Useful claim. Incomplete answer.
Added sugar tells you whether sweeteners were added during formulation. No added sugar tells you the brand is making a claim about that formulation. Neither tells you whether the product is low in total sugar, high in fruit concentrates, or built around high-intensity sweeteners.
What it does
Added sugar separates sugars added during processing from sugars naturally present in ingredients such as plain milk or intact fruit. That separation is helpful because it shows when sweetness was engineered into the product.
Where it shows up
- Yogurts, cereals, snack bars, sauces, and drinks
- Protein products that use syrup or chocolate inclusions
- Fruit snacks that lean on concentrates or purees
- No added sugar products using sweeteners or sugar alcohols
Label cue
If the front says no added sugar, read total sugar, serving size, and the sweetener system. The claim can be true while the product still tastes very sweet or uses juice concentrate, dates, polyols, or high-intensity sweeteners.
The catch
Markets define and display sugar information differently. A US Nutrition Facts panel is not the same as an EU nutrition declaration, and WHO free-sugars guidance is broader than many front-panel claims.
Where the definition comes from.
Back-panel action
On any no added sugar product, read three lines before trusting the claim: total sugar, serving size, and the ingredient list. Look for fruit juice concentrate, date paste, sugar alcohols, stevia, sucralose, maltodextrin, and syrup names.