Guide
Kids' Juice With No Added Sugar: What the Label Really Means
"No added sugar" is a legal phrase with a narrow meaning. It tells you what went into the box during processing, not how much sugar ends up in it. Here is what the common label words mean and how to compare boxes in ten seconds.
Label words, decoded
| On the label | What it means | What it doesn't mean |
|---|---|---|
| No added sugar / No sugar added | No sugar, syrup, honey or juice concentrate was added as a sweetener during processing. | Low in sugar. The fruit's own sugar remains. |
| Sugar free | Less than 0.5 g of sugar per serving (FDA definition). | Free of sweeteners. Non-sugar sweeteners may be used. |
| 100% juice | All of the drink is juice (it may be from concentrate). | Low in sugar. 100% apple juice has about 24 g per 8.4 fl oz. |
| Juice drink / juice beverage | Contains some juice, plus water and usually other ingredients. | Anything about sugar. Check the panel. |
| Includes Added Sugars (panel line) | Grams of sugar added during processing, including excess sugar from juice concentrates. | Total sugar. That is the line above it. |
Definitions summarized from 21 CFR 101.60 and the FDA's Added Sugars guidance, linked below.
The concentrate rule
Under FDA rules, a "no added sugar" claim means no sugar or sugar-containing ingredient (including juice concentrate used as a sweetener) was added during processing. It does not mean low in sugar: the fruit's own sugar still counts in Total Sugars.
Since the updated Nutrition Facts label, packaged foods list "Includes Added Sugars" under Total Sugars. Added sugars include sugars added during processing, syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices beyond what the same volume of 100% juice would contain.
In practice: a juice sweetened with extra apple or grape concentrate shows that sugar on the Added Sugars line. For the longer version, read Juice boxes with no added sugar: what it really means.
No added sugar, compared
Several drinks below have 0 grams of added sugar. Their total sugar still ranges from 0 to about 35 grams.
| Drink | Added sugar | Total sugar | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| 100% apple juice (FDC 173933) | 0 g | about 24 g | about 115 |
| 100% grape juice (FDC 173042) | 0 g | about 35 g | about 150 |
| Fruit punch drink (not 100% juice) (FDC 174151) | usually most of it | about 28 g | about 115 |
| 2% milk (FDC 171267) | 0 g | about 13 g | about 125 |
| Chocolate milk, reduced fat (FDC 170880) | usually some | about 24 g | about 190 |
| Almond milk, unsweetened (FDC 174832) | 0 g | about 2 g | about 35 |
| Wonderade (either flavor) | 0 g | 3 g | 70 |
Non-Wonderade rows: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) generic entries, scaled from 100 g to 248 g (one 8.4 fl oz serving) and rounded; FDC IDs listed. Brands vary, so check the label on yours. Wonderade figures are from its Nutrition Facts panel. Look up any FDC ID at USDA FoodData Central.
A ten-second label check
- Find Total Sugars. Divide by 4 for teaspoons.
- Find Includes Added Sugars right under it.
- Check the serving size matches the whole box.
- Scan the ingredients for concentrates, syrups and sweeteners if either number surprises you.
- Compare with the guidance: The American Heart Association recommends that children ages 2 to 18 have less than 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) of added sugar a day, and none before age 2.
Questions parents ask
- What does no added sugar mean on juice?
- No sugar or sugar-containing ingredient, including juice concentrate used as a sweetener, was added during processing. The fruit's own sugar is still there and still counts in Total Sugars.
- Is no added sugar the same as sugar free?
- No. Under FDA rules, sugar free means less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving. A no-added-sugar juice can still have 20 grams or more.
- Does 100% juice have added sugar?
- Not by definition, but it has plenty of natural sugar: about 24 grams in 8.4 fl oz of apple juice and about 35 grams in grape juice, per USDA data.
- Does Wonderade have added sugar?
- No. Wonderade has 0 grams of added sugar and 3 grams of total sugar per box. It has no artificial sweeteners.
Related: sugar in juice boxes, compared, Wonderade nutrition facts and the Wonderade FAQ.
Sources
- 21 CFR 101.60(c)(2), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label
- Vos et al., Added Sugars and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children, Circulation 2017 (American Heart Association scientific statement)
- USDA FoodData Central (drink nutrient values; FDC IDs in the table)
8g protein. 3g sugar. Real fruit.
Wonderade is a kids' juice box. See the nutrition facts or meet the flavors.