Dry fruit”
This paper is based on a scientific workshop, convened on 7 June 2018 at the Kings Fund, London, UK to explore key scientific issues relating to dried fruits. Dried fruits have been part of the diet for thousands of years as a means of preserving seasonal fruits and as a tradeable commodity. Key issues identified at the outset were the lack of consensus and general confusion over the definition of dried fruit, equivalence of the portion size to fresh fruit, and on account of dental health, whether dried fruit is suitable as a snack or should be restricted to meals. The key scientific aims were to explore the evidence base for the potential contribution of traditional dried fruits to public health, identify gaps in the evidence, and establish priorities for further research. The following is a summary of the main topics covered in the workshop, followed by a report of the round table discussion (titles of the presentations and related speakers are listed in "Acknowledgm