"Sugar-free," "low-sugar," and "without added sugar" – What do these statements mean for products?

It takes a close look at the range of products on offer if you want to live sugar-free.

Because "sugar-free" does not mean completely free of sugar, "without added sugar" does not necessarily mean that a product does not contain sugar, and "low-sugar" products can only be seen in relation to others. These terms are defined in the Health Claims Regulation.

For a healthy diet , the WHO recommends a maximum sugar intake of five to ten teaspoons of free sugar per day. This corresponds to no more than twelve pieces of sugar cubes.

The German Society for Health (DGE) warns against common diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or tooth decay if you consume too much sugar.

A sugar-free breakfast can help you start your day energized and fit. Because a high consumption of sugar gives you energy for a short time, but makes you sluggish in the long run.

In the following article, we will explain the terms "sugar-free", "no added sugar" and "low sugar" and what they mean on the products.

When can you label a food with "sugar-free", "low-sugar" or "no added sugar"?

The so-called Health Claims Regulation of the EU defines exactly which foods may be labelled as "sugar-free", "low in sugar" or "without added sugar".

If you want to switch to a completely sugar-free diet, you should read the small print on the labels carefully, especially for processed foods. Because none of these titles guarantee that there is actually no sugar.

What does "sugar-free" actually mean?

Even sugar-free foods can contain a small amount of sugar! A food may be defined as "sugar-free" if it contains a maximum of 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams or 100 milliliters of beverages.

But what happens in the body when you stop eating sugar?

The body needs sugar, but actually only carbohydrates, which are converted into sugar. We therefore do not need any additional sugar.

How does the body react when you stop eating sugar?

If you mainly do without refined sugars such as table sugar or industrial sugar, your body will initially suffer from sugar withdrawal.

Food cravings, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and low mood can be the side effects at first. This phase lasts for different lengths of time for each person.

But once you have survived this time, you will be rewarded twice! With weight loss, better sleep, fitness, more beautiful skin, positive effects on the heart and liver, and so on.

“Zero” IS zero, but …

Products labelled "zero" sugar are actually sugar-free. Sweet-tasting ingredients fool your body into believing that it is getting sugar, which is not the case. It reacts with cravings.

Sugar-free foods – What foods are there without sugar?

A completely sugar-free diet is hardly possible and not always effective for a healthy life. Many sugary foods contain valuable nutrients.

The purer you choose your natural product, the less unnecessary sugar traps burden your body.

“Low in sugar” – What is meant by this?

"Low sugar" are those products that contain a maximum of 5 grams of sugar for 100 grams or a maximum of 2.5 grams of sugar for 100 milliliters of a drink. Watermelons, strawberries and oranges are therefore already among the low-sugar foods.

Light

Light products contain less fat, sugar, and calories. However, the term "light" is not defined by law.

Even with light products, it is possible for your body to react with cravings - just like with zero products.

Reduced sugar

"Sugar reduced" means that a food contains at least 30 percent less sugar than comparable products. So this is a relative matter.

What does "without added sugar" mean?

"No added sugar" clearly denotes products without added sugar. This category includes all unprocessed foods such as potatoes, bananas, and apples.

Free sugar is therefore not included, neither single nor double sugar nor other sweeteners such as honey, syrup, or industrial sugar.

If sugar is naturally present in food, it should be labelled "Contains sugar naturally".

How do I recognize sugar in food?

In order to know whether the products of your choice contain extra sugar, it is essential to read the label. Camouflaged sugar in food can be recognized by all those ingredients that end in -ose, malts, sweet whey powder, and syrup.

Here's how to recognize sugar:

Fruit concentrate also hardly contains any valuable nutrients, but all the more sugar. Sweet ingredients such as honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, or candy are of course also included.

Sugar-free breakfast with our Verival products

With a breakfast without added sugar from our breakfast products, you'll have the perfect start to the day. On the one hand, we completely refrain from refined sugar in many of our products, and all our products contain 30-50 percent less sugar and co than comparatively commercially available ones.

On the other hand, they contain valuable fiber, minerals, and vitamins that make your healthy breakfast tasty and sometimes sweeten it.

In addition, we at VERIVAL have many sugar-free recipes for you that make it easy for you to do without sugar.