PoshanSenseFood labels
Total sugar and added sugar: avoid counting twice
Two sugar figures can describe overlapping information. Missing information is different from zero.
By PoshanSense · Published 2 October 2026 · General education
Read the two lines together
Total sugar includes both naturally occurring sugars and added sugars. Where a label reports added sugar, it is part of the total—not a second amount to add on top. This distinction is explained in the FDA's nutrition-label guide.
A fictional yogurt example
Suppose a label says 12 g total sugar and 5 g added sugar per pot. Logging the pot as 17 g sugar would double-count the added portion. The entry is 12 g total sugar, of which 5 g is added. For half a pot, those figures become 6 g and 2.5 g.
Now imagine the same numbers are given per 100 g and the pot weighs 150 g. A full pot would instead contain 18 g total sugar and 7.5 g added sugar. The serving basis matters just as much as the nutrient name.
Leave unknown values unknown
If the packaging does not state an added-sugar amount, do not infer a precise number from the product's name. A blank field means the information is unavailable; zero is a numerical claim. Likewise, a photo or AI estimate is not evidence that a manufacturer's label has been verified.
Use the information without turning it into a score
For your own record, note the brand, portion and label basis so the entry is easy to revisit. Comparing similar products on the same basis can be more informative than judging a single number in isolation. This guide does not set a personal sugar allowance or classify a food as safe for a medical condition.
If a clinician has given you a dietary plan, use that plan for individual decisions. A logging estimate should not replace it.
These are educational examples, not individual dietary targets. Editorial approach · Report a correction