Added Sugar
Added sugars are required to be declared on FDA Nutrition Facts labels (since 2020). The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugar intake to less than 10% of total daily calories.
What it is
Sugars added to foods during processing, including sucrose, HFCS, dextrose, honey when added, and syrups.
Sweetener, browning agent, preservative, fermentation substrate, bulking agent.
Why it's flagged
- excess intake linked to obesity/T2DM/CVD
- DGA recommends <10% calories from added sugar
What regulators actually say
"Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars... Less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugars starting at age 2."
"Added sugars include sugars that are added during the processing of foods, foods packaged as sweeteners."
"Based on the available data, the Panel concluded that the intake of added and free sugars should be as low as possible in the context of a nutritionally adequate diet."
Regulatory status
United States — FDA
Required disclosure on Nutrition Facts label; component sugars are GRAS.
European Union — EFSA
EFSA tolerable upper intake for added/free sugars was reviewed; recommendation as low as possible.
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