Dried fruit meaning refers to fruit from which most of the water has been removed by natural or artificial drying, concentrating sugars, fibre and flavour, and making it shelf-stable for trade.
In trade practice
Buyers specify moisture content or water activity, sulphite status, size grade, colour and defect tolerance in purchase contracts. Suppliers provide a certificate of analysis per batch covering these parameters. Common mistakes include accepting CoAs from non-accredited laboratories and overlooking sulphite declarations required under EU food labelling rules. Logistics teams monitor storage humidity to prevent reabsorption during transit.
In a specification
A specification for dried fruit typically states the target moisture or water activity range, permitted sulphur dioxide status, minimum grade and defect limits, with reference to the applicable EU maximum levels instrument.