Added sugar hides in many of the foods we eat and beverages we drink. It's often categorized under varying names, such as high fructose corn syrup and sucrose.
New food labels are coming
To help consumers understand how much sugar has been added to a product, the FDA has mandated that all food labels declare the number of grams of added sugar by July 2018. Until then, it's a good idea to read the ingredients list to keep track of added sugars.
Recognizing sugars in disguise
While they go by many different names, all added sugars are sources of extra calories. Here are some examples of added sugars you might find in a list of ingredients:
- brown sugar
- brown rice syrup
- corn sweetener
- corn syrup
- dextrose
- fructose
- glucose
- high fructose corn syrup
- honey
- invert sugar
- lactose
- malt syrup
- maltose
- molasses
- raw sugar
- sucrose
- trehalose
- turbinado sugar
Quick tip: Look for our Publix Better Choice shelf tags while you're shopping to see which products in a certain category have less added sugar.
Summing up added sugars
Many beverages have more sugar than you might expect. For instance, 12 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail has 12 teaspoons of sugar. Even some vitamin-infused waters contain as much as 5 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce bottle.
Take a look at the chart below to find out how much added sugar you and your family may be drinking. Find out more about where added sugars may be lurking.