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Reading labels

Sugar’s other names on a label: glucose syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, invert sugar, date syrup

Glucose syrup, dextrose, invert sugar and date syrup are sugar by other names; maltodextrin is starch that mostly escapes the sugars line. How to read both.

By Bravoora teamPublished Updated Sources checked 8 min read

Oat CookiesIngredientsIngredients: wheat flour, oat flakes (22%),glucose syrup, palm oil, dextrose,invert sugar syrup, raising agents,date syrup (3%), skimmed milk powder,maltodextrin, salt, natural flavouring.Contains: wheat and oats (gluten), milk.Net weight 180 gHeads up for Sam · glucose syrup = sugar · 11 g a serving1234NutritionPer serving (3 cookies, 30 g)Carbohydrates19 gof which sugars11 gSalt0.2 g
Maltodextrin sits in carbohydrates, mostly outside sugars.
5
  1. Glucose syrup and dextrose: made from starch; dextrose is pure glucose.
  2. Invert sugar: table sugar split into glucose and fructose.
  3. Date syrup: dates boiled down; a sweetening food, so no “no added sugars” claim.
  4. Maltodextrin: starch in short chains; mostly in carbohydrates, not in sugars.
  5. The panel: carbohydrates 19 g, of which sugars 11 g a serving.
A sample oat-cookie label. Four of the marked names are sugar; maltodextrin sits in the carbohydrate line and mostly outside the sugars line.

Key takeaways

  • “Sugars” on the nutrition panel means all single and double sugars from any source, milk and fruit included, and excludes polyols. “Added sugars” is a separate line only in the US.
  • Glucose syrup and dextrose are made from starch, invert sugar is sucrose split into glucose and fructose, and date syrup is a sweetening food, so a product with it cannot claim “no added sugars” in the EU.
  • Maltodextrin is starch in short chains: mostly outside the sugars line, so a “low sugar” product can still list it high up.
  • Ingredients are listed by weight, so a sweetener split into three names can slide down the list.
  • Sweeteners carry E-numbers such as E951 and E955, and in the EU and UK the label must say “with sweetener(s)”.

The short answer

Five names hide sweetness on a label. Glucose syrup and dextrose are made from starch, invert sugar is split table sugar, and date syrup is dates boiled down. Maltodextrin is made from starch too, but most of it is not counted in the “sugars” line, because that line counts only single and double sugars. Read both lines together.

What does “sugars” mean on the nutrition panel?

In the EU and UK, “sugars” means all monosaccharides and disaccharides present in the food, and excludes polyols[2]. Single sugars are glucose, fructose and galactose; double sugars are sucrose (table sugar), lactose (milk sugar) and maltose. The line counts them wherever they come from: the NHS points out that “of which sugars” includes the sugars in milk, fruit and vegetables as well as anything added[7].

The US panel adds a second line. “Total Sugars” is followed by “Includes Added Sugars”, where added sugars are sugars added during processing, such as sucrose or dextrose, plus sugars from syrups and honey and from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices[6].

In the Gulf, the nutrition panel follows GSO 2233, “Requirements of nutritional labeling”, whose current edition was approved on 30 April 2025[4]. The label itself follows GSO 9[3][5].

What are the five names, and where do they come from?

The five names are glucose syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, invert sugar and date syrup. The EU sugars directive defines most of them, which is why the same words appear on packs from Dublin to Sydney[1].

Five sweet names and how the sugars line treats them
Label saysWhat it isIn the “sugars” line?
Glucose syrupA purified, concentrated solution of nutritive saccharides made from starch, or from inulin[1]. Starch is broken down until it is sweet.Its single and double sugars count; its longer chains do not[2].
DextrosePurified, crystallised D-glucose, sold anhydrous or as a monohydrate[1]. Another word for glucose.Yes, all of it.
Invert sugarSucrose partly split by hydrolysis into glucose and fructose; a syrup when the inverted share passes half[1].Yes, all of it.
Date syrupDates cooked down to a syrup. On the label it is a food used for its sweetening properties[8], and in the US a syrup counts as added sugar[6].Yes: the fruit’s sugars.
MaltodextrinStarch broken into short chains, less far than glucose syrup. It is not one of the sugars in the EU directive[1].Mostly no: only its small single and double share counts[2]. The rest sits in carbohydrates.

