknown and are never counted as clean.

What to compare

• Added sugar. Sweetened cranberries and tart cherries list sugar or juice concentrate.
• Sulfites. Look for sulfur dioxide or sulfites if you are sensitive.
• Oil coating. Some raisins and fruit pieces are coated with oil.
• Serving size. A serving is small; compare sugar per ounce.

References

1. Vegetables and fruits Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans U.S. Department of Agriculture and HHS
3. Added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label U.S. Food and Drug Administration
4. Organic labeling and what the USDA Organic seal means USDA Agricultural Marketing Service