Can no-added-sugar food still contain sugar?
Yes.
“No Added Sugar” Does Not Mean “No Sugar”
Published · Updated · Sláinte Editorial
A product says NO ADDED SUGAR.
Then you turn it around and the nutrition table still shows sugar.
That is not automatically a contradiction.
“No added sugar” and “sugar-free” mean different things.
Understanding the difference makes food labels much easier to read.
What does “no added sugar” mean?
Under EU nutrition-claim rules, a no-added-sugars claim can only be made when the product does not contain added monosaccharides or disaccharides, or another food used for its sweetening properties.
When sugars are naturally present in the food, the label should carry the appropriate indication that it contains naturally occurring sugars.
Can a no-added-sugar food still contain sugar?
Yes.
Plain milk and yoghurt are obvious examples.
Milk naturally contains lactose.
So a food can contain sugars while having no sugar deliberately added during manufacture.
No added sugar vs sugar-free
These claims answer different questions.
Sugar-free
The EU claim is based on the amount of sugars in the product.
No added sugar
The claim focuses on whether sugars or foods used for sweetening were added.
A product with naturally occurring sugar can therefore potentially make a no-added-sugar claim while not being sugar-free.
Can a no-added-sugar product contain sweeteners?
FSAI guidance explains that the use of authorised sweeteners does not automatically prevent the claim where the conditions for “no added sugar” are otherwise met.
That is another reason no added sugar does not mean nothing sweet was added to the formulation.
The ingredients list tells you what was actually used.
What about honey and syrup?
This is where the wording foods used for their sweetening properties matters.
Replacing table sugar with honey or syrup does not automatically create a no-added-sugar product.
The legal conditions need to be applied to the actual formulation.
Can you calculate added sugar from the nutrition panel?
Usually not.
The standard nutrition table reports total sugars.
It does not generally give a separate mandatory “added sugars” line like some other countries use.
So do not take total sugar and invent an exact added-sugar value.
Plain yoghurt example
The Glenisk whole natural yoghurt lists 3.3g sugars per 100g.
That is a useful example of why seeing sugar in the nutrition panel does not itself prove added sugar.
The ingredients and product type add context.
Three label scenarios
Plain yoghurt
Total sugar present. No need to assume it was added.
No-added-sugar product with sweetener
Could potentially meet the claim conditions while using an authorised sweetener.
Product sweetened with honey
Do not assume “no added sugar” simply because the sweetener is honey rather than sucrose.
What this means when you’re shopping
When you see no added sugar:
- Read the ingredients.
- Check total sugars.
- Look for naturally occurring sugar wording where relevant.
- Check whether sweeteners are present.
- Do not confuse the claim with sugar-free.
How Sláinte helps
Sláinte can bring the front claim, ingredients and nutrition into the same product view.
That makes it easier to see what the claim does and does not tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Can it contain sweeteners?
It can, where the applicable rules are met.
Is honey different?
Honey is still a food used for sweetening. The exact claim conditions matter.
Is no added sugar the same as sugar-free?
No.
Can I calculate added sugar from total sugars?
Not reliably from the standard nutrition table alone.
The short version
- No added sugar does not mean no sugar.
- Naturally occurring sugars can remain.
- Sugar-free is a different claim.
- Sweeteners may still be present.
- Honey is not automatically a loophole.
- Total sugars does not tell you exact added sugar.
- Read the ingredients and nutrition together.
Sources
- European Commission nutrition claims
- FSAI nutrition and health claims
- FSAI nutrition labelling
- Glenisk Bio Organic products
Last reviewed: 5 October 2026