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Field guide · 6 minute read

How to Read Nutrition Labels and Added Sugar

Scale label values to your portion and keep serving sizes, total sugar, added sugar, %DV and %RI straight.

By Eugene BlagoUpdated 11 September 2026Editorial policy

01

Choose the label system first

US Nutrition Facts and EU/UK declarations use different reference systems and sugar wording. Mixing them can turn correct arithmetic into a misleading explanation.

US values are often per labelled serving and may identify added sugar. EU/UK panels standardise values per 100 g or 100 ml and use “of which sugars” for total sugars.

02

Find the multiplier

For a US panel, multiply each per-serving value by servings consumed. For an EU/UK panel, divide your portion by 100, then multiply every per-100 value by that factor.

Apply the multiplier before calculating %DV or %RI. Those percentages are adult population references, not personalised targets or a food-quality score.

03

Total and added sugar are not interchangeable

US total sugar includes naturally occurring and added sugars; the added-sugars line is a subset. An EU/UK sugars line does not reveal how much was added.

For drinks, keep missing added-sugar values unknown. Calories from sugar can be described using 4 kcal/g, but that is not necessarily the drink’s total energy.

04

Check units before comparison

US sodium is stated directly in milligrams, while EU/UK labels usually declare salt. Do not compare salt grams directly with sodium milligrams. Keep the chosen jurisdiction and units visible.

Safe interpretation by label

Label lineWhat it means
US Total SugarsNaturally occurring plus added sugars
US Includes X g Added SugarsA subset of total sugar
EU/UK of which sugarsTotal sugars; do not infer added sugar
%DV / %RIPopulation reference, not a personal target

Fictional worked example

Put the arithmetic in view

  1. A cereal lists 180 kcal, 8 g added sugar and 210 mg sodium per 40 g. The portion is 60 g.
  2. Multiplier: 60 ÷ 40 = 1.5. Results: 270 kcal, 12 g added sugar and 315 mg sodium.
  3. 12 ÷ 50 × 100 = 24% added-sugar DV; 315 ÷ 2,300 × 100 = 13.7%, displayed as 14% sodium DV.

Questions readers ask

FAQ

Why do label calories not always equal protein × 4, carbohydrate × 4 and fat × 9?

Declared nutrients and calories are rounded under jurisdiction-specific rules, and fibre, polyols, alcohol and other components can use different energy factors. Small mismatches are therefore expected.

How do I compare packages with different serving sizes?

Scale both products to the same amount, such as 100 g, 100 ml or the portion you would actually eat. Comparing unlike labelled servings can make the arithmetic look more meaningful than it is.

How do I convert EU salt to sodium?

EU rules define salt as sodium × 2.5. Therefore sodium equals salt ÷ 2.5: 1 g salt corresponds to about 0.4 g, or 400 mg, sodium. Keep grams and milligrams explicit.

Can the ingredient list tell me the amount of added sugar?

It may show that a sugar-containing ingredient was used, but it usually cannot reveal its exact contribution. Do not convert an EU/UK “of which sugars” value into added sugar unless the manufacturer separately declares it.

What if a package shows both “as sold” and “as prepared” values?

Use the column that matches what you consumed and follow the stated preparation method. Do not combine a dry-product value with the weight or volume of the prepared food.

References

Sources and notes

These references support the method or context; they do not validate an individual result.

Something needs correction? Report the issue.

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