Understanding the Final Rule for Added Sugar on Nutrition Labels

October 23, 2025 •

2 min read

In 2017-2018, the average American adult consumed about 17 teaspoons of added sugars daily, significantly exceeding recommendations. The FDA's final rule for added sugar mandates transparent labeling to help consumers identify and manage their intake, empowering healthier dietary choices.

Quick Summary

The FDA's final rule introduces a dedicated 'Added Sugars' line on updated Nutrition Facts labels, making it easier to distinguish between added and natural sugars to control overall consumption.

Key Points

New Labeling Requirement: The FDA's final rule mandates a separate line for "Added Sugars" on the updated Nutrition Facts panel, distinct from naturally occurring sugars.
Daily Value (DV) Established: The rule sets a 50-gram Daily Value for added sugars, helping consumers understand what a single serving contributes to their daily limit.
Improved Clarity for Consumers: The new labels help distinguish added sugars in processed foods from natural sugars in milk and fruit, preventing consumer confusion.
Links to Chronic Disease: The rule was driven by scientific evidence connecting excessive added sugar consumption to chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
A Tool for Better Choices: By understanding the new label and the 5/20 rule, consumers can more easily identify products that are high or low in added sugars.
Hidden Sugar Awareness: The updated labeling increases awareness of hidden added sugars, which can be found in unexpected items like sauces, flavored yogurts, and cereals.

The Final Rule for Added Sugar: A Leap in Food Label Transparency

Before updated regulations, the 'Sugars' line on the Nutrition Facts label combined naturally occurring sugars with those added during processing, which was confusing for consumers. The FDA finalized a rule requiring a separate line for 'Added Sugars'. This change addressed public health concerns about excessive sugar and its link to chronic diseases. The new requirement was supported by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's recommendation to limit daily calories from added sugars to less than 10%. The updated labels were phased in by 2020-2021, aiming to increase consumer awareness for better dietary decisions.

Old vs. New: A Side-by-Side Comparison

The updated Nutrition Facts panel offers significant changes compared to the old label, particularly regarding sugar information.


Feature	Old Nutrition Facts Label	New Nutrition Facts Label
Sugar Declaration	Listed as 'Sugars,' combining both natural and added sugars.	Clearly separates 'Total Sugars' and 'Includes Added Sugars'.
Added Sugars %DV	Not included; consumers had no reference point for daily limits.	Includes a '% Daily Value' (%DV) based on a 50-gram daily limit for a 2,000-calorie diet.
Calories	Listed in a standard font.	Emphasized with a larger, bolder font.
Serving Size	Based on older, less realistic consumption data.	Updated to reflect modern eating habits, with bolder, larger font.

Deciphering the Updated "Added Sugars" Information

The new label makes it easier to manage added sugar intake. Key points include:

The 'Includes X g Added Sugars' line is indented beneath 'Total Sugars'.
The %DV indicates how much a serving contributes to the 50-gram daily limit.
The 5/20 rule suggests 5% DV or less is low, and 20% DV or more is high in added sugars.

Health Benefits of Limiting Added Sugar Intake

Reducing added sugar can improve health, focusing on cutting back on less nutritious, added sources. Benefits include reduced risk of chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease), improved weight management, decreased inflammation, better dental health, and a more nutritious diet by making space for healthy foods.

What Counts as an “Added Sugar”?

Added sugars include sugars and syrups added during processing, excluding natural sugars in fruit and milk. Common names in ingredients lists to look for include ingredients ending in "-ose" (fructose, dextrose), syrups (high-fructose corn syrup, maple syrup), honey, agave syrup, concentrated fruit or vegetable juices beyond 100% juice levels, cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, molasses, and dextrose. This clarity aids in making better choices.

For comprehensive details on the new Nutrition Facts label and the final rule for added sugar, refer to the FDA's resource.

Conclusion

The FDA's final rule for added sugar provides consumers with essential, clear information. By distinguishing natural from added sugars and providing a daily value, it enables healthier food choices. Understanding this rule is vital for managing sugar intake and its associated health risks. The rule encourages healthier product reformulations by the food industry, supporting a broader public health goal of better eating patterns.

Frequently Asked Questions

The FDA's final rule for updated Nutrition Facts labels, including the added sugars line, had a compliance deadline of January 1, 2020, for large manufacturers and January 1, 2021, for smaller companies.

The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day, based on a standard 2,000-calorie diet. This corresponds to the recommendation to limit added sugars to less than 10% of total daily calories.

The new label lists 'Total Sugars' and then, indented below it, 'Includes Added Sugars'. This makes it simple to see how much sugar is added versus naturally present in the food.

Common names for added sugars include high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, honey, molasses, and ingredients ending in '-ose,' like dextrose and fructose.

Yes, the USDA also implemented rules based on FDA guidelines. Phased-in limits on added sugars in certain products (cereals, yogurts, flavored milk) began in 2025 for school meals and CACFP.

The changes were made to provide consumers with more recent and accurate nutrition information, addressing public health concerns and aligning with updated scientific evidence on diet and chronic diseases.

Yes, single-ingredient products like pure honey or maple syrup are not required to declare the gram amount of added sugars, but they must still declare the % Daily Value for added sugars.

Limiting added sugar intake can help manage weight, lower the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, and reduce inflammation throughout the body.