Which Has More Sugar, Smucker's or Welch's Grape Jelly? Both 9g Added

Smucker's Concord Grape Jelly lists more total sugars than Welch's, 12 g versus 10 g per 1 Tbsp (20 g), but the two labels list the same 9 g of added sugars, and both ingredient lists include high fructose corn syrup.

Key takeaways

• Per 1 Tbsp (20 g), both jellies list 50 calories and 9 g added sugars (18% DV).
• Smucker's lists 12 g total sugars per tablespoon, and Welch's lists 10 g.
• Both ingredient lists include High Fructose Corn Syrup and Corn Syrup, in a different order.
• The first ingredients use different wording: Concord Grape Juice (Smucker's) and Concord Grapes (Welch's).
• Under 21 CFR 150.140, the jelly standard names nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners as a broad category rather than naming specific sweeteners.

Which Has More Sugar: Smucker's or Welch's Concord Grape Jelly?

Smucker's Concord Grape Jelly lists more total sugars than Welch's Concord Grape Jelly, at 12 g versus 10 g per 1 Tbsp (20 g). The two labels list the same 9 g of added sugars, so the gap is in total sugars, not added sugars.

Total sugars count sugars that occur naturally in the fruit ingredients along with sugars added during processing. Neither label explains why the Smucker's total is 2 g higher, and that reason was not disclosed on either label.

Both jellies show 13 g total carbohydrate (5% DV) per tablespoon, so the carbohydrate line does not separate them. These label figures cannot establish why the totals differ or how either jelly affects any individual.

Is Smucker's Concord Grape Jelly Made With High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Yes. Per 1 Tbsp (20 g), Smucker's ingredients include High Fructose Corn Syrup, listed before Corn Syrup. In the ingredient list, it appears second, after Concord Grape Juice.

FDA's added sugars guidance counts sugars from syrups and honey as added sugars, as described on the FDA added sugars page.

The label does not disclose the proportion of grape juice to High Fructose Corn Syrup or Corn Syrup in the jar. An ingredient list shows which ingredients appear, and their order gives a rough sense of sequence, but it does not show exact amounts.

Does Welch's Concord Grape Jelly Have High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Yes. Per 1 tbsp (20 g), Welch's ingredients include High Fructose Corn Syrup, listed after Corn Syrup. In the ingredient list, the order is Concord Grapes, then Corn Syrup, then High Fructose Corn Syrup.

The Welch's product page also carries the claims "Made with 100% US Grown Concord Grapes," "Gluten Free," "No Artificial Colors," and "Made in USA." These are the brand's own statements. They sit alongside an ingredient list that includes High Fructose Corn Syrup, and they do not change that list.

What Is the First Ingredient in Smucker's vs Welch's Concord Grape Jelly?

Smucker's first ingredient is Concord Grape Juice. Welch's first ingredient is Concord Grapes.

Both labels start with a fruit-based ingredient, but the wording differs. The federal standard at 21 CFR 150.140 describes jelly as made from fruit juice ingredients, and grape is a listed fruit, so both starting ingredients fit within that general framework.

Neither label states the proportion of grape juice or grapes in the jar. A first position on the list may indicate a larger share of the product than the ingredients listed after it, but the label does not state what share it makes up.

How Much Added Sugar Is in One Tablespoon of Each Jelly?

Each jelly lists 9 g of added sugars per 1 Tbsp (20 g), which is 18% of the Daily Value.

The FDA's Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day, based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. The agency classifies 5% DV or less as a low source of added sugars and 20% DV or more as a high source. At 18% DV, each jelly falls between those two thresholds.

FDA's definition of added sugars includes sugars from syrups and honey, along with sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.

The Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories per day. A label reports grams, so the per-tablespoon figure is one piece of a larger daily picture.

These labels describe one tablespoon. They cannot show how any individual responds to added sugar, and this article does not cover health outcome studies for either product.

For another comparison of added sugar on a shelf-stable label, see Heinz vs Hunt's Ketchup: 4 g vs 3 g Added Sugar.

What Does the Federal Jelly Standard of Identity Require for Grape Jelly?

The federal standard at 21 CFR 150.140 describes jelly as made from fruit juice ingredients, with grape listed as a fruit. It allows optional "safe and suitable" ingredients, including nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners, acidifying agents, pectin, buffering agents, and preservatives. The pectin provision allows pectin "in a quantity which reasonably compensates for deficiency, if any, of the natural pectin content of the fruit juice ingredient."

The standard requires the mixture to contain not less than 45 parts by weight of fruit juice ingredients to each 55 parts by weight of saccharine ingredient. It also requires the soluble-solids content of the finished jelly to be not less than 65 percent.

The standard uses the broad category "nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners" rather than naming individual sweeteners, as set out in 21 CFR 150.140. Which sweetener a brand uses is therefore shown in its ingredient list, not in the standard itself. Neither jar declares a sweetener ratio beyond the listed ingredients.

Are Either Smucker's or Welch's Concord Grape Jelly Reduced Sugar?

Reduced-sugar and Low Sugar versions are not covered in this article. Every number above describes only the regular Concord grape jellies from Smucker's and Welch's.

A reduced-sugar label can differ from the regular version in both its sugar figures and its ingredient list, so read that label separately before comparing it with the products here.

How Do You Spot HFCS and Added Sugar on a Grape Jelly Label?

Use this checklist when comparing jelly labels:

• Look for "High Fructose Corn Syrup" and "Corn Syrup" as separate entries in the ingredient list.
• Check the first ingredient as it is written on the label.
• Find "Includes X g Added Sugars" beneath Total Sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel.
• Compare total sugars and added sugars separately, since they measure different things.
• Confirm the serving size, here 1 Tbsp (20 g), before comparing numbers across brands.
• Read the %DV for added sugars, where FDA guidance classifies 5% or less as low and 20% or more as high.

For more on labels that name sugar in several ways, see 6 Scanned Labels That List Sugar More Than One Way.

Side-by-Side Table: Smucker's vs Welch's Concord Grape Jelly Labels

Label item	Smucker's Concord Grape Jelly	Welch's Concord Grape Jelly
Serving size	1 Tbsp (20 g)	1 tbsp (20 g)
Calories	50	50
Total fat	0 g	0 g
Sodium	5 mg (0% DV)	10 mg (0% DV)
Total carbohydrate	13 g (5% DV)	13 g (5% DV)
Dietary fiber	0 g	Not disclosed
Total sugars	12 g	10 g
Added sugars	9 g (18% DV)	9 g (18% DV)
Protein	0 g	0 g
First ingredient	Concord Grape Juice	Concord Grapes
Sweeteners in ingredient order	High Fructose Corn Syrup, then Corn Syrup	Corn Syrup, then High Fructose Corn Syrup
Other listed ingredients	Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate	Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
Sizes listed	12 oz, 18 oz, 30 oz, 48 oz glass jars	30 oz jar, 20 oz bottle, 18 oz jar; servings per container shown as about 42, but the container size behind that figure is not disclosed
Kosher status	Kosher Pareve	Not disclosed
Brand claims on product page	Not disclosed	Made with 100% US Grown Concord Grapes; Gluten Free; No Artificial Colors; Made in USA

The table shows the label facts side by side without a ranking.

Related reading: for frozen PB&J sandwiches, see Are Uncrustables Healthier Than Great Value?.