Added Sugar Has Dozens of Label Names: The Ones to Know

Added sugar appears on ingredient labels under more than 60 botanical and chemical names, ranging from high-fructose corn syrup to evaporated cane juice. Manufacturers frequently divide sweeteners across multiple names to lower their position on ingredient lists. Checking both the Nutrition Facts grams and specific ingredient terms reveals true added sugar content.

Key takeaways:

• Manufacturers frequently split sugars into multiple distinct chemical and botanical names to push them lower down the descending-by-weight ingredient list.
• Under FDA 21 CFR 101.9, the Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams (or 10 percent of daily calories) per day based on a 2,000-calorie diet, and all caloric sweeteners must appear on the 'Includes Added Sugars' panel line.
• Concentrated fruit juices and natural syrups like agave or honey are legally classified as added sugars because their natural cellular structures and fiber have been stripped away.
• Maltodextrin occupies a gray zone as a complex carbohydrate rather than a chemical sugar, but it has a high glycemic index between 85 and 105 that rapidly spikes blood glucose.
• Checking both the Nutrition Facts panel grams and the ingredient list is essential to identify the true volume and sources of hidden sweeteners.

How Do We Choose and Group Added Sugar Names on Food Labels?

To identify the most critical added sugar names on modern grocery shelves, we evaluated federal regulatory definitions under FDA 21 CFR 101.9, guidance on the FDA Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label resource, and widespread packaging formulations. Added sugars include all caloric sweeteners added during the processing or packaging of foods, as well as sugars from syrups, honey, and concentrated fruit or vegetable juices beyond what would be expected from 100 percent whole fruit juice.

We organized these sweeteners into nine functional categories based on their chemical composition, manufacturing origins, and how they appear on ingredient declarations. As of September 11, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have intensified restrictions and disclosure requirements for added sugars across these naming conventions. The USDA is actively enforcing product-specific added sugar limits in school nutrition programs, including a cap where flavored milk cannot exceed 10 grams of added sugar per 8 fluid ounces. Concurrently, the FDA is working toward a front-of-package nutrition label that would flag high added sugar content.

1. High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and Corn Syrup

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and standard corn syrup are liquid caloric sweeteners derived from cornstarch through enzymatic processing. In standard corn syrup, starch breaks down primarily into glucose, whereas HFCS undergoes further enzymatic conversion to turn a portion of that glucose into fructose. The most common commercial blends are HFCS-55 (containing 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, used widely in soft drinks) and HFCS-42 (containing 42 percent fructose, found in baked goods, condiments, and dairy products).

HFCS earned the first spot because it remains one of the most widely used industrial sweeteners in packaged foods, contributing significant caloric intake across processed diets as detailed in Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Added Sugar in the Diet. You can read our detailed analysis on is high fructose corn syrup worse than sugar? facts and labels to explore its industrial footprint. On ingredient declarations, look for terms like corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, glucose syrup, or maize syrup.

2. Dextrose, Maltose, and the '-ose' Sugars

Any ingredient ending in the suffix '-ose' is chemically a simple sugar or disaccharide. Dextrose is chemically identical to glucose and is commonly derived from corn or wheat starch. Maltose is a disaccharide formed by two glucose units linked together, often derived from malted grains. Fructose is fruit sugar, sucrose is standard table sugar containing a 50:50 ratio of glucose to fructose, and galactose is a monosaccharide found in dairy.

These chemical names made the list because brands frequently isolate specific mono- and disaccharides to modify texture, moisture retention, and browning without using standard sucrose. Public health resources like CDC Spotting Hidden Sugars in Everyday Foods emphasize that all '-ose' ingredients contribute 4 calories per gram directly toward your total glycemic load. On product packaging, look for:

• Dextrose or crystal dextrose
• Maltose or malt sugar
• Fructose or crystalline fructose
• Sucrose
• Galactose

3. Cane Crystals and Evaporated Cane Juice

Cane crystals, dried cane syrup, and evaporated cane juice are refined or semi-refined sweeteners derived from the sugarcane plant (Saccharum officinarum). While marketed to sound less processed than white sugar, their primary chemical constituent remains sucrose, often containing 99.5 percent or higher sucrose content with trace molasses.

These terms made our list because they have historically been used to create a health halo around processed snacks. The FDA has issued specific labeling guidance advising manufacturers against using the term 'evaporated cane juice' because it misleads consumers into believing the ingredient is a juice rather than added sugar. On ingredient lists, watch for dried cane syrup, cane crystals, milled cane sugar, raw cane sugar, organic cane sugar, and evaporated cane juice.

4. Agave Nectar and Plant Syrups

Agave nectar (or agave syrup) is extracted from the Agave tequilana plant, while other plant-derived syrups include brown rice syrup, maple syrup, sorghum syrup, tapioca syrup, and oat syrup. These syrups are produced by thermal or enzymatic hydrolysis of plant starches or sap into concentrated liquid sugars. Agave syrup is notably concentrated, often consisting of 75 percent to 85 percent free fructose by dry weight.

These ingredients are heavily featured in organic and natural products as perceived alternatives to refined sugar. However, under FDA 21 CFR 101.9, any caloric syrup added to a food product is legally classified as an added sugar. When scanning packages, look for:

• Agave nectar or agave syrup
• Brown rice syrup or rice malt syrup
• Maple syrup or maple sugar
• Tapioca syrup
• Sorghum syrup or sweet sorghum

5. Fruit Juice Concentrates

Fruit juice concentrates are produced by evaporating approximately 70 percent to 80 percent of the natural water content from fruit juices, leaving behind a dense syrup composed primarily of fructose, glucose, and sucrose. Common commercial varieties include apple juice concentrate, white grape juice concentrate, and pear juice concentrate.