Why does the order of the ingredient list matter for sugar?

The order matters for sugar because ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, in the EU and UK[2] and on Gulf packs[3]. A recipe that uses sugar, glucose syrup and dextrose can show each of them lower in the list than one combined sweetener would appear. Count the sugar names, not just the first one, and then let the sugars line settle it: the panel does not care how many names the sugar was split into.

What do “low sugar”, “sugar-free” and “no added sugars” mean?

In the EU and UK, “low sugar” means no more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g for solids or 2.5 g per 100 ml for liquids, and “sugar-free” no more than 0.5 g per 100 g or 100 ml[8]. “With no added sugars” means no added mono- or disaccharides and no other food used for its sweetening properties, so honey, date syrup and fruit concentrate all break the claim; when the food’s own sugars are present, the label adds “contains naturally occurring sugars”[8].

The NHS reads the panel the same way for any product: more than 22.5 g of total sugars per 100 g is high, 5 g or less is low[7]. A Gulf pack often carries the EU or US wording too, so the same claim can be read against the rules above.

Which E-numbers are sweeteners, and what must the label say?

Sweeteners are not sugars, and polyols are excluded from the sugars line[2]. In the EU and UK the name of the food must carry “with sweetener(s)”; a product with aspartame (E951) must say it contains a source of phenylalanine; and a product with more than 10% polyols must warn that excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect[9].

Bravoora’s E-number decoder lists the sweetener codes with their source: E420 sorbitol, E421 mannitol, E950 acesulfame K, E951 aspartame, E952 cyclamates, E954 saccharin, E955 sucralose, E957 thaumatin, E960 steviol glycosides, E965 maltitol, E966 lactitol, E967 xylitol and E968 erythritol[10].

How do you use the sugars line against your own number?

Read the carbohydrate line and the sugars line together, per serving. Carbohydrates include starch, so the two lines differ: an oat cookie can show carbohydrates 19 g and sugars 11 g for one serving. If a dietitian or doctor gave you a number for sugars or for carbohydrates, the per-serving line is the one to compare with it; Bravoora shows the printed name and the number and does not set a limit for you.

Sugar names in Bravoora’s data

  • The E-number decoder carries 13 sweetener codes, from E420 sorbitol to E968 erythritol, each with its source and the warning the label must carry[10].
  • Lactose, the sugar in milk, sits in the public allergen dictionary under milk, with 109 milk names in all: a sugar on the panel can also be an allergen in the list[11].
  • Barley malt extract, a sweetener in cereals and malted drinks, sits in the dictionary under gluten: sweet on the panel, barley in the list[11].

Method: counts from Bravoora’s E-number guide and from the public dictionary file (English edition), version 1.5.1 (built 1 October 2026), both read on 10 October 2026[10][11]. They describe which names the guides know, not how much sugar any product contains.

Which words on the label mean sugar?

  • Sugar, sugars, of which sugars: the panel line that counts single and double sugars from any source.
  • Glucose syrup, dextrose: made from starch; dextrose is pure glucose.
  • Invert sugar: table sugar split into glucose and fructose.
  • Date syrup, honey, molasses, fruit concentrate: sweetening foods; their sugars count.
  • Fructose, lactose, maltose: single and double sugars by name.
  • Maltodextrin: starch in short chains; mostly in carbohydrates, not in sugars.
  • No added sugar, with sweeteners: front-of-pack claims with their own rules.

How do you check a pack for sugar in 30 seconds?

  1. Read the “of which sugars” line per 100 g, then per serving.
  2. Count every sugar name in the list: sugar, glucose syrup, dextrose, invert sugar, date syrup, honey, fructose, maltose, molasses, fruit concentrate.
  3. Note maltodextrin separately: it sits in the carbohydrate line, mostly outside sugars.
  4. Look for “with sweeteners” and the E-numbers from E420 to E968.
  5. Check the front: a “no added sugars” claim still allows the sugars that are naturally in milk or fruit, and the pack should then say so[8].

