Added sugars
added sugar
What it is
Added sugars are sugars introduced into a food during processing or preparation rather than sugars naturally present in its ingredients.
Why BOTIA flags it
Added sugars are not the same as total sugars, and not every market requires them to be declared separately. BOTIA keeps a declared added-sugars value distinct from total sugars, free sugars and the ingredients that may contribute to it.
BOTIA CAN
- Read the added sugars value when it is declared on the nutrition label and preserve its unit and basis.
- Keep added sugars separate from total sugars and other sugar-related fields.
- Identify declared ingredients that may contribute added sugars.
- Connect the declared value with the applicable regulatory information and documented evidence.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Calculate added sugars from total sugars when the label does not declare them separately.
- Determine the exact amount contributed by each added-sugar ingredient.
- Treat added sugars and free sugars as the same concept.
- Treat an undeclared added sugars value as zero.