Coated dried fruit and methods

1. Dried fruit having a coating of microcrystalline cellulose in an amount from approximately 1 to 10 grams per kilogram of fruit without agglomeration of the dried fruit.

2. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the microcrystalline cellulose has an average particle size of from approximately 50 to 250 microns.

3. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the microcrystalline cellulose is present at a coating weight of from approximately 2 to 7 grams per kilogram of fruit.

4. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the microcrystalline cellulose is present at a coating weight of from approximately 4 to ≈5 grams per kilogram of fruit.

5. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit is raisins.

6. The dried fruit of claim 5 , wherein the raisins are free of any additive other than the coating of microcrystalline cellulose except for optionally added water.

7. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit is selected from the group consisting of dates, figs, raisins, prunes or dehydrated fruits selected from apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, banana, cherries, cranberries, currants, mango, pineapple, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, tomato, and mixtures thereof.

8. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit has a water activity (A w ) of from approximately 0.15 to ≈0.75.

9. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit is free of any dry external additive other than the coating of microcrystalline cellulose.

10. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit is free of any external additive other than the coating of microcrystalline cellulose.

11. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit is free of any internal or external additive other than the coating of microcrystalline cellulose, a humectant and optionally added water.

12. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit is free of internal or external added monosaccharide or disaccharide.

13. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit is free of any internal or external additive other than the coating of microcrystalline cellulose, a non-monosaccharide or disaccharide humectant and optionally added water.

14. The dried fruit of claim 1 , wherein the dried fruit is free of any internal or external additive other than the coating of microcrystalline cellulose and optionally added water.

15. A method of preparing dried fruit comprising applying a coating of microcrystalline cellulose in an amount from approximately 1 to 10 grams per kilogram of fruite without agglomeration of the dried fruit.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing fruit;

dehydrating the fruit to a desired water activity level to establish the dried fruit;

before or after dehydration, applying the coating of microcrystalline Cellulose to establish a Dried, coated fruit; and

bulk packaging the dried, coated fruit for shipment to a manufacturing customer for use in a food preparation process.

17. A method of using a coated dried fruit comprising:

placing an order for the coated dried fruit with a dried fruit supplier, the coated dried fruit comprising a dried fruit having a coating of microcrystalline cellulose in an amount from approximately 1 to 10 grams per kilogram of fruit without agglomeration of the dried fruit;

receiving shipment of the coated dried fruit; and

conducting further processing operations to package the coated dried fruit, either alone or in combination with other products or in combination with additional food components to provide a combination food product.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the coated dried fruit is mixed with additional food components to provide a combination food product.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the combination food product is a Ready-to-eat cereal.