Is It Sugar? The Definitive Guide to Identifying Hidden Sugars in Ingredients Lists

If you’ve ever stood in the supermarket staring at labels wondering, “Is coconut sugar better for me?” or “What even is rice malt syrup?” you’re not alone. These days, sugar hides behind dozens of names, and even the ones that sound healthier can be confusing.

The truth? Whether it’s raw, brown, organic, or drizzled from a tree, most ingredient-based sugars behave similarly in your body: they provide quick energy but not much else. ‘Natural’ added sugar ingredients (i.e. honey) can offer small amounts of trace nutrients, may be less processed, or have a slightly lower glycemic index (GI), which makes them improved choices on the list… but they’re still added sugars, and they still count toward your daily recommended limit. The good news? The naturally occurring sugars in whole fruit and milk are not ‘ingredients’ when they are in that form and so don’t count towards your limit. When in doubt, if it’s itemised on an ingredient list — it’s added sugar and it counts. 

Britt & Ellen (Qualified Dietitians).

Artificial and “non-sugar” sweeteners... like sucralose, aspartame, or erythritol ... can help reduce calories or manage blood sugar, but emerging research suggests they may affect gut health and digestion in some people, especially children. And unlike added sugars, there’s no way to know how much of these sweeteners you’re actually consuming, because they don’t appear on the nutrition panel — only in the ingredient list.

So what’s a realistic approach? Be practical. Don’t aim to eliminate sugar altogether ..aim to reduce it. And the simplest way to start is by getting better at spotting sugar (and sugar substitutes) on ingredient lists.

Use it as your go-to reference when checking labels, comparing products, or simply trying to make sense of what’s really in your pantry. And remember: even the less-ideal added sugars can be perfectly safe in moderation, no one is saying you shouldn't enjoy cake. The real goal is to avoid cake-like ingredients silently sneaking into the foods you eat every day, without consciously choosing them.

Sugar Type	Counts To Added Sugar?	What It Is	What Parents Should Know
White sugar (sucrose)	Yes	Refined cane sugar	Empty calories; standard table sugar.
Raw sugar	Yes	Lightly refined sucrose	Same as white sugar nutritionally — mostly marketing.
Brown sugar	Yes	White sugar + molasses	Trace minerals but no meaningful benefit; still sugar.
Coconut sugar	Yes	Palm sap sugar	Slightly lower GI but still an added sugar.
Honey	Yes	Bee nectar	~80% sugar; counts fully toward added sugar limits.
Maple syrup	Yes	Tree sap con centrate	Small minerals but still added sugar; mostly flavour.
Agave syrup	Yes	High-fructose syrup	Low GI but very high fructose load; moderation needed.
Rice malt syrup	Yes	Fermented rice	Pure glucose; spikes blood sugar quickly.
Molasses	Yes	Sugar-refining by-product	Has minerals but still an added sugar.
Dextrose / glucose	Yes	Simple glucose	Absorbs rapidly; used in sports, not ideal for snacks.
Fructose (isolated)	Yes	Isolated fruit sugar	Low GI but excess fructose strains liver.
Fruit juice concentrate	Yes	Water-removed fruit juice	High in sugar, no fibre; often added to “no refined sugar" snacks.
Fruit purée concentrate	Yes	Reduced fruit purée	Very sweet; behaves like added sugar in the body.
Apple juice concentrate	Yes	Water-removed apple juice	One of the most common hidden sugars in kids’ snacks.
Pear concentrate	Yes	Water-removed pear juice	Used to sweeten “no added sugar” products — but it is added sugar.
Grape juice concentrate	Yes	Water-removed grape juice	Very high in fructose; quickly raises blood sugar.
Date paste / date syrup	Yes	Puréed or liquefied dates	More “natural” but still very high sugar and counts fully.
Golden syrup / treacle	Yes	Inverted sugar syrups	Highly refined; very high sugar load.
Malt extract / barley malt	Yes	Sweet extract from barley	Often used in “healthy” cereals; still added sugar.
Stevia	No	Plant-derived sweetener	No calories; safe; slight aftertaste.
Monk fruit	No	Fruit extract sweetener	Natural, no calories; safe, less long-term data.
Sucralose	No	Artificial sweet ener	Heat-stable; safe in moderation; gut research emerging.
Aspartame	No	Artificial sweet ener	Very sweet; may affect gut.
Acesulfame -K	No	Artificial sweet ener	Often used in blends; considered safe short-term.
Erythritol	No	Sugar alcohol	Almost zero calories; may cause bloating; research evolving.
Xylitol	No	Sugar alcohol	Low calorie; can cause GI upset; highly toxic to dogs.
Sorbitol	No	Sugar alcohol	Low calorie; can cause bloating.