They made this list because fruit juice concentrates are frequently used in fruit snacks, beverages, and snack bars to support marketing claims like 'sweetened with real fruit.' Under FDA labeling rules, when fruit juice concentrate is added to a food in excess of what would be present in an equivalent 100 percent single-strength juice volume, the excess sugar content counts directly toward the 'Includes Added Sugars' line on the Nutrition Facts panel.

6. Honey and Molasses

Honey is a viscous sugar substance produced by bees from floral nectar, consisting of roughly 82 percent carbohydrates (predominantly 38 percent fructose and 31 percent glucose) and 17 percent water. Molasses (including blackstrap molasses) is the dense, dark byproduct obtained during sugarcane or sugar beet refining, containing approximately 50 percent total sugars by weight. Other related entries include treacle and refiners syrup.

These traditional sweeteners are often perceived as wholesome pantry staples because they contain trace minerals and antioxidants. However, nutritionally and metabolically, they deliver high caloric sweetener density without intact dietary fiber. Insights from Johns Hopkins Medicine Finding the Hidden Sugar in the Foods You Eat confirm that the liver metabolizes the fructose and glucose from honey and molasses identically to table sugar. On food packaging labels, look for terms like pure honey, clover honey, raw honey, molasses, blackstrap molasses, cane molasses, or fancy molasses.

7. Invert Sugar and Golden Syrup

Invert sugar is a liquid mixture of equal parts glucose and fructose produced by splitting sucrose via hydrolysis using heat, acid, or enzymes like invertase. Golden syrup, also known as light refiners syrup, is an amber form of inverted sugar syrup commonly used in baking and confectionery.

These items are included because invert syrups prevent crystallization, improve shelf-life, and retain moisture in processed baked goods, icings, and candies. Because the sucrose bonds are broken into free monosaccharides, invert sugars taste roughly 20 percent sweeter than standard granulated sugar at identical dry weights. On ingredient declarations, watch for invert sugar syrup, inverted sugar, invert sugar, or golden syrup.

8. Coconut Sugar and Date Sugar

Coconut sugar (also known as coconut palm sugar) is made from the evaporated sap of flower buds on the coconut palm, while date sugar consists of finely ground dehydrated whole dates. Date paste and date syrup are concentrated liquid preparations derived from whole date fruit.

These sweeteners are increasingly popular in paleo, gluten-free, and natural packaged goods. While date sugar contains roughly 2 grams of residual fruit fiber per tablespoon, coconut sugar is chemically composed of 70 percent to 80 percent sucrose along with 3 to 9 percent each of free glucose and fructose. Both must be accounted for as added sugars on nutritional labels when added to processed foods. On labels, look for coconut palm sugar, coconut sugar, date syrup, date paste, palm sugar, or dehydrated date powder.

9. Maltodextrin and Dextrin

Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide produced from vegetable starch (typically corn, rice, potato, or wheat) by partial hydrolysis. It consists of short chains of 3 to 17 glucose units linked together. You can read more about its metabolic properties in our guide on is maltodextrin bad for you? blood sugar, gluten, and labels.

Maltodextrin occupies a unique regulatory gray zone: because its chemical structure is technically a complex carbohydrate, it does not count under the chemical 'Total Sugars' or 'Added Sugars' lines on the Nutrition Facts panel under FDA 21 CFR 101.9. However, its weak molecular bonds are broken down by salivary and pancreatic alpha-amylase almost instantaneously, resulting in a glycemic index between 85 and 105 that matches or exceeds pure dextrose. On labels, look for maltodextrin, dextrin, resistant maltodextrin, or modified corn starch.

How Can You Beat 'Sugar Splitting' on Modern Ingredient Labels?

Food ingredient lists are legally required to list components in descending order of predominance by weight. To prevent sugar from appearing as the first or second ingredient on the label, manufacturers frequently employ a formulation technique known as 'sugar splitting.' By distributing the sweetening load across three or four distinct sweeteners (such as organic cane sugar, brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, and apple juice concentrate), each individual sweetener accounts for a smaller weight percentage. This pushes each name further down the ingredient declaration, even when combined sugars represent over 30 percent to 40 percent of the total product weight. Public-health researchers have long pointed out that splitting sugar across multiple ingredient names makes it harder for shoppers to judge overall sweetness, which is one argument behind front-of-package nutrient labels.

How Should You Use This Added Sugar List When Grocery Shopping?

To navigate hidden sugars and sugar splitting effectively, use this practical step-by-step label checklist:

• Scan the Nutrition Facts panel first: Check the exact grams and percent Daily Value under 'Includes Added Sugars.' The FDA Daily Value (DV) is 50 grams per day (10 percent of calories on a 2,000-calorie diet).
• Count sweetener names in the ingredient list: Identify how many distinct names from the categories above appear in the ingredient statement. If you find three or more sweetener names in the top six ingredients, the food is heavily sweetened.
• Note non-sugar sweeteners: Be aware that low-calorie sweeteners like allulose are exempt from the added sugar declaration line by FDA guidance, while artificial and high-intensity sweeteners are governed by separate rules. You can explore our guides on aspartame vs sucralose: which sweetener is safer for you?, stevia vs monk fruit: which sweetener is better for you?, and xylitol vs erythritol: which sugar alcohol is better for you? to understand non-caloric alternatives.
• Review serving sizes: Verify whether the listed added sugar grams apply to the entire package or just a single portion.

Current scientific evidence cannot establish uniform individual glycemic or metabolic responses across every specific population or individual gut microbiome. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for individual dietary management.