Sugar
Also known as: various sugars
FDA GRAS and EFSA-permitted. Per-product severity is `low_concern` because sugar's harm is dose-dependent across the whole diet — handled by per-product added-sugar scoring, not ingredient-level flagging.
What it is
Sucrose, a disaccharide of glucose and fructose, refined from sugarcane or sugar beets.
Sweetener, fermentation substrate, browning agent (Maillard reaction, caramelization), bulking agent, and preservative in jams and baked goods.
Why it's flagged
- excess intake linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease
- contributes to dental caries
- provides empty calories with no micronutrients
What regulators actually say
"The consumption of free sugars should be limited to less than 10% of total daily energy intake, which is equivalent to 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day."
Regulatory status
United States — FDA
GRAS
European Union — EFSA
permitted
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