Dried fruit might sound simple in theory: fruit that has been air-dried. However, when you peek behind the curtain of the food industry, you will come to learn that not all dried fruit is created equal. Sulfur dioxide plays a role in many dehydrated fruits on the market.
Seawind Foods is the only ingredient supplier in North America that provides low sweet dried fruit made without sulfur dioxide. The promise of True No SO2™ is just as important as the fruit itself, and below, you will learn why.
Sulfur Dioxide and Dried Fruit
Sulfur Dioxide, also known as SO2, is a naturally occurring chemical compound frequently used as a preservative in foods. Most often, SO2 is used to help extend a product’s shelf life, maintain its color, and help to kill bacteria.
While these traits all sound positive, a bit of research can help anyone understand that SO2 has been linked to allergies, can cause asthma attacks, and in some cases, lead to death.
As consumers become more aware and educated each year of the ingredients they are filling their bodies with, it is imperative that the reactions linked with SO2 are known. The majority of companies who use SO2 do so to ensure their foods can last longer on the shelves, therefore saving the company a significant amount of money.
In particular, dried fruits often contain significant amounts of sulfites compared to the amounts found in wine. When SO2 is used to process dried fruit, the FDA allows it to go unlabeled.
How is this done? The company simply needs to boil out the SO2 which also eliminates vital nutrients from the fruit; changes the texture of the product and modifies its flavor.
Some businesses choose to take advantage of the system when utilizing SO2. If their end products contain less than 10 parts per million of sulfur dioxide, they are not required to include sulfur dioxide on the ingredient label.
This is why customers (and businesses) must be aware of the inner workings of the food industry to understand not all dried fruit is created equal. The True No SO2™ label that Seawind Foods promises on all dried fruit is critical in building your brand on transparency with your customers.
Is Eating Dried Fruit Healthy?
Eating fruit, even dried fruit, is a great way to help promote a well-balanced diet for your customers. When reaching for products in the grocery aisle, many demographics are looking at healthy options for themselves and their families.
While much dried fruit can be found in bulk bins at the supermarket, there are a variety of ways to incorporate dried fruits into your products:
- Krusteaz Banana Nut Muffin Mix: Dried Banana
- Ekoa Pineapple Fruit Bar
- BarkThins chocolate bark with blueberries and quinoa
- Blue Buffalo dog food
- Barnana Chocolate Banana Bites: Organic Banana
- iHerb Organic Dried Mangos
Why Choose Seawind Foods Dried Fruit?
Ensuring that you receive high-quality ingredients delivered with exceptional customer service is one of the services we pride ourselves most on as a company.
When you purchase air-dried fruit from Seawind Foods, you will receive the best quality products that taste delicious and have no potential side effects. Our air-dried, True No SO2™ dried fruits are guaranteed to never touch unnatural sulfites. Your customers will love the products you create using True No SO2™ fruit.
We sell many tasty dried fruits. Some of our most popular sellers include banana, pineapple, mango, and papaya. If your company is looking for something unique, be sure to ask us about golden berries, jackfruit, and our tropical fruit blend.
We hope you will reach out to us to learn more about the True No SO2™ fruits we offer and how they can be used in your upcoming developments.
Contact our team with any questions you have or to place an order today!
