<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this summary out.  Most who replied think
that I had been given incorrect information in my supermarket as the dusting
on fresh figs is a natural occurence and not due to anything added.
However, others were not so sure and as I'm always sceptical about what
suppliers will do to products even fresh fruit, I won't buy them again
unless I can get more definite assurances from the actual producer.  Here
are a few excerpts with location left in where possible -

Terry in California:
>I used to have a fig tree. Figs have that "dusting" straight from the tree.
>It is natural. Nothing has been added in transport. So they are safe to
>eat.

Lynda:
>Fresh figs have a
>natural coating on them, and yes, it does look a bit dusty

Diane in Arkansas, USA
>I remember those my grandmother grew
>as having a slight dusty appearance.  This is not to say the ones you found
>couldn't have been dusted with something anyway.  I wash all our fruits and
>vegetables before we eat them.

Kemp in Long Island:
>I haven't seen unpackaged figs (lots packaged here from California) but I
>know of some from Greece that seem to have such a film. I bought a pack to
>see what the coating was --it didn't seem like flour. In fact, I'm
>skeptical that a flour dusting on fruit is even a good idea, given
>moisture within all fruit.

Luis de Pablos from Madrid, Spain:
>Here the figs, frecuently are in contact wihy wheat flour, and the
desecated
>figs always contain wheat flour.

Anne:
>Dusting I have seen on dates (another sticky fruit) has been oat flour.

Thanks to all who replied,
Liz (Ward), Dublin, Ireland