Does fairlife Chocolate Milk Have Sucralose? Horizon Doesn't

Yes, fairlife Chocolate 2% Ultra-Filtered Milk contains sucralose, and the Horizon chocolate box does not. fairlife's product page lists 6g of added sugars per 1 cup (12% DV), 13g of protein, and 380mg of calcium, and its ingredients include sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and carrageenan. Horizon Organic Lowfat (1%) Chocolate Milk Box lists 10g of added sugars per 8 oz container (20% DV), 8g of protein, and 290mg of calcium, with organic cane sugar and gellan gum in its ingredients. This side-by-side comparison sets the label facts for each product next to each other so you can weigh them against your own priorities. Label values can change, so confirm them on the package you buy.

Key takeaways

• fairlife Chocolate 2% lists 6g added sugars per cup (12% DV), while the 8 oz Horizon box lists 10g (20% DV), which is the level FDA calls high.
• fairlife provides 13g protein and 380mg calcium per cup; Horizon provides 8g protein and 290mg calcium per 8 oz container.
• fairlife's ingredients include acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and carrageenan; Horizon's list includes organic cane sugar and gellan gum and no high-intensity sweeteners.

fairlife vs Horizon Chocolate Milk: Which Has More Sugar?

Horizon has more added sugar: one 8 oz box lists 10g added sugars, compared with 6g added sugars in one 1 cup (240 ml) serving of fairlife Chocolate 2%.

The total sugar figures follow the same pattern. fairlife lists 12g total sugars per cup, while the Horizon box lists 22g. FDA's added sugars line excludes sugars that occur naturally in milk, so the added figure is the one to compare when you are looking at sweetening rather than the milk itself. The Daily Value for added sugars is 50g per day, which puts fairlife at 12% DV and the Horizon box at 20% DV.

Serving sizes differ slightly, since fairlife's serving is 1 cup (240 ml) and Horizon's is one 8 oz container. fairlife's own product page compares its chocolate milk with 'regular chocolate milk,' listing 12g sugar for fairlife and 24g for the regular product. That comparison is the manufacturer's and does not include Horizon.

Does fairlife Chocolate Milk Have Artificial Sweeteners?

Yes, fairlife Chocolate 2% lists two non-nutritive sweeteners in its ingredients: sucralose and acesulfame potassium. FDA states that both are approved as food sweeteners.

FDA describes sucralose as about 600 times sweeter than table sugar and acesulfame potassium as about 200 times sweeter. On labels, acesulfame potassium may appear as acesulfame K, acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K, so shoppers scanning an ingredient list should look for all three names. The fairlife list also includes 'Natural And Artificial Flavors,' which is a separate item from the two sweeteners.

The grams of sucralose or acesulfame potassium per cup were not disclosed in the product information cited here, so the amount in each serving cannot be stated. The Horizon Chocolate box ingredients do not list sucralose or acesulfame potassium, and its sweetener is organic cane sugar.

Is Horizon Chocolate Milk Healthy for Kids?

One 8 oz Horizon Organic Lowfat (1%) Chocolate Milk Box lists 10g of added sugars (20% DV) and 8g of protein, and the brand's product page calls the boxes 'lunchbox superstars.' The label alone does not establish whether it is a suitable choice for any particular child.

FDA considers 20% DV or more per serving to be high, so the Horizon box sits at that threshold for added sugars. For more on daily limits by age, see How Much Added Sugar Should Kids Have a Day? By Age, in Grams.

Other label values for one container include 150 calories, 2.5g total fat, 180mg sodium, and 290mg calcium. The box contains milk, is Certified USDA Organic, and is shelf-stable.

Is Horizon organic chocolate milk good for kids?

The organic certification does not change the added sugar figure, which is 10g per 8 oz container (20% DV). Organic status describes how ingredients are produced and does not indicate a sugar level, so the Nutrition Facts panel is the place to check that.

Is fairlife Chocolate Milk Good for Kids?

fairlife Chocolate 2% lists 6g added sugars per 1 cup (12% DV) and 13g protein (26% DV), which are the figures to set against the Horizon box when comparing options for children. The label does not make a child-specific recommendation.

Per cup, the label also shows 140 calories, 4.5g total fat, 3g saturated fat, and 280mg sodium. The fairlife product page describes the milk as lactose free.

Is fairlife chocolate milk bad for you?

