Market leading dried fruit businesses unite to create Dried Fruit Alliance and revive declining category*

Industry major players join forces to communicate misconceptions around dried fruit in order to drive category growth

The nation’s leading dried fruit businesses have come together in a bid to dispel consumer myths around the consumption of dried fruit. The Dried Fruit Alliance, consisting of Whitworths, Sun Maid, Californian Raisin Administrative Committee, the California Prune Board and the National Dried Fruit Trade Association, aims to re-educate consumers about the negative, and incorrect, perceptions of the category, such as dried fruit being bad for dental health of which there is no medical evidence to suggest this.

With a combined market value of £277m**, The Dried Fruit Alliance is working with a host of healthcare professionals to raise awareness of the health benefits of dried fruit. A recent event bought together industry experts to discuss scientific research studies in relation to dried fruit, covering topics including dental health, dried fruit as part of your five a day, gut health and snacking advice.

A paper covering key findings from the event which was titled Dried Fruit and public health: what the evidence tells us, has since been published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, and an integrated marketing campaign will launch later this month, presenting the key findings to print and broadcast media using consumer research and a variety of spokespeople.

Phil Gowland, Marketing Director at Whitworths said, “We are pleased to have joined forces with a selection of brands and businesses from the category to actively take a stand against some of the common misconceptions around dried fruit. With scientific backing and consumer research to corroborate, the Dried Fruit Alliance is letting consumers know that they can enjoy dried fruit as part of a balanced diet and it has a place in their healthy lifestyles for dried fruit, in turn reviving a declining category*. We want to encourage not discourage the consumption of dried fruit as it is a source of nutrients, high in fibre and is a convenient snacking option for consumers”.