No added sugar vs low sugar: what the label means
No added sugar describes the recipe; low sugar describes a quantity. Understand the difference before comparing two snack packets.
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No added sugar does not mean low sugar. The phrases answer different questions: what was added to the recipe, and how much sugar is in the finished food.
Three claims, three checks
The GB nutrition claims register gives these conditions in its nutrition claims sheet:
| Claim | What to check |
|---|---|
| Low sugar | No more than 5g sugars per 100g of solid food, or 2.5g per 100ml of liquid |
| Sugar free | No more than 0.5g sugars per 100g or 100ml |
| No added sugar | No added monosaccharides or disaccharides, or other foods used for their sweetening properties |
For the last claim, naturally present sugars also require the indication contains naturally occurring sugars on the label. This guide covers Great Britain. The EU claim list is the reference for the corresponding Northern Ireland framework.
A fictional packet comparison
Suppose a solid snack has 18g total sugars per 100g, all naturally present in its ingredients, with nothing added for sweetening. The sugar quantity is too high for a low sugar claim. Whether no added sugar is appropriate depends on the recipe and the purpose of its ingredients, not just the number 18.
A different solid snack with 4g total sugars per 100g meets the low sugar quantity threshold. That figure alone tells you nothing about whether sugar was added.
A small serving can create a third source of confusion. A 20g serving of the first snack contains 3.6g sugars, but that does not turn its 18g-per-100g composition into low sugar. The portion calculator helps keep those two calculations separate.
Read ingredients and nutrition together
Look for the carbohydrate, of which sugars line in the nutrition panel. That is total sugars; it is not a separate tally of added sugars. Then read the ingredients list to understand the recipe.
Honey, syrups and fruit ingredients used to sweeten cannot simply be treated as a way around the no added sugar condition. Conversely, the mere presence of fruit does not tell you why it was included. A consumer-facing label rarely gives enough information to determine a manufacturer's full formulation decision.
These claims do not settle allergy suitability, dental effects, how much carbohydrate a person needs, or whether a food suits a medical condition. They are limited statements about a food, not personalised advice.
Use the whole label
When comparing two products, use the same per 100g basis, consider the portion you expect to eat and check the rest of the panel. A low sugar claim cannot stand in for the fat, salt, fibre or energy figures.
For the wider explanation of the sugars line and front-of-pack colours, see the NHS guide to food labels.
Sources checked 21 September 2026. Examples are fictional; the calculations explain labels and do not certify a product or prescribe a diet.