41 Code words for sugar


While deciphering labels can already be tricky, trying to figure out what is sugar and what isn't is its very own challenge. Food manufacturers are banking (literally) on you reading the front of pack 'health claims' and skipping over the list of ingredients. But as you're a health conscious consumer you're going to check that little panel on the side of the pack too.

By law the ingredients must always be listed by most to least. Food manufacturers don't want to have to list sugar in the top few ingredients because you'll be scared off. This is where the bamboozling with science starts.

Step up, the sugar code-words, used to fool or at the very least confuse you:

  1. brown rice syrup
  2. cane sugar
  3. maltodextrin
  4. corn-syrup solids
  5. refiner's syrup
  6. evaporated cane juice
  7. sucrose
  8. glucose
  9. evaporated cane juice crystals
  10. caramel
  11. dextrin
  12. golden syrup
  13. dried oat syrup
  14. crystalline fructose
  15. malt syrup
  16. coconut palm sugar
  17. beet sugar
  18. fruit juice concentrate
  19. maltose
  20. treacle
  21. agave nectar
  22. molasses
  23. inverted sugar
  24. palm sugar
  25. date sugar
  26. gum syrup
  27. carob syrup
  28. high-fructose corn syrup
  29. honey
  30. brown sugar
  31. maple syrup
  32. simple syrup
  33. muscavado
  34. corn syrup
  35. dextrose
  36. grape sugar
  37. sweetened condensed milk
  38. barley malt
  39. corn sweetener
  40. dehydrated cane juice
  41. sorghum syrup

So, when checking the ingredient panel be on the lookout. Packets with ingredient lists a mile long and/or 'sciency' sounding ingredients are a huge warning sign. Take this as your cue to look for a more real option. The best option being to cook or bake something yourself at home with real ingredients.