Dry fruit”

This paper is based on a scientific workshop, convened on 7 June 2018 at the Kings Fund, London, UK to explore key scientific issues relating to dried fruits. Dried fruits have been part of the diet for thousands of years as a means of preserving seasonal fruits and as a tradeable commodity. Key issues identified at the outset were the lack of consensus and general confusion over the definition of dried fruit, equivalence of the portion size to fresh fruit, and on account of dental health, whether dried fruit is suitable as a snack or should be restricted to meals. The key scientific aims were to explore the evidence base for the potential contribution of traditional dried fruits to public health, identify gaps in the evidence, and establish priorities for further research. The following is a summary of the main topics covered in the workshop, followed by a report of the round table discussion (titles of the presentations and related speakers are listed in "Acknowledgments" section).

Definition, categorisation and composition

The term "dried fruit" encompasses a range of different processing methods. Traditional, conventional dried fruits such as dates, figs, prunes, raisins, apricots, apples and pears have no added sugar or juice and are formed by the removal of water (Table 1). WHO classifies traditional dried fruits as " Dry fruit", and like fresh fruit the sugars content is not defined as "free sugars" (WHO 2015; Swan et al. 2018). In contrast, some dried fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, cherries, strawberries and mangoes are usually infused with sugar syrup or fruit juices prior to drying – although these fruits can also be dried without any infusion, which adds to consumer confusion. Some types of dried fruits are brighter in colour compared with natural sun-dried fruits, as sulphur dioxide may be added. Other types of dried fruit include "candy" fruits such as pineapples and papaya, which have a high content of added sugar but are not necessarily labelled as such. Processed, dried-fruit snacks may contain added sugars, or may be made from macerated or pureed fruit that is then dried. There are a number of reasons for adding sugar and or/sugar syrups to dried fruit. In some cases, it increases palatability by adding sweetness (e.g. cranberries), whereas addition to dried fruit that is already sweetened helps the fruit to remain soft throughout its shelf life since sugar and sugar syrups act as natural humectants. Sugar and or/sugar syrups also have a preservative function, by helping to reduce the water activity within the fruit (Goldfein and Slavin 2015).