Q: Annie the question came up in Town Meeting about sugar-free and no-sugar-added desserts.  What is the difference, why does it matter and how is one to know?

A great question for me to research. I am learning a lot through this process. In summary, I have learned that it is far more complex than I imagined. I thought it was as simple as the descriptor and that one had no sugar and therefore was sugar free and the other must follow a standard recipe and add no additional sugar to qualify to be no sugar added. Not only did I learn I was wrong, I learned that to be labeled as either they must meet FDA or USDA standards for labeling.

In order to be considered “sugar free,” an item must contain less than .5 grams of sugar per serving. Not per item rather, per serving size. This  includes naturally occurring forms of sugar and any ingredient that contains sugar. Technically, the food product does not have to be completely free of sugar, as long as it meets the per-serving requirement.  

For labeling an item “no sugar added,” the guidelines require that the product is made with no sugar or sugar-containing ingredients, however they may contain natural occurring sugar. For example some ice creams are labeled “no sugar added” because they have not been sweetened with sugar, however, they are not sugar free because they contain lactose; a natural milk sugar.

Further a food that is labeled “sugar free” or “no sugar added” does not mean that the food is low calorie, low fat or carbohydrate free. Thank you for another great question, and please keep them coming.