The label does not make that determination. One cup lists 140 calories, 6g added sugars, 13g protein, and two non-nutritive sweeteners, and the amount of each sweetener was not disclosed.

How Much Protein and Calcium Is in Each Chocolate Milk?

fairlife Chocolate 2% provides 13g protein (26% DV) and 380mg calcium (30% DV) per 1 cup, while the Horizon box provides 8g protein (16% DV) and 290mg calcium (20% DV) per 8 oz container. For comparison, the fairlife page lists 8g protein for regular chocolate milk.

• Protein: fairlife 13g (26% DV); Horizon 8g (16% DV)
• Calcium: fairlife 380mg (30% DV); Horizon 290mg (20% DV)
• Vitamin D: fairlife 5mcg (25% DV); Horizon 2.5mcg (15% DV)
• Potassium: fairlife 550mg (10% DV); Horizon 450mg (10% DV)
• Iron: fairlife 1mg (6% DV); Horizon 0.6mg (4% DV)

Horizon's label also lists vitamin A (150mcg, 15% DV) and riboflavin (0.4mg, 30% DV). For fairlife, vitamin A appears in the ingredients, but a per-serving amount was not disclosed in the information cited here. These are label values that can differ by package, so check the Nutrition Facts panel you have.

What Is Gellan Gum in Horizon Chocolate Milk Used For?

Gellan gum is listed in the Horizon Chocolate box ingredients, but the label and product page cited here do not state what it does in this milk, so its purpose in the product was not disclosed. The full Horizon ingredient list reads: Grade A Lowfat Organic Milk, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Organic Cocoa, Gellan Gum, Organic Natural Flavor, Salt, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3.

U.S. labels list ingredients in descending order by weight, so gellan gum's position in the Horizon list shows its relative amount compared with the other ingredients. Gellan gum does not appear in the fairlife list.

How Do the Sweeteners in fairlife Compare to Horizon's Sugar?

fairlife uses sucralose and acesulfame potassium alongside 6g added sugars per cup, while Horizon uses 10g of added organic cane sugar per 8 oz box. The two approaches deliver sweetness differently, and the label does not show how much of each sweetener fairlife contains.

Because sucralose and acesulfame potassium are far sweeter than sugar, small amounts can provide sweetness. FDA describes sucralose as about 600 times sweeter than table sugar and acesulfame potassium as about 200 times sweeter. This potency is one reason a sweetener can appear in small quantities on an ingredient list. For a comparison of other sweetener types, see Oikos Triple Zero vs Chobani Zero Sugar: Stevia or Allulose?, and for two products with sucralose labels, see Barebells vs Ryse Loaded Protein: Two Sucralose Labels Compared.

At-a-Glance Label Comparison: fairlife vs Horizon Chocolate Milk

The table compares per-serving label values, with fairlife per 1 cup (240 ml) and Horizon per 8 oz container.

Nutrient	fairlife Chocolate 2% (1 cup, 240 ml)	Horizon Organic Lowfat Chocolate Milk Box (8 oz)
Calories	140	150
Total fat	4.5g (6% DV)	2.5g (3% DV)
Saturated fat	3g (15% DV)	1.5g (8% DV)
Cholesterol	20mg (7% DV)	15mg (5% DV)
Sodium	280mg (12% DV)	180mg (8% DV)
Total carbohydrate	13g (5% DV)	23g (8% DV)
Dietary fiber	1g (4% DV)	0g
Total sugars	12g	22g
Added sugars	6g (12% DV)	10g (20% DV)
Protein	13g (26% DV)	8g (16% DV)
Vitamin D	5mcg (25% DV)	2.5mcg (15% DV)
Calcium	380mg (30% DV)	290mg (20% DV)
Iron	1mg (6% DV)	0.6mg (4% DV)
Potassium	550mg (10% DV)	450mg (10% DV)
Vitamin A	Listed in ingredients, amount not disclosed	150mcg (15% DV)
Riboflavin	Not listed	0.4mg (30% DV)
Sweeteners listed	Sucralose, acesulfame potassium	None (sweetened with organic cane sugar)
Carrageenan	Listed	Not listed
Gellan gum	Not listed	Listed

Serving sizes differ slightly, so compare the Daily Value percentages as well as the gram amounts. Label values can change, and the amount of sucralose and acesulfame potassium in fairlife was not disclosed, so check the Nutrition Facts panel on the package you buy.