Understanding food labels is a genuinely difficult task – food labelling regulations remain fairly loosely defined, even with ongoing efforts to tighten them. Even a clearly labelled product can be surprisingly hard to interpret once you start reading the actual nutrition information.
Most manufacturers use labelling that's technically accurate but can still be misleading in practice – sugar is one of the clearest examples of this.
The language used around sugar on food labels can be genuinely confusing. Terms like "no added sugar" or "unsweetened" often lead people to assume a product is sugar-free and automatically healthy – but that's not necessarily the case.
What Does "No Added Sugar" Actually Mean?
This isn't the same as "no sugar." No added sugar means no artificial or refined sugar has been added as an ingredient – but the product can still contain naturally occurring sugars.
It also doesn't mean the product will taste sour or unsweetened. Naturally occurring sugar generally isn't harmful in reasonable amounts, but it's still worth monitoring, particularly for anyone managing diabetes or a sugar-related condition. Some fruits – bananas, figs, grapes, watermelon, cherries and mangoes – are naturally higher in sugar and worth eating in moderation, while oranges, strawberries, blackberries, peaches and citrus fruits like grapefruit and lime are comparatively lower. It's also worth being aware of dairy-containing products, since milk naturally contains lactose, a type of sugar – naturally occurring or not, sugar still counts toward overall intake.
Is "Unsweetened" the Same Thing?
Broadly, yes – no sugar or sweeteners have been added to create a sweet taste, but natural sugars can still be present. If you enjoy juice, vegetable juices are a lower-sugar alternative worth trying, or simply reaching for a raw carrot as a naturally sweet snack.
What Are "Free Sugars"?
"Free sugars" is a term worth understanding, since it covers sugar in products that might otherwise seem healthy. Regularly consuming high amounts of free sugar is linked to increased risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Fruit juice is a good example. Once fruit is juiced, its sugars are released from the fruit's cell structure and classified as "free sugar." Honey and syrup work similarly. Whole fruit, eaten in its raw form, doesn't carry this issue in the same way, since the sugar remains contained within the fruit's cells, requiring the digestive system to break them down as part of normal digestion. Added sugar in any product also counts as free sugar.
Whole fruit also retains its fibre content, unlike juice, which loses most of it during processing. Drinking several glasses of fruit juice a day can add up to a meaningfully higher sugar intake than eating one or two pieces of whole fruit.
As a general guide: a standard chocolate bar contains around 25g of free sugar, 150ml of fruit juice around 12g, and a can of cola around 35g. UK guidelines recommend keeping free sugar intake to no more than around 30g a day for the average adult, with children over 11 generally following the same guidance as adults.
Key Considerations
Anyone managing diabetes or prediabetes should pay particular attention to added sugar and foods that raise blood sugar quickly. There are plenty of naturally lower-sugar, lower-carbohydrate foods that still taste genuinely satisfying with a touch of natural sweetness.
Plain yoghurt (ideally low-fat Greek yoghurt) and cottage cheese are good examples – both work well with fresh fruit or vegetable sticks added. Choose unflavoured varieties where possible, since flavoured versions often contain significant added sugar, and add your own fresh strawberries or similar for natural sweetness instead.
Reading labels properly and being aware of terms like "free sugar" makes a real difference to overall sugar intake – and if you suspect sugar itself might be triggering symptoms beyond general dietary concerns, it's worth understanding the signs of a genuine sugar intolerance, which is a different issue from general sugar consumption guidance.
