Difference Between Sugar-Free & No Added Sugar?
Foods and drinks sometimes seem to almost talk to us from the store shelves. “Psst, watching your weight? Check me out!” “Cutting back on sugar? I’m the one you want!”
Food packages often include statements about health benefits or nutritional quality separate from the required Nutrition Facts label. You may be wondering how to make sense of it all. Are these products healthier? Should you eat more of them?
The answer: It’s complicated. Especially when it comes to sugar content claims.
What do sugar content claims mean?
According to the FDA, nutrient content claims describe the level of a nutrient (such as sugar) in the product using terms such as “free” and “low” or compare the level of a nutrient in a product to that of another product using terms such as “reduced” and “less.” For example:
· Sugar-Free (Zero Sugar)
One serving* contains less than 0.5 grams of sugars, both natural and added. (Also: free of sugar, sugarless, no sugar, zero sugar, or trivial source of sugar.)
· No Added Sugar
No sugar or ingredient containing sugar was added during processing or packaging. (Also: without added sugar or no sugar added.) *
· Reduced Sugar
Has at least 25% less sugars than the regular version of the product. (Also: less sugar, low in sugar, or lower sugar.)
Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
The American Heart Association labels low-calorie sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, and noncaloric sweeteners as non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) since they offer no nutritional benefits such as vitamins and minerals. They may be low in calories or have no calories, depending upon the brand.
The FDA has approved these NNSs as safe for use in foods and beverages:
- Aspartame (NutraSweet® and Equal®)
- Acesulfame-K (Sweet One®)
- Neotame
- Saccharin (Sweet’N Low®)
- Sucralose (Splenda®)
FDA considers stevia, monk fruit, and allulose to be Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use as NNSs.
Bottom line
If you eat a lot of sweets or drink sugary beverages regularly, finding replacement products with less sugar can be a good way to start cutting back and improving your health. Switch to unsweetened products when possible. You can always add a bit of natural sweetener – or naturally sweet fruit – to get just the right amount of sweetness without all the extra calories and added sugars.
Over time, you won’t even miss them, no matter how loudly they call to you from the grocery shelves!