The Meaning of Sugarless and Zero Calories

You may often see foods labeled "sugarless" or "zero calorie" in supermarkets and convenience stores.

sugarless

This means food that does not use sugar (sugar content).
At first glance, it looks like a health-conscious food, but what does it mean to not use sugar?

Many of these foods are "sweet" to the palate.
In other words, it is sweetened with something other than sugar, a sweetener.
Chemically synthesized products are mainly used.
It is used to keep manufacturing costs down and is touted as sugarless, so you have to be careful.
And sugarless does not mean zero calories.
Of course, some sweeteners have fewer calories than sugar, but many others have double the calories.

zero calories

Zero calorie is not really zero calorie.

By law, anything with less than 5kcal per 100g can be labeled as zero calories.
This means that a 500ml zero calorie drink can have up to 24.5kcal.
This is roughly equivalent to the calories of two sticks of sugar.

The same principle applies to zero carbs.
If the sugar content is 0.5g or less per 100g, it can be labeled as zero sugar or sugar free. This is also a legal requirement.

According to the rules of food labeling, even if the food is labeled as zero, it is often not zero. However, it is a fact that the amount actually contained is small compared to other foods, so it is often possible to adjust the amount of food eaten or to judge in advance by what is contained.
There are many foods with labeling that is misleading due to preconceptions, so I hope it will be helpful as a piece of knowledge.

Nachu Ra
pâtissier Yuhi Hasada