A pale coating on dried fruit does not have one universal cause. In some products it may be related to crystallisation of naturally occurring sugars, but colour alone cannot rule out mould or other spoilage. Assess the whole product and pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crystallisation may appear dry, fine and grainy. It can be distributed relatively evenly over sweet fruit and is not normally accompanied by an abnormal smell. Appearance alone is still not conclusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check the whole pack, storage conditions, date and manufacturer\u2019s instructions. If the coating appeared after moisture exposure or comes with an abnormal smell, do not automatically treat it as sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not taste a suspicious product to identify mould, and do not simply remove one questionable piece. If the product appears mouldy or spoilage cannot reasonably be ruled out, do not eat it. Contact the seller and keep photographs, the pack and batch number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Different fruits, recipes and processes create different surfaces. An internet photograph cannot replace assessment of the individual batch. A pale coating may be natural, but food with signs of moisture, mould or abnormal odour should not be eaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fruit naturally contains sugars. During storage, small changes in moisture and temperature may encourage them to migrate and crystallise at the surface, especially in sweet, dense fruit. This does not automatically mean sugar was added, but it must not be used as the only reason to rule out mould.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When contacting the seller, photograph the whole pack, take a close-up of the coating and include the label with its batch number. This allows the report to be compared with product records and other packs from the same batch. The phrase white coating alone is generally too vague for a responsible assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not try to wash away a suspicious coating or heat the product to save it, and never test safety by tasting. If the surface is fluffy, the smell is abnormal or the pack has been exposed to moisture, set the product aside, do not serve it to anyone else and contact the seller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No. It can have different causes; check texture, smell, moisture and packaging as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No. A product that appears mouldy should be discarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sugar crystallisation itself is usually a quality change, but only when spoilage signs have been ruled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Photographs, product name, batch number, the date on the pack and storage details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read our guide to storing dried and freeze-dried fruit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSources and update note<\/h2>\n\n\n\n