How does Bravoora read sugar on a label?

Bravoora reads the sugar names in the ingredient list and the sugars line on the panel, and shows the printed word with its meaning: “glucose syrup = sugar”. For someone who watches sugars it gives a “Heads up” with the per-serving number, never a verdict about anyone’s health, and never a limit of its own; the number you compare against is the one you typed from your dietitian. Lactose is read twice, as a sugar on the panel and as milk in the list, because it is both. The methodology shows how it is tested.

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Scope and limits

This guide covers sugar names and the sugars line on prepacked food sold in the EU, the UK, the US and the Gulf states. It does not cover restaurant food, loose food or medicines.

Sources were checked on 10 October 2026. The Gulf regulations are cited by title and edition[3][4][5].

This is general label information, not medical advice. If you follow a number from a dietitian or doctor, the per-serving line is the one to compare; this guide sets no number.

Frequently asked questions

Does date syrup count as added sugar?

Yes. In the US definition, sugars from syrups are added sugars, and in the EU a food used for its sweetening properties rules out the “no added sugars” claim. Its sugars also count in the sugars line.

Why is maltodextrin not in the sugars line?

Maltodextrin is not in the sugars line because that line counts single and double sugars only, and maltodextrin is mostly longer chains. It still sits in the carbohydrate line, so compare that line if you count carbohydrates.

Does “no added sugar” mean low in sugar?

No. It means nothing sweet was added; fruit, milk or dates in the recipe still bring their own sugars, and the EU label then says “contains naturally occurring sugars”. Read the sugars line.

Are sweeteners sugar?

No. They carry E-numbers such as E951 and E955, are excluded from the sugars line, and in the EU and UK the name must say “with sweeteners”. Polyols such as sorbitol and maltitol carry a laxative warning above 10%.

Sources

  1. Council Directive 2001/111/EC relating to certain sugars intended for human consumption (Annex, Part A)European Union (EUR-Lex)Official Journal L 10, 12 January 2002checked
  2. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (Article 18, Annexes I, II and III)European Union (EUR-Lex)Official Journal L 304, 22 November 2011checked
  3. GSO 9/2013 Labeling of Prepackaged Food Stuffs (English text): clauses 5.2.1, 5.2.5 and 7.2GCC Standardization Organization (GSO); copy published by Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food2013 edition, approved 2 October 2013checked
  4. GSO 2233:2025 Requirements of nutritional labelingGCC Standardization Organization (GSO)Edition 3, approved 30 April 2025 (current edition)checked
  5. GSO 9:2022 Labeling of prepackaged food stuffsGCC Standardization Organization (GSO)Edition 4, approved 19 October 2022 (current edition)checked
  6. Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts LabelUS Food and Drug Administrationchecked
  7. Sugar: the factsNHS (UK National Health Service)checked
  8. Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods (Annex: low sugar, sugar-free, with no added sugars)European Union (EUR-Lex)checked
  9. Food labelling and packaging: food and drink warningsUK Government (GOV.UK)checked
  10. E-number decoder: Bravoora’s guide to additive codesBravoorachecked
  11. Bravoora label dictionary (public data file, English edition, version 1.5.1)BravooraBuilt 1 October 2026checked

Change log

  1. The sample pack in the figure is now oat cookies; the Gulf moved to the end of each list of markets.
  2. Figures redrawn in English and the label words section rewritten: it now lists the names as they are printed on English-language packs. Every dictionary count is read from the published English file, and the byline names the Bravoora team.
  3. First published.

How we write and check articles

Ingredient guides for this topic

AllergenLactoseThe sugar in milk. Avoiding it is not the same as avoiding milk protein.Read the guideAllergenGlutenA protein in wheat, barley and rye, and in foods made from them.Read the guideAllergenMilkMilk and its proteins hide under many names on ingredient lists.Read the guideAdditiveMono- and diglycerides (E471)The most common emulsifier on a label, and its source is rarely stated.Read the guide

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