Question:
What is the difference in sugar free and no sugar added?

thanks sherri    — Sherri H. (posted on October 30, 2002)

October 29, 2002
I think I can answer this, but, if I am wrong, please chime in. Sugar Free means there are no sugars in the food, no natural or occuring sugars while No Sugar added means that do not add any sugar but it may have some natural occuring sugars (ie milk, fruit, etc)
   — heathercross

October 29, 2002
Heather is right. ;)
   — Danmark

October 30, 2002
Great short article on this at Food Standards Agency http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/foodlabelling/claimsonlabels/46366
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 30, 2002
Make sure you read the ingrediants. Sometimes "sugar free" isnt sugar free. There may be unknown sugars, especially sugar alcohol (this is in sugar free gum) anything ending in OSE is sugar and OL is sugar alcohol
   — Debbie W.

October 30, 2002
Sugar-free has no sugar of any type in it....no natural sugars either (which are the sugars that end in *ose*). the Sugar-free foods are safe for diabetics and won't make their blood sugar rise, but they usually have the sugar alcohols in them, like sorbitol or malitol, and may give you diarrhea if eaten in large amounts. No-Added-Sugar means that they haven't added any sugars of any kind. As in N-A-S ice cream, they haven't added sugar, but they have the natural milk sugar lactose in them and therefore, WILL make a diabetics blood sugar rise. If you aren't diabetic, most often the N-A-S stuff tastes bette than the sugar-free stuff because it has some kind of natural sugar in it. I'm not 100% certain, but I don't think that *usually* the N-A-S stuff has sugar alcohols in it. For recipes that use natural sugars and turbinado sugar, click on my name to take you to my profile page.
   — Lynette B.

October 31, 2002
About two hours of throwing up.
   — Goldilauxx B.