You pick up a packet of granola or a juice carton and see the words “No Added Sugar” printed boldly on the front. That's reassuring; it sounds like exactly what you were looking for. You don’t think twice, adding it to your basket. After all, if no sugar was added, then that means it must be low in sugar, right?
Turns out, it's not that simple.
Recently, the FSSAI has asked some brands to review how they use the term “No Added Sugar”. The reason: some ingredients were stretching the meaning further than intended, using ingredients that were still full of sugar. This can be confusing because the claim itself isn't wrong. But it doesn't always mean what we assume.
Let’s Break It Down
Think of it this way: "No Added Sugar" tells you how a product was made - if any sugar was added during the manufacturing process; it does not tell you how much natural sugar the product contains.
What does this mean, then? A product can have "No Added Sugar" printed on the pack, and still be high in sugar. That sugar just comes from naturally sweet ingredients instead.
For example, imagine a granola with dates, date syrup, and oats as its first three ingredients. Technically, it qualifies as "No Added Sugar" because no table sugar was added. But, its first two ingredients are still naturally high in sugar. It’s worth noting that ingredients are listed in order of how much of them is in the product. So, when sugar-heavy ingredients sit at the top of the list, it means they make up a large part of what you're eating.
That doesn't make the label misleading. It just means it is answering a different question than many assume. And granola isn't the only example.
You'll see the same pattern in breakfast cereals, protein bars, biscuits, and juices. Most are sweetened with dates, date syrup, honey, or fruit concentrate instead of table sugar. They don’t compromise on flavour, but they're also still high in sugar.
Not all sweeteners work in the same way, though. Ingredients like stevia and monkfruit are extremely sweet, so only a very small amount is needed to sweeten a product. As a result, they can add sweetness without contributing much sugar.
This means that "No Added Sugar" can describe two very different products: one high in natural sugar, sweetened with dates, honey, or fruit concentrate, and one that may contain very little sugar overall.
To tell the two apart, flip the pack around and check the ingredients on the back.
Why Does This Matter?
For those looking to replace table sugar, the label tells them all they need to know.
But someone managing diabetes needs to know their total sugar intake. A parent packing a lunchbox may want the lower-sugar option. For them, the source of the sugar isn’t as important as how the body responds to it. And in these cases, blood glucose rises the same whether the sugar came from a packet or a date. For both, the total sugar figure matters more than the "No Added Sugar" claim alone.
Take fruit concentrate, which is made by removing the water from fruit, also removing the fibre. Without that fibre, it behaves much more like syrup than fruit. So if you're specifically avoiding table sugar, fruit concentrate fits the bill. If you're generally avoiding it, this doesn't help much.
It’s worth noting that products made with dates, honey, or fruit concentrates are not automatically unhealthy. Rather, it’s about understanding what each message is guaranteeing.
The Sugar Labels
Once you understand what “No Added Sugar” actually promises, it’s easier to see how it differs from other related phrases. The most common ones are Sugar-Free, Reduced Sugar, and No Added Sugar. How do you tell them apart?
The important thing is to know you don't have to worry about memorising every message on a packet. It's just about understanding what question each one is answering, and what matters to you.
So, the next time you see "No Added Sugar," treat it as one piece of information, not the whole picture. It tells you no sugar was added during manufacturing, and that can be useful, if that's all you need to know. But, if sugar content matters to you — for diabetes, family preferences, or any other reason — then check the ingredients list and nutrition panel, not just the front of the pack.
In the end, the goal isn't to become an expert label reader. It's simply to know where to look and what these claims mean. Once you understand that, choosing foods that suit your needs becomes a lot simpler.
