What does "no added sugars" mean on the package?

Looking for healthy foods and snacks can be quite confusing because of the different claims about sugar on packaging. One sugar is not the other at all, and we certainly need sugars in a healthy diet. But it's important to choose the right sugars.

Sometimes you will find "no added sugars" on the snack packaging, but sometimes you will also find "no sugar" or "no refined sugar. So do these 3 claims mean the same thing and with these claims are you sure you've grabbed a healthy snack?

Not necessarily, there is a clear difference between the 3 claims and in this article we will go into more detail about what 'without added sugars' actually means. You can read more in detail about the claims 'no sugar' and 'no refined sugar' in 2 separate articles, but we'd like to briefly explain the difference here already to provide clarity for you as a consumer:

‘No sugars’

When a product contains 'no sugars', you can be sure that this product does not contain more than 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams or 100 ml. Moreover, this rule is established by law.

‘No refined sugars’

When you read on a product that it contains no refined sugars, this means that no refined sugars, such as crystal or cane sugar, have been added to the product.

‘No added sugars’

In contrast, the claim 'no added sugars' means that the product contains no added sugars or mono- or disaccharides, but it may therefore contain naturally occurring sugars.

So no added sugars is no sugar at all?

No added sugars doesn’t equal no sugar at all. If you read on a package that there are no added sugars in the product, this means that no sugars were added to the product, but it may contain naturally occurring sugars. So does that mean these products are healthy anyway?

Not necessarily. Whether a product contains added sugars or not says nothing about whether the product is healthy or not and does not mean you can eat unlimited amounts of it. However, these products can still contain sugary ingredients such as honey or rice syrup and even though these are natural sugars, it is best to eat them in moderation as well.

Snack in moderation 

'No added sugars' can be a good guideline in the search for healthy snacks, but it is important to realize that even natural snacks should be enjoyed in moderation. Because sugar is sugar, even with naturally occurring sugars you should not overdo it.

Not only the sugars, but also the presence of other essential nutrients such as dietary fiber , vitamins and minerals are important when choosing your healthy snack. These give your body what it needs and make you feel satiated for longer.

So it is always important to use your common sense when choosing a snack, so you can enjoy your break healthily!