That picture is very helpful - I had no idea that you could tell from looking at the dried fruits if they have been treated by sulfer dioxide or not.

It's not only color that gives treated fruits and veggies away (and yes, dehydrated vegetables are also treated with sulfur) it's also texture. A naturally dried fruit will not be supple (you would not be able to 'bend' it easily) and succulent (the 'meat' would not be nice and 'fat'), it will be dried, unyielding and will have brown edges that are almost brittle.

Also, dehydrating on your own is not really a solution. Dry fruits or veggies are not good for birds unless you are using them in a recipe where they will get hydrated while cooking (like gloop or birdy bread or muffins, etc). The greatest majority of our parrots are canopy eaters, that means that they consume fresh, green plant material mostly. This plant material is loaded with water and canopy eaters practically derive all their fluids from it so Nature did not give them the need to drink a lot of water (ask your vet and he can tell you how dehydration is a very common problem with pet parrots). By feeding your parrot dry fruits, you are not only giving your parrot way too much sugar (obesity -which brings cardiovascular problems, joint damage, liver damage, diabetes, etc), you are also diminishing the water intake and that causes kidney problems. You need water to flush the kidneys out, not enough water, no good renal function.

So, when it comes to fruits and veggies, one should always offer the fresh kind and use the dried only for recipes and in very small quantities at that.

This is an excellent informational thread. Having the knowledge to feed our birds the healthiest foods is my goal and having this kind of information is great. Thanks Karen and Bea.

Thanks for clearing that up Bea! I've taken all the dried veggies out just in case. The manufacturers said the fruits aren't treated with sulfer, but the lady didn't know about the veggies. I'll have do do some research and find out. This is a really great thread!

I have a dehydrator and I'm purchasing fruit & vegies tomorrow.