What is SugarWise certification and how is it determined?
Executive summary
Sugarwise is an international certification authority that verifies sugar-related claims (sugar free, low sugar, no added sugar, reduced sugar, low calorie, calorie free and reduced carb) and allows use of its logo on qualifying products; it says over 500–700 products in ~70 countries have been certified [1] [2]. Certification hinges on laboratory testing of products to measure “free” or added sugars against criteria tied to WHO guidance — e.g., limits like 5 g free sugars per 100 g for foods and 2.5 g per 100 ml for beverages — and category-specific rules such as “30% less carbohydrate/sugar than a similar product” for reduced-sugar claims [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. What Sugarwise says it does: an independent verifier for sugar claims
Sugarwise presents itself as “the international authority for sugar related claims,” offering a trademarked SUGARWISE marque that companies can put on packaging or menus once their sugar-related statements have been independently verified; it lists specific claim types it assesses (sugar free, low sugar, no added sugar, reduced sugar, low calorie, calorie free, reduced carb) [1]. The organization promotes the logo as a consumer shortcut signalling that a product is low in the sugars or sweeteners people should limit, and it has promoted school and catering certification programs to reduce children’s sugar intake [7] [2].
2. How certification is determined: lab testing + defined criteria
Manufacturers submit product samples (often in triplicate) and pay for testing; Sugarwise forwards samples to UKAS-accredited laboratories and reviews the returned results before issuing certification, with an express option that can deliver certificates within 14 days [8]. The tests are used to quantify free sugars and — Sugarwise asserts — can distinguish added/free sugars from intrinsic sugars, and the method can be applied in forensic contexts to determine added-sugar content [8] [4].
3. The numerical thresholds and category rules you need to know
Sugarwise ties its low free-sugar standard to WHO guidance and publishes explicit thresholds: for some descriptions it states products qualify when added/free sugars are no more than 5% of a food’s weight (roughly 5 g/100 g) or 2.5 g/100 ml for beverages — figures it has cited publicly [3] [4]. For “reduced carb/sugar” certification a product must have 30% less carbohydrate/sugar than a comparable product and no more than 10 g carbohydrates/free sugars per 100 g when using that particular claim [5] [6].
4. Process details and traceability: what applicants should expect
The online procedure requires a signed agreement, shipment of samples to a Sugarwise testing address, payment and issuance of a receipt, laboratory analysis at UKAS-accredited labs, review of results by Sugarwise, and then finalisation of certification and artwork for use with the logo [8] [6]. Sugarwise also positions the test as a check on label accuracy and can use testing to reject certification when label information is inaccurate [8].
5. Reach, positioning and endorsements — marketing as a public-health tool
Sugarwise markets itself as the sugar equivalent of Fairtrade and highlights uptake and media coverage: it claims hundreds of certified products shipped across Europe, Australia, Canada, the US, China and the Middle East, and cites partnerships, press coverage and pilots such as Tesco involvement and school catering endorsements [1] [2] [9]. Public-facing quotes and news links on the site present clinicians and caterers describing the scheme as a positive step for public health [9] [7].
6. What available sources do not mention or clarify
Available sources do not mention independent peer-reviewed validation studies of Sugarwise’s laboratory method beyond the organisation’s own claims about a test that distinguishes free from intrinsic sugars; they also do not provide third-party evaluations of consumer understanding or long-term public-health impact in the reporting provided here (not found in current reporting). Exact procedural fees, sample-volume limits, or an up-to-date global count beyond the broad “500–700 products in ~70 countries” range are not fully enumerated in these sources [1] [2].
7. Competing viewpoints and limitations in the reporting
Coverage and Sugarwise materials present the scheme positively and stress technical rigor (UKAS-accredited labs, WHO-derived thresholds) [8] [3]. Critical or independent assessments are not present in the provided results; therefore readers should note the potential for promotional framing on Sugarwise’s own pages and in partner press coverage [1] [2]. The claim that the test “distinguishes” added/free from intrinsic sugars is asserted by Sugarwise and echoed in profile pieces, but independent validation is not cited in the material supplied here [4] [8].
If you want, I can extract the exact certification thresholds and the step-by-step submission checklist from Sugarwise’s “Certification Procedure” and “Criteria” pages so you can see the numeric rules and sample logistics verbatim [8] [6].