Prune suppliers have won the right to make bowel digestive health claims in Europe, it has been revealed.

The EU Commission has now ruled prunes suppliers can state their products “contribute to normal bowel function”.

Prunes are the only dried fruit that can make such a claim and it follows a six-year campaign by the California Prune Board. 

Mark Dorman, international marketing director of the Californian Prune Board said: “This EFSA ruling has confirmed what people have known for centuries and should help people make a more informed choice about what they are eating and feeding their families.

“We have been working in the UK and Europe for the past 25 years, raising the profile of California Prunes as the healthy and nutritious commodity they are - we finally now have the EU health ruling which confirms that prunes offer a convenient way to maintain normal bowel function.”