Sugar is hiding in the Food Label
Sugar is hiding in the Food Label

Let’s take our power back! We have choice over what we purchase to put in our refrigerators, on our tables, and in our mouths! Here are some things to know about food labels:

  • The fewer ingredients, the better
  • The first ingredient listed on the label is the primary ingredient
  • Sugar is a master of disguise. Just because you don’t see “sugar” on the ingredient list when scanning a nutrition label does not guarantee the item is sugar or sweetener-free

There are several “synonyms” for sugar that you should be aware of – at least 56 of them! Sugar goes by a slew of different names, making it easy for manufacturers to hide how much sugar is truly in a given product. While some of these names are more obvious, like brown and cane sugar, others are trickier to spot (e.g., maltodextrin and dextrose). Shockingly, over 68% of barcoded food products sold in the U.S. contain added sweeteners—even if they are labeled as “natural” or “healthy.”

Added sugar =

“sugars that are added during the processing of foods…and include sugars (free, mono- and disaccharides), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices….” FDA 2016

Sugar is hiding in thte food label

Sugar is sneaky, and can appear where you least expect it. There are the more obvious items like cakes, sweets, sodas, and table sugar that you might add to your morning coffee. But it can also hide out in things like sauces, salad dressings, granola bars, and pre-made foods. Even fruit – while it’s considered “natural” – contains sugar.

If you can’t pronounce it or picture what it looks like in nature, you probably shouldn’t be consuming it.

Sugar synonyms – the most common names for sugar (Excluding artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes):

Basic Simple Sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides):

  1. Dextrose
  2. Fructose
  3. Galactose
  4. Glucose
  5. Lactose
  6. Maltose
  7. Sucrose

Solid or Granulated Sugars:

  1. Beet sugar
  2. Brown sugar
  3. Cane juice crystals
  4. Cane sugar
  5. Castor sugar
  6. Coconut sugar
  7. Confectioner’s sugar (aka, powdered sugar)
  8. Corn syrup solids
  9. Crystalline fructose
  10. Date sugar
  11. Demerara sugar
  12. Dextrin
  13. Diastatic malt
  14. Ethyl maltol
  15. Florida crystals
  16. Golden sugar
  17. Glucose syrup solids
  18. Grape sugar
  19. Icing sugar
  20. Maltodextrin
  21. Muscovado sugar
  22. Panela sugar
  23. Raw sugar
  24. Sugar (granulated or table)
  25. Sucanat
  26. Turbinado sugar
  27. Yellow sugar

Liquid or Syrup Sugars:

    1. Agave Nectar/Syrup
    2. Barley malt
    3. Blackstrap molasses
    4. Brown rice syrup
    5. Buttered sugar/buttercream
    6. Caramel
    7. Carob syrup
    8. Corn syrup
    9. Evaporated cane juice
    10. Fruit juice
    11. Fruit juice concentrate
    12. Golden syrup
    13. High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
    14. Honey
    15. Invert sugar
    16. Malt syrup
    17. Maple syrup
    18. Molasses
    19. Rice syrup
    20. Refiner’s syrup
    21. Sorghum syrup
    22. Treacle

    Food Addiction-Informed abstinence starts with abstaining from sugar in all forms from your diet – the obvious sugar laden baked goods, chocolate and candy, as well as the less obvious sugar ingredients that are hidden in the processing and used to increase the palatability of processed foods to increase shelf life, texture and color.

    New Episode: Breaking Free from Food Addiction with David Wolfe

    Struggling with food cravings and addictive eating behaviors?

    Episode 35 of The Food Addiction Podcast features David Wolfe, Certified Food Addiction Counselor and co-founder of SUGARx Global, sharing powerful insights on recovery.

    David co-authored The Fix for Cravings with Cynthia Myers-Morrison, offering practical strategies to manage cravings and sustain long-term recovery. In this episode, he covers:

    ✅ Identifying food addiction patterns
    ✅ The role of community support and counseling
    ✅ Breaking through denial, shame, and guilt
    ✅ Removing trigger foods for lasting recovery
    ✅ Educating healthcare providers on food addiction

    At SUGARx Global, David helps individuals understand the addictive nature of certain foods and develop a personalized path to healing. His own journey with obsessive food behaviors led him to The INFACT School, where he discovered the science behind addiction and recovery.

    🎧 Listen now!

    📢 Share this episode with anyone who needs hope and real solutions!

    Warm regards,
    Esther Helga Guðmundsdóttir
    Founder, INFACT School

    Tune in now!

    We’re thrilled to announce the Monthly Guest Lecturer Series, featuring the biggest names and brightest minds in food addiction research and treatment! This is your chance to learn directly from the pioneers shaping the field, including:

    • Dr. Vera Tarman, MD – Renowned addiction expert and author of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction.
    • Nicole M. Avena, PhD – Leading neuroscientist and author of Why Diets Fail, specializing in the science of food addiction.
    • Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD – New York Times bestselling author and founder of Bright Line Eating.
    • Robert H. Lustig, M.D. – World-famous endocrinologist and author of Fat Chance, known for his expertise in sugar addiction and metabolic health.

    …and many other trailblazing thought leaders!

    💡 Want to learn from the best? These lectures are open to everyone—no CFAP certification required!

    🎓 Pricing Options:

    • $40 per individual lecture
    • $325 for a 10-lecture bundle (save $75!)

    This is an incredible opportunity to hear directly from the experts driving change in how we understand and treat food addiction. Whether you're a professional or simply passionate about the topic, these lectures will empower and inspire you.

    Message us to learn more!

    Are you interested in discovering if you are a food addict?

    The INFACT School now offers you access to a free diagnostic tool called the Yale Scale. If you’re curious to find out whether you might have a food addiction or just keen to see the self-report measure in action, you can complete the questionnaire below.

    Once you complete the questionnaire, we will be in touch with the next steps to help you in your recovery process.

    Complete questionnaire
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    http://www.infactschool.com
    YouTube
    Email
    Copyright © 2025 INFACT SCHOOL, All rights reserved.
    You were subscribed to the newsletter from INFACT SCHOOL

    Our mailing address is:
    INFACT SCHOOL
    Sidumuli 33,
    Reykjavík 108
    Iceland

    Add us to your address book


    Want to change how you receive these emails?
    You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

    Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
    
    

    You have Successfully Subscribed!