What criteria and lab tests are used to verify SugarWise low-sugar claims?
Executive summary
Sugarwise certifies products as “low in free sugars” when they contain no more than 5 g free sugars per 100 g for foods and no more than 2.5 g per 100 ml for beverages, and the scheme reports more than 700 certified products across ~70 countries [1] [2]. Certification relies on an ingredient‑classification and calculation protocol tied to WHO definitions of “free sugars,” plus audits and laboratory testing of ingredients or products where needed [3] [4].
1. What Sugarwise says it measures — the free‑sugar standard
Sugarwise’s public criteria hinge on the World Health Organization definition of “free sugars” (added monosaccharides and disaccharides, plus sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juices), and sets thresholds of ≤5 g/100 g for foods and ≤2.5 g/100 ml for drinks to qualify as low in free sugars [3] [1]. The organisation also permits a range of sugar‑related claims (sugar free, low sugar, no added sugar, reduced sugar) but insists certified products meet the free‑sugar cap [1].
2. How Sugarwise verifies claims — ingredient classification and calculation
According to Sugarwise’s published procedure, verification starts with classifying every ingredient on the product label as a free‑sugar ingredient, a free‑sugar‑containing ingredient, or not a free‑sugar ingredient using WHO guidance. Total free sugars per serving are then calculated from composition percentages supplied by the manufacturer and, where applicable, from known free‑sugar contents of those ingredients [3].
3. Laboratory testing and audits — when paperwork isn’t enough
Sugarwise says it will perform audits of manufacturing facilities and test individual ingredients obtained from the manufacturer if there is concern about the accuracy of supplied information. Its materials describe a “Sugarwise Test” used to check label declarations and to assess both free and added sugars in foods and drinks [3] [5].
4. Additional label‑claim requirements and reduced‑carb rules
Beyond the basic free‑sugar thresholds, some claims require further nutritional comparisons: products that carry reduced‑carb or reduced‑sugars claims must have at least 30% less carbohydrate than a comparable product and meet numeric ceilings (for example no more than 10 g carbohydrate/100 g where a reduced‑carb claim is made) [6]. The 0 teaspoons mark is an additional visual for “no added sugar” claims when separately certified [6].
5. Origin of the testing method and scientific claims
Sugarwise says the test that distinguishes free from intrinsic sugars was developed with Cambridge University scientists and built from WHO guidance; the scheme markets that methodology as a distinguishing technical advance for certifying added or free sugars [7] [5]. Available sources describe the test and the organisation’s reliance on WHO definitions, but do not publish a peer‑reviewed analytical protocol in the supplied material [3] [7].
6. Scope, scale and market positioning
Sugarwise positions itself as an international certification authority and reports hundreds of certified products and global distribution; the body also conducts advocacy work and industry summits in EU/UK political venues to promote lower‑sugar options [2] [1]. Media coverage and trade articles frame the mark as a sugar equivalent of Fairtrade and highlight its potential influence on front‑of‑pack claims [8] [5].
7. Points of caution and where reporting is silent
Sugarwise’s materials rely heavily on manufacturer‑supplied composition percentages for initial calculations and say testing/audits occur “if there is any concern,” which leaves room for variability in verification intensity across cases [3]. The supplied sources do not publish detailed, independent validation studies of the Sugarwise Test nor do they provide a full laboratory method or blind‑testing outcomes for public review — those specifics are not found in current reporting [3] [7].
8. Competing viewpoints and potential commercial incentives
Advocates and some journalists describe Sugarwise as a credible attempt to standardise sugar claims, while the organisation also offers marketing value to manufacturers who use the mark; that creates an implicit commercial incentive for both parties to expand certification uptake [4] [8]. Available sources report the scheme’s advocacy and industry partnerships but do not present critical third‑party audits that measure the frequency or outcomes of Sugarwise’s in‑field testing [1] [2].
9. Practical takeaway for consumers and buyers
If you see the Sugarwise logo, the product should meet the stated free‑sugar numeric thresholds and have passed an ingredient classification and calculation process overseen by the scheme; in cases of doubt Sugarwise says it will audit and test ingredients [1] [3]. For independent confidence you may seek products where Sugarwise testing or third‑party lab results are publicly documented — available sources do not list those public lab reports [3].
Limitations: This analysis uses only the supplied Sugarwise pages and related media reporting; independent peer‑reviewed validation of the Sugarwise analytical method and full lab protocols were not provided in these sources [3] [7].