free sugars
Added sugars plus those naturally present in honey and syrups, as well as in fruit and vegetable juices and juice concentrates
Free sugars are sugars that are added to foods and drinks, as well as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates. They do not include the sugars naturally found inside whole fruits, vegetables, or milk.
In food safety and nutrition, free sugars matter because high intakes are linked to health problems, such as weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and especially tooth decay. EFSA works on free sugars mainly through its role in nutrition risk assessment. It reviews scientific evidence on how free sugars affect health and uses this to inform dietary guidance for the population. EFSA concluded that the risk of dental caries increases as free sugar intake rises and that, as a result, intake should be kept as low as possible within a nutritionally adequate diet.
EFSA’s scientific opinions support EU and national authorities when developing public health recommendations, nutrition policies, and consumer information, helping people make healthier dietary choices and reduce excessive sugar consumption.