Delight in dry fruit

Saurabh Arora

If you are one of those who have been fretting and frowning over packages and packages of dry fruits given to you as Diwali gift, maybe you got a better deal. Let’s weigh their pros and cons.

What are dry fruits?

Dry fruit is the collective name used for fruits, nuts and seeds of fruits which have been subjected to a drying process. To eliminate the water content and improve shelf life, dry fruits are either sun or wind dried or dried in a processing plant using modern drying methods like drum, air, spray or freeze drying. Freeze dried fruits retain the most natural colour, flavour and nutrients and are probably of the best quality. Dry fruits are not only standalone foods, but are also used as ingredients in cooked foods, cakes, namkeens and desserts.

Health benefits

Health conscious consumers have realised that dry fruits are not only good to taste, but are also packed with important nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fibre. Even doctors and dieticians recommend them as a good snacking option.

Cashews contain mono-unsaturated fatty acids and pistachios have omega -6 fatty acids almonds and walnuts are a rich source of Omega-3-fatty acids. These fatty acids help lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also called “bad” cholesterol) and increase HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also called “good” cholesterol). Dates prevent atherosclerosis, which is the deposition of fat in blood vessels. Raisins, prunes, almonds and apricots help fight anaemia. Nuts have a low glycaemic index and are helpful in managing Type II diabetes as well as weight loss. These are reasons why the consumption of dry fruit has gone up in recent years. However, consumers must understand that even though dry fruits have a long history of consumption, there are still some food safety precautions to keep in mind when buying them.

Just like some of the other products in the food industry, the dry fruit market is a highly unorganised sector. The unorganised production and processing of dry fruits poses higher risk of contamination and adulteration as the unorganised sector is unlikely to follow food safety regulations. Therefore, the possibility of contamination during processing, transportation and the storage of dry fruits is a recognisable food safety threat.

To ensure food safety in dried fruits, most manufacturers carry out physical and laboratory food testing. Dry fruits are examined for colour, taste, appearance to detect if they are free from yeast and fungus. Laboratory food testing is carried out to determine that the dried fruits are free from bacteria, pesticide residues or use of preservatives in excess of permitted limits.

Harmless snack?

To most consumers, dried fruit might seem like a harmless snack that can be eaten in any amount. However, what you need to look out for is the fat, sugar syrup, cane sugar and salt content in processed dry fruit. Fat, sugar and salt eaten excessively can cause hypertension and heart related health problems. Giving children handfuls of dry fruit snacks because they are ‘safe and healthy’ could actually prove not so safe and healthy for them if the dried fruit has excessive sulphur dioxide, which is a chemical, or excessive added sugar or salt. Therefore, you must limit intake of dry fruit to a handful a day to get the health benefits and prevent risks.

Food safety risk in lose dry fruit

If you do buy dry fruit that is not packaged but is sold loose, you need to be more cautious because it probably comes from the unorganised sector. You must look out for signs of discolouration as the fruit will grow darker than their natural colour if it spoiled. If fruits like apricots, prunes or figs become hard and difficult to chew, it means they are old. Any smell of rot is a sign that the dry fruit has not been stored correctly and has become mouldy because of absorption of water. As the dry fruits of the unorganised sector will be sold lose or packed in boxes much like sweets, they are likely to have no expiry date.

Though dry fruits do have a shelf life that can extend into years, the risk of food-borne illness is still prevalent if they are not stored appropriately to maintain dry conditions and handled hygienically in retail stores. Consumers must therefore buy dry fruits that are packaged and labelled as per FSSAI guidelines. Avoid buying dried fruits that mention preservatives and sugar on the label.

The pricing

Average consumers are unaware about how the prices of dry fruits vary according to their grades. They are just aware of the packaging, which is a visible clue about the quality. Dry fruits are manufactured both by the unorganised and organised sector. Therefore, the sun dried variety could be cheaper than the freeze dried variety, which is expensive because freeze drying process is expensive. What also causes price differentiation is not just the visual difference in size but the colour, and place of origin. For example, cashew nuts are differentiated just like diamonds and have number grading like WW180, WW240, WW320, etc., which denote the size of cashew kernels. Considering the numerous health benefits, dry fruits are a good proposition provided you have, at the same time, kept food safety parameters in mind when buying them.

The writer is founder of Food Safety Helpline