{"id":953312,"date":"2026-05-11T20:10:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T20:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/953312\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T20:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T20:10:22","slug":"sugar-free-no-sugar-added-arent-the-same-thing-a-dietitian-explains-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/953312\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Sugar Free\u2019 & \u2018No Sugar Added\u2019 Aren\u2019t The Same Thing\u2014A Dietitian Explains The Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"

With increased scrutiny of ultra-processed foods<\/a>, people are reading nutrition labels more closely than ever before. Brands are responding too, and many products have been reformulated<\/a> to meet growing consumer demand for better-for-you foods.<\/p>\n

Two phrases that show up constantly on newer packaging are \u201csugar free\u201d and \u201cno sugar added.\u201d At face value, they sound almost interchangeable. If sugar wasn\u2019t added, that should mean there\u2019s no sugar in the product at all, right?<\/p>\n

Not exactly. It turns out these two claims have very different meanings in the eyes of the FDA. And if you\u2019re not familiar with the distinction, the labels of certain foods can be more misleading than helpful. To understand the difference between \u201csugar free\u201d and \u201cno sugar added,\u201d we spoke with Vandana Sheth<\/a>, RDN, CDCES, FAND, to break it all down.<\/p>\n

What Does Sugar Free Mean?<\/p>\n

Unlike terms like natural, premium, and grass-fed, the FDA<\/a> enforces a specific legal definition of the term \u201csugar free.\u201d According to Sheth, it \u201cmeans that the product has less than 0.5 gram of sugar per serving.\u201d It also can\u2019t include ingredients that are themselves a type of sugar.<\/p>\n

Sugar-free foods, however, can still taste sweet. These products can still contain sugar substitutes<\/a>, which fall within the FDA\u2019s guidelines for the claim. Ingredients like aspartame, stevia, and xylitol can be artificially or naturally derived. But no matter where they come from, they\u2019re often highly processed and, in excess, may cause unpleasant side effects like digestive issues.<\/p>\n

So if your goal is to cut back on processed foods, sugar-free products may not always line up with that. Still, Sheth, who specializes in diabetes care, says, \u201cFor someone managing diabetes or blood sugar balance, sugar-free products may allow for more flexibility and choices without causing blood sugar spikes.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Does No Sugar Added Mean?<\/p>\n

Depending on the product, this claim might also appear as \u201cno added sugars\u201d or \u201cwithout added sugar.\u201d But all three make the same FDA-regulated claim<\/a>: \u201cno sugar has been added during processing or packaging of the product,\u201d Sheth explains.<\/p>\n

That also means the product cannot include other sugar-packed ingredients such as honey, jam, syrups, and concentrated fruit juice. But no-sugar-added products can still contain sugar substitutes as well as naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy. Depending on what you\u2019re buying, that can still add up to a significant amount. \u201cWhen it comes to no sugar added options, keep in mind that they may still have a lot of carbs,\u201d Sheth says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that these labeling rules are not always as straightforward as they seem. A good example is certain cranberry products. Cranberry juice cocktail, for instance, can contain multiple types of concentrated fruit juice\u2014like apple, white grape, and pear\u2014and still use a \u201cno sugar added\u201d label.<\/p>\n

A 2019 FDA document<\/a> explained that the agency loosened some of its labeling requirements for cranberries \u201cto address concerns raised by stakeholders\u201d (presumably Big Cranberry). Dried cranberry products and cranberry beverages can include concentrated fruit juice as a sweetener and still keep the no-sugar-added claim, as long as the final sugar level does not exceed that of similar products made from other fruits.<\/p>\n

What Should Shoppers Consider When Buying These Products?<\/p>\n

Neither of these terms is automatically a nutritional scarlet letter. However, you should still be mindful when buying and consuming \u201csugar-free\u201d and \u201cno sugar added\u201d foods. \u201cDon\u2019t automatically assume a food product is healthy based on these labels,\u201d Sheth says. \u201cFor example, a sugar-free cookie is still a cookie.\u201d<\/p>\n

The best thing shoppers can do is read closely. Look at the ingredient list and nutrition facts, especially total carbs and added sugars. Sheth also recommends checking what ingredient is actually being used to provide sweetness in sugar-free products.<\/p>\n

And, as always, the key is moderation. \u201cPay attention to the serving size,\u201d Sheth explains. \u201cWhen a product is sugar free for one serving, but you have multiple servings, the calculation changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

You Might Also Like<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With increased scrutiny of ultra-processed foods, people are reading nutrition labels more closely than ever before. Brands are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":953313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4318],"tags":[263820,2460,105,4434,266046,16,15,266047],"class_list":{"0":"post-953312","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-added-sugars","9":"tag-fda","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-sugar-free","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-vandana-sheth"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116557763562070190","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=953312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/953313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=953312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=953312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=953312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}