Knowra Added sugar Added sugar Added sugar is sugar incorporated into food or drink during preparation or processing, rather than naturally present in its ingredients. It includes sugars and syrups added by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers.
Free sugars : Sugars added to foods, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and concentrates. This broader category includes added sugar and some sugars released from intact foods.
Sugar refining : The industrial processing of sugar-bearing crops to extract and purify sucrose. It produces refined sucrose that food makers can add as an ingredient.
Dietary reference intake : A system of nutrient intake standards used to guide and assess diets in the United States and Canada. Its recommendations include a limit for added sugars as a share of daily energy.
Dental caries : Progressive damage to tooth structure caused by acids produced when oral bacteria metabolize fermentable carbohydrates. Frequent exposure to sugary foods and drinks can promote the acid production that damages teeth.
Naturally occurring sugar : Sugars present in foods such as whole fruit and plain milk without being added during preparation or processing. Its presence does not make a food's sugar content added sugar.
Food processing : Methods used to transform raw ingredients into foods, including preservation, cooking, and formulation. Added sugars often enter foods during industrial formulation or household preparation.
World Health Organization sugar guideline : WHO guidance recommending that adults and children reduce free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake. It sets a widely cited target for free sugars, a category broader than added sugar.
Obesity : A chronic disease characterized by excess body fat that can impair health. Sugar-sweetened foods and drinks can contribute energy, but obesity has multiple causes.
Sucrose : A disaccharide made of glucose and fructose, commonly known as table sugar. It is a familiar ingredient used to sweeten foods and drinks.
Glucose metabolism : The biochemical pathways by which cells use, store, and regulate glucose. Glucose from added sugars enters the same metabolic pathways as glucose from other sources.
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