Food labeling guide explains added sugars and sweeteners

Understanding food labels is essential for making informed nutritional choices, particularly regarding the distinction between total sugars and added sugars. Under European regulations, a product labeled ‘no added sugar’ means no monosaccharides, disaccharides, or other sweetening agents were added during processing. However, these products may still contain natural sugars from raw materials like fruit, milk, or cereals.

To maintain sweetness without traditional sugar, many light or diet products utilize intensive sweeteners or polyols, such as aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, and stevia. Consumers should also be aware of other technical terms on labels, including saturated and trans fats, various vegetable oils like palm and coconut oil, and different types of syrups such as inverted sugar or glucose-fructose syrup.