Ingrediëntenlijst
MenuClose
Menu

Frequently asked questionsAbout this siteContact

NederlandsEnglish

Information › Ingredients › Sugar

Sugar-free, low-sugar and no added sugar

Three claims, three meanings. ‘Suikervrij’ (sugar-free) is under 0.5 g of sugar per 100 g. ‘Suikerarm’ (low-sugar) is under 5 g per 100 g (2.5 g per 100 ml). ‘Zonder toegevoegde suiker’ (no added sugar) only means no sugar was added: fruit juice without added sugar is still full of fruit sugar.

What sugar-free, low-sugar and no added sugar mean

  • Look at ‘waarvan suikers’ (of which sugars) per 100 g in the nutrition table: that number counts, not the claim on the front.
  • Sugar has many names: glucosestroop (glucose syrup), dextrose, fructose, sacharose, honing (honey), agavesiroop, maltodextrine, gecondenseerde melk.
  • Sweeteners (E950–E969) make a product sugar-free, not necessarily healthier.

How to read sugar off the label

  • The product page shows the nutrition table per 100 g; compare ‘waarvan suikers’ there.
What this site does and does not do

We read the ingredient list and the allergen declaration as the supermarket publishes them, and hide every product that contains the allergen. Products without allergen information are hidden by default too: unknown is not the same as safe. What we cannot do is read the pack in the shop. Recipes change, and the information here can lag behind. When in doubt the label in your hand decides, and for questions about your health your doctor or dietitian.

More guides

E numbersWhat the numbers mean, and how to find a product without a given E number.Palm oilWhere palm oil is, and the names it goes by on the label.VeganRecognising animal ingredients, also when they hide behind an E number.What is a food allergyWhat happens in your body, which symptoms belong to it, and the difference with an intolerance.Reading the labelBold, the order and the pitfalls: reading a label in ten seconds.May contain tracesWhat the warning does and does not say, and when to take it seriously.AnaphylaxisRecognising a severe allergic reaction, and what to do then.

Per allergen — milk, gluten, nuts, peanut and the rest.

Something not right? Tell us