Total Sugar vs Added Sugar: The Difference & Why It Matters

Total Sugar vs Added Sugar: The Difference & Why It Matters

If you’re one of those overachievers who checks the nutritional label before snacking, you may have noticed changes across grocery store shelves. One change in particular really stands out.

Food manufacturers are now required by the FDA to list total sugars AND added sugars on their labels. This suggests a shift nutritional labels of the past failed to recognize; the difference between naturally occurring sugar and added sugar. 

The purpose of this change is to increase the transparency between manufacturer and consumer – after all, it’s easier to make informed purchasing decisions when you know exactly what’s in the package. But this leaves us wondering, between added and total sugar, what’s the difference?   

We sat down with leading food scientists tasked with creating these new nutritional labels to get the inside story on why this change matters for you. 

What’s the difference? 


“On a scientific level, the difference is determined through the product’s formula in the ingredient statement,” explained a leading Microbac Laboratories Food Operations Manager. “Any sugar that exists in the product naturally, before production, contributes to the total sugar count on the label. Any sugar added to that product by the manufacturer contributes to the added content on the label.” 

To put it simply – if you pick an orange and squeeze it into a cup, the sugar in that cup is listed as total sugar. If you pick that same orange, squeeze it, then add a packet of sugar … the packet of sugar is listed as added sugar while the sugar from the squeezed juice remains listed as total sugar.

This nutritional change was intended to help consumers see the clarification between the naturally occurring and added sugars in the products they purchase and consume. For the products that would not typically have added sugar, juice and Greek yogurt are great examples – they both have total sugar from natural sources but they likely don’t contain added sugar.

Transparency is Key 


In the past, the FDA didn’t require food producers to share this information with the public. In other words, it made it difficult to know if you’re buying 100% orange juice or an orange juice/ water/ high fructose corn syrup combination. With these new changes the distinction is clear. 

“The point of changing the label is to help consumers make more informed choices about their health,” stated a leading Microbac Laboratories Food Testing Director. “Juice is a great example – there are 100% juice products and then there are products called juice drink blends. Juice from a 100% natural source will claim zero added sugar, but it will still have plenty of sugar because it’s from a sugar source. Juice drink blends take pure juice, dilute it and add additional sugar such as high fructose corn syrup. This is a big difference.”

On a molecular level, there are two main types of sugars, he explains, and most foods contain some of both. The first is monosaccharides (single sugar molecules) which include fructose, galactose and glucose. The second is disaccharides (two of these single sugar molecules linked together,) which include sucrose, lactose and maltose. For our purposes, however, none of this matters because the body can’t tell the difference. It’s true. All sugars we consume are simply a combination of these various sugar molecules.

Why it matters 


You’re probably asking yourself, “If our bodies can’t distinguish between the sugar in an orange and the sugar in a cookie, then why go through the pain of changing the labels?”

Good question.

This change is about clarifying the source of the sugar. And some consumers may be more likely to lean toward products without added sugar if given the choice.

In fact, A recent study found informing consumers of added sugars on the label could eliminate nearly one million cases of heart disease, stroke, and type two diabetes combined over 20 years.

But what if you’re not an average buyer? What if you’re the owner of a small juice company and you’re now required by the FDA to not only calculate all of your product’s added sugar count, but pay for new labels across your entire inventory? For a small to mid-sized company, this can be a daunting task. Fortunately, there’s still time (and you don’t have to do it alone.) 

Making the Shift


According to the FDA, food manufacturers making less than $10 million in annual food sales have until January of 2021 to make the required label changes. This means many of you have nearly a year to make the shift, and while we doubt this task will be the highlight of your year – it doesn’t have to be painful. Laboratories across the country like Microbac have years of experience in nutritional label regulation and can guide you and your team through the process. 

“We have specialists on our food testing team who have worked in the labeling industry and done compliance work on product labels for the FDA. Essentially, they’ve been on the other side of these regulations,” he explained. “We have the 360 knowledge that allows us to guide people through the process seamlessly.” 

If you’re a decision-maker looking for assistance with a new FDA nutritional label, connect with our food testing team here. To check out our food testing catalog, click here. For more information about the new FDA nutritional label requirements, click here.  

Tap For a Free Nutrition Label Quote For Your Product

25 Replies to “Total Sugar vs Added Sugar: The Difference & Why It Matters”

  1. This information is so important for everyone. I’d like permission to post this on Facebook.
    Also, I would like to know if you provide testing for foods or liquids for individuals, in addition to companies. If not, I’d appreciate it if you could provide me with a testing lab somewhere in the Pittsburgh area.
    Thank you.

    1. Cara Chancellor says:

      Hi Michelle! You can share this on Facebook by reposting this link: https://www.microbac.com/news/2020/02/10/total-sugar-vs-added-sugar/
      Or by going to our LinkedIn or Facebook pages and resharing from there 🙂
      As far as your question – yes. We do! We have a lab 15 miles outside of Pittsburgh in Warrendale.

      Below is the contact for our leading food testing specialist. I’ve let her know you have some questions and she’s available to answer whenever you’d like to reach out.

      rachel.cogley@microbac.com

      and here is the number for the laboratory: (724) 772-0610

  2. Magnificent web site. Lots of useful info here. I’m sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks for your effort!

  3. May I simply say what a relief to uncover somebody who truly understands
    what they’re discussing on the net. You certainly understand how to
    bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people should check
    this out and understand this side of the
    story. I was surprised you are not more popular because you
    certainly possess the gift.

  4. This website was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Many thanks!

  5. Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes which will make the biggest changes. Thanks for sharing!

  6. May I just say what a comfort to discover somebody who truly knows what they are discussing on the web. You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to read this and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you aren’t more popular given that you definitely possess the gift.

  7. Hey there! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the great work!

  8. I’m really inspired with your writing skills and also with the format on your weblog. Is this a paid topic or did you customize it your self? Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it is uncommon to see a great blog like this one today.

    1. Cara Chancellor says:

      Hey there! Thank you for the kind feedback. We certainly have a unique audience of readers and we love to produce content we know they will find value in. As far as the site, we’ve made moderate customizations to the original WP template, but nothing dramatic.

  9. This design is spectacular! You definitely know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Great job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!

  10. Wonderful blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thank you

  11. Hey! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to give it a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Superb blog and superb style and design.

  12. Hey man, .This was an excellent page for such a hard subject to talk about. I look forward to reading many more great posts like these. Thanks

  13. Its like you learn my thoughts! You seem to know a lot about this, such as you wrote the e book in it or something. I believe that you simply can do with a few p.c. to force the message home a little bit, however other than that, this is magnificent blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.

  14. Very efficiently written story. It will be valuable to anyone who usess it, as well as yours truly :). Keep up the good work – can’r wait to read more posts.

  15. This is really interesting, You are a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your fantastic post. Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks!

  16. Excellent, what a website it is! This blog provides helpful
    facts to us, keep it up.

  17. I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back later. All the best

  18. Just desire to say your article is as astonishing. The clarity on your post is just nice and that i could think you’re knowledgeable on this subject. Fine along with your permission allow me to seize your feed to stay updated with approaching post. Thank you one million and please continue the rewarding work.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *