Added sugar is put into a food during processing or preparation; naturally occurring sugar is already present in foods such as whole fruit and milk. On a U.S. Nutrition Facts label, Total Sugars includes both, while Includes Added Sugars shows the added portion. The distinction helps you compare foods and apply health guidance—but it does not mean that every food with natural sugar is automatically healthy or that sugar has a different chemistry when added.
What’s the difference between added sugar and natural sugar?
The difference is mainly about where the sugar comes from, not what kind of molecule it is. A gram of sugar is still a gram of sugar chemically; the label distinguishes whether it was added and provides context about the food.
For U.S. labeling, the FDA counts sugars added during processing or packaged as sweeteners—including sugars from syrups and honey—as added sugars. Naturally present sugars in milk, fruit, and vegetables are not counted as added sugars. Certain concentrated fruit or vegetable juices used as ingredients can count as added sugars under FDA rules. See the FDA explanation of added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label.
The FDA’s yogurt example shows how the numbers work: a container with 15 g of total sugars and 7 g of added sugars has 8 g of naturally occurring sugar. Total sugars alone cannot tell you how much was added.
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Does fruit sugar count as added sugar?
Sugars naturally present in whole fruit are not added sugars on a U.S. Nutrition Facts label. The same applies to sugars naturally present in vegetables and milk. This does not make all foods containing natural sugar nutritionally identical; the overall food and serving still matter.
Juice is an important distinction. The World Health Organization (WHO) includes sugars in fruit juice and fruit juice concentrates in its definition of free sugars, while its guideline does not include sugars naturally present in fresh fruit and vegetables or milk. WHO’s category is therefore not interchangeable with the FDA’s U.S. added-sugars label category. The distinction is explained in the WHO sugars guideline.
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How do I find added sugar on a food label?
- Check the serving size. Make sure you are comparing the same amount of each food. If you eat more or less than the listed serving, the grams you consume change accordingly.
- Read Total Sugars and Includes Added Sugars. Total sugars combines naturally occurring and added sugars; the added-sugars line identifies the added portion. The FDA’s yogurt example is 15 g total, including 7 g added.
- Use % Daily Value as a comparison guide. The FDA’s added-sugars Daily Value is 50 g per day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. On the label, 5% DV or less is considered low and 20% DV or more high. These are general label-reading cues, not personalized targets.
- Scan the ingredient list. Look for sugar, syrups, honey, and other sweetening ingredients. Ingredient lists are ordered from greatest to least weight, according to the CDC’s added-sugar label guidance.
For example, plain and sweetened yogurt or fruit packed in juice and fruit packed in syrup may differ in added sugar. Check the actual serving sizes, Nutrition Facts labels, and ingredients rather than assuming every product in a category is alike. Single-ingredient sugar and syrup products, including honey and maple syrup, have special U.S. label rules: the FDA requires a %DV for added sugars, while the gram amount may appear in a footnote instead of the main declaration.
Is honey an added sugar?
Under the FDA’s U.S. labeling rules, honey is counted as added sugar. Under WHO’s definition, its sugars are free sugars. WHO defines free sugars as monosaccharides and disaccharides added by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates. So “added sugars” and “free sugars” are related but different categories; name the authority when discussing a recommendation.
What do U.S. and WHO sugar recommendations say?
| Authority and scope | Sugar category | Guidance | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Dietary Guidelines, as summarized by the FDA | Added sugars | Less than 10% of total calories. The FDA translates this to 200 calories or 50 g on a 2,000-calorie diet. | The FDA’s 50 g Daily Value is a label reference based on 2,000 calories, not a personal prescription. |
| WHO, 2015 guideline | Free sugars | Less than 10% of total energy; WHO suggests reducing below 5% for additional health benefits. | This definition includes sugars in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates. |
The percentages use different categories: U.S. guidance refers to added sugars, while WHO guidance refers to free sugars. WHO’s 2015 guideline says keeping free sugars below 10% of total energy reduces risk of unhealthy weight gain and dental caries; it suggests a lower level may provide additional benefits. Do not compare the figures as if the definitions were identical.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are added sugars worse than naturally occurring sugars?
It is more useful to consider the amount consumed and the food context than to treat all foods containing natural sugar as automatically beneficial or all added sugar as harmful in any amount. The CDC says too much added sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. WHO’s free-sugar guidance focuses on unhealthy weight gain and dental caries. These are concerns about higher intake patterns, not a claim that one food or one occasion of eating sugar directly causes disease.
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- Every recipe comes with complete nutrition information including WEIGHT WATCHER POINT COMPARISONS, DIABETIC EXCHANGES AND CARB CHOICES making Eat More of What You Love the perfect companion for weight loss and diabetes diets.
If you have a medical or dietary need that affects how you should manage sugar, general label guidance may not be enough; seek individualized advice from a qualified health professional.
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