“No Added Sugar” is one of the most noticeable claims on food packaging.
For people trying to understand how much sugar they consume, it can be a useful starting point. But the phrase is often misunderstood.
Does it mean the product contains no sugar at all?
Does it mean the product is low in calories?
What about dates, fruit, milk, or ingredients that naturally contain sugar?
The answer depends on the food and the exact claim.
Let’s break it down.
1. What Does “No Added Sugar” Mean?
In India, FSSAI’s Advertising and Claims Regulations set conditions for claims about the non-addition of sugars.
Broadly, a food making this claim must not have sugars added directly or through certain ingredients that contribute sugars or substitute for added sugars. The rules also address situations where processing increases the sugars in a food beyond what its ingredients naturally contribute.
Where sugars are naturally present, the label may also need to carry the statement:
“CONTAINS NATURALLY OCCURRING SUGARS.”
The exact requirements depend on the applicable regulations and product formulation.
2. Does “No Added Sugar” Mean “Sugar-Free”?
No.
These claims mean different things.
No Added Sugar
This relates to whether sugars have been added to the food, subject to the applicable conditions.
Sugar-Free
This is a separate nutrient-content claim with specific criteria under the applicable regulations.
A product can contain naturally occurring sugars and still qualify for a no-added-sugar claim, provided the conditions are met.
That is why it is important to read the nutrition panel alongside the front-of-pack claim.
3. What About Sugar Naturally Present in Food?
Some foods naturally contain sugars.
Examples include:
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Milk, which contains lactose
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Fruits, which contain different naturally occurring sugars
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Some vegetables
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Ingredients made from fruit, depending on their form and processing
A product made with fruit or milk may therefore contain sugars even when no sugar has been added.
The total sugars number on the nutrition panel can include naturally occurring sugars as well as added sugars, depending on the product and labelling declarations.
The total sugars figure does not, by itself, tell you whether sugar was added.
4. What About Dates, Honey, and Fruit Concentrates?
This is where labels can become confusing.
Ingredients such as honey, syrups, and certain fruit-derived ingredients may contribute sugars to a food.
Under FSSAI’s non-addition-of-sugars provisions, the use of ingredients that contain sugars or substitute for added sugars can affect whether a no-added-sugar claim is permitted.
For example, the regulations specifically address ingredients such as non-reconstituted concentrated fruit juice and dried fruit paste in the context of non-addition claims. <Cite refs={["turn290544search24"]}/>
The important point is not that every fruit-derived ingredient is identical. It is that the source of sweetness does not automatically determine whether a product qualifies for a particular claim.
The formulation and applicable rules matter.
5. Can a No-Added-Sugar Product Still Be High in Sugar?
It can contain naturally occurring sugars, depending on its ingredients.
For example, a product made with fruit may contain sugars naturally present in the fruit ingredients. A milk-based food may contain lactose.
This does not automatically make the product unhealthy. The nutritional meaning depends on the food, the amount consumed, and the overall diet.
It is useful to distinguish:
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Total sugars
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Added sugars
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The source of sugars
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The amount consumed
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The other nutrients the food provides
6. Does No Added Sugar Mean Low Calorie?
Not necessarily.
A product may contain fats, starches, or other ingredients that contribute energy even if no sugar has been added.
Similarly, removing added sugar does not automatically make a product high in fibre, protein, vitamins, or minerals.
A no-added-sugar claim tells you something specific about the formulation. It is not a complete description of the food’s nutritional quality.
7. How to Read a No-Added-Sugar Label
When you see the claim, check these five things:
1. Read the ingredient list.
Look for ingredients that contribute sugars and understand their form.
2. Check total sugars.
This helps you understand how much sugar is present in the food.
3. Look for the added-sugar declaration.
Where required, this provides additional information.
4. Check the serving size.
The amount you actually eat matters.
5. Assess the whole product.
Consider fibre, protein, saturated fat, sodium, and other relevant nutrients.
The Takeaway
“No Added Sugar” can be a useful claim, but it does not mean “sugar-free,” “low calorie,” or automatically “healthy.”
It tells you something about whether sugars have been added under the applicable conditions. The nutrition panel and ingredient list help you understand what the product contains.
The best approach is to read the claim, check the ingredients, look at the total sugars, and evaluate the whole food—not rely on one phrase on the front of the pack.
