Last verified 16 Sep 2026 · Sources
Added sugars are sugars a manufacturer puts into a food during processing, not sugar that occurs naturally in the fruit, milk, or grain itself. 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iii) defines the term and requires it as its own indented line under Total Sugars, formatted “Includes Xg Added Sugars,” with a 50 g Daily Value for adults and children 4 and up. The definition also reaches syrups, honey, and fruit or vegetable juice concentrates, but only the portion of that concentrate that exceeds what the same volume of 100% juice would naturally provide.
| Quick facts | Added Sugars |
|---|---|
| Regulation | 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iii) |
| Applies to | Any packaged food with a Nutrition Facts panel that contains sugar added during processing |
| Key numbers | Added sugars DV: 50g; declared to the nearest gram; indented under Total Sugars |
The rule
The regulation’s exact wording: “Added sugars are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such, and include sugars (free, mono- and disaccharides), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juice that are in excess of what would be expected from the same volume of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice of the same type” (21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iii)). That last clause matters for anything sweetened with fruit juice concentrate: if the concentrate contributes more sugar per serving than an equivalent volume of straight 100% juice would, the excess counts as added sugars, not naturally occurring sugar.
The declaration format sits in the same paragraph: added sugars content “shall be indented and expressed” under the Total Sugars line, “and shall be preceded by the word ‘Includes’” followed by the gram amount and “Added Sugars”: for example, “Includes 8g Added Sugars.” It is declared to the nearest gram, following the same rounding pattern as total sugars in (c)(6)(ii). Total sugars itself (“the sum of all free mono- and disaccharides (such as glucose, fructose, lactose, and sucrose)”) never carries a %DV; only the added sugars subline does, because only added sugars has an established Daily Value.
Single-ingredient sugar and syrup products (pure honey, pure maple syrup, a bag of table sugar) present an edge case: nothing was “added” to them, so their added sugars line reads 0 g even though the whole product is sugar. FDA’s June 2019 guidance document on this point (fda.gov/media/127968/download), which FDA has not withdrawn, states that FDA “intends to exercise enforcement discretion” to let you, if you make one of these products, add a “†” symbol after the 0% added sugars %DV, leading to a footnote reading along the lines of “One serving adds Xg of sugar to your diet and represents X% of the Daily Value for Added Sugars,” so the panel doesn’t read as sugar-free when it isn’t.
The numbers
- Daily Value: 50 g, for adults and children 4 years and older (21 CFR 101.9(c)(9)).
- Declaration: to the nearest gram, indented under Total Sugars.
- %DV: calculated against the 50 g DV and rounded to the nearest whole percent under (d)(7)(ii), same as other macronutrients.
- Exemption scope: the “in excess of” carve-out applies specifically to fruit and vegetable juice concentrates, not to syrups or honey, which count in full once added.
- Fermented foods and beverages: FDA’s Q&A guidance (fda.gov/media/117402/download) allows the added sugars figure to be based on the amount added before fermentation or on a reasonable approximation of what remains afterward, as long as records back up the number and it never exceeds total sugars.
On the label
A bottle of kombucha brewed with 20 g of added cane sugar, most of which is consumed by fermentation before bottling, can account for that sugar either as the amount added before fermentation or as a reasonable, records-backed approximation of what remains in the finished product, per FDA’s Q&A guidance (fda.gov/media/117402/download), but the declared added sugars can never exceed total sugars. For comparison, a jar of pure honey with no other ingredients declares “Total Sugars 17g” and “Includes 0g Added Sugars” on the base panel, because nothing was added to it. Under FDA’s enforcement-discretion guidance you may add a dagger footnote next to the 0% so the label doesn’t read as if the product contributes nothing to daily sugar intake.
Mistakes we see
- Declaring 0 g added sugars on a product sweetened with fruit juice concentrate without checking whether the concentrate exceeds the “same volume of 100% juice” threshold.
- Placing “Includes Xg Added Sugars” as its own bolded line instead of indented under Total Sugars.
- Skipping the added sugars %DV while still showing added sugars grams. Both are required together once the nutrient is declared.
- Assuming honey or maple syrup must show a nonzero added sugars number because the whole product is sugar.
- Guessing at how fermentation affects the added sugars declaration instead of checking current FDA guidance for that product category.
Related rules
Added sugars sits directly under Total Sugars on the panel and shares a rounding structure with Percent Daily Value calculations generally. Products using sugar alcohols as a sweetener should also see sugar alcohols, and any “no added sugar” or “reduced sugar” wording on the front of pack needs to clear the thresholds in nutrient content claims before it goes on the package. If you make honey, jam, jelly, or syrup, also check dietary fiber if your product carries fiber claims alongside a sugar declaration.
Build it right, automatically
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FAQ
What counts as an added sugar?
Sugar added during processing or packaged as such, including syrups, honey, and any fruit or vegetable juice concentrate in excess of what the same volume of 100% juice would naturally contain, per 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iii).
How is added sugars formatted on the panel?
It is indented under Total Sugars and prefaced with the word "Includes," for example "Includes 8g Added Sugars," per 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iii).
Does honey have to show 0g added sugars?
A single-ingredient product like pure honey or maple syrup has no added sugars to declare, but FDA's June 2019 guidance (fda.gov/media/127968/download) allows a "†" symbol after the 0% added sugars %DV, leading to a footnote reading along the lines of "One serving adds Xg of sugar to your diet and represents X% of the Daily Value for Added Sugars," and FDA has not withdrawn that guidance.
What is the Daily Value for added sugars?
50 grams for adults and children 4 and up, per 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9).
Do fermented foods and beverages count sugar consumed during fermentation as "added"?
FDA's Q&A guidance on added sugars (fda.gov/media/117402/download) lets you declare added sugars in fermented foods using either the amount added before fermentation or a reasonable approximation of what remains after fermentation, provided your records support the figure and declared added sugars never exceed total sugars.
Related rules
Dietary Fiber, Percent Daily Value (%DV), Sugar alcohols, Nutrient content claims. See the full all labeling rules.