Standing in front of the yoghurt or ice cream freezer, three phrases compete for attention: no added sugar, sugar-free, and naturally sweetened. They sound similar. Under Indian food-law claim rules, they are not. This page is a shopper's guide to what those words usually require, and what they do not promise. It is general information, not medical or legal advice.
Makers should read the B2B companion: Zero-added-sugar dairy, dessert and bakery fruit bases.
🏷️ Three phrases, three jobs
| Phrase on pack | What it is aiming at | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| No added sugar | No sugars were added as ingredients | "Contains naturally occurring sugars" line + nutrition table |
| Sugar-free | A different permitted claim with its own limits | Nutrition table for sugars per 100 g / per serve |
| Naturally sweetened | Often marketing, not a defined FSSAI claim | Ingredients list: fruit, honey, jaggery, syrup? |
📜 What FSSAI requires for "no added sugar"
Regulation 6 of the Advertising and Claims Regulations (compendium, 14 December 2022) allows a non-addition claim for sugars only when:
- No sugars of any type have been added (examples include sucrose, glucose, honey, molasses, corn syrup).
- No ingredient that contains sugars as an ingredient is used (examples include jams, jellies, sweetened chocolate, sweetened fruit pieces).
- No ingredient that substitutes for added sugars is used (examples include non-reconstituted concentrated fruit juice and dried fruit paste).
- The food's own sugars have not been increased by other means (for example enzymes that release sugars from starch).
If sugars are naturally present, the label also carries "CONTAINS NATURALLY OCCURRING SUGARS". The disclaimer has to be conspicuous.
That is why a mango yoghurt can be "no added sugar" and still show sugars in the nutrition table: lactose and fruit sugar were already there. It is also why a "jaggery sweetened" mithai-style ice cream is not the same claim.
📉 How this meets ICMR-NIN guidance
ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024 advise keeping free sugars below 5% of energy — about 20–25 g a day for an average adult. Free sugars include sugars added to foods and those in honey, syrups and fruit juices. A "no added sugar" yoghurt is one tool among others; portion size and the rest of the day's sweets still matter. This is population guidance, not a personal meal plan.
🧁 Yoghurt, ice cream and cake: quick reading tips
- Yoghurt / dahi drinks — check whether fruit is pulp, concentrate or jam; check the natural-sugars line.
- Ice cream / sorbet — "less sugar" and "no added sugar" are different; polyols or intense sweeteners may appear if the product is sugar-free.
- Cake / mithai-style desserts — dates, jaggery and honey are still sugars for the non-addition claim; read the ingredients before trusting the banner.
For juice cartons specifically, use How to read packaged juice labels. For how a fruit percentage has to reach a drink label, see Reconstituted fruit and no-added-sugar labelling.
Sources
Questions
If a yoghurt says no added sugar, is it sugar-free?
Not necessarily. Milk and fruit bring their own sugars. FSSAI requires packs that make a non-addition claim, and that contain naturally present sugars, to also say "CONTAINS NATURALLY OCCURRING SUGARS". Check the nutrition table for total sugars per serving.
Does a cake sweetened with dates or jaggery qualify as no added sugar?
Usually no. Regulation 6 lists honey among sugars that must not have been added, and treats ingredients such as dried fruit paste as sugar substitutes that can block the claim. Jaggery and date paste are nutritive sweeteners in the same family for claim purposes. Your advisor reads the exact formula; this page does not approve a claim.
What should I look at on the pack?
The claim line, any "contains naturally occurring sugars" statement, the ingredients list (honey, jaggery, syrup, concentrate, paste), and the nutrition table's total sugars and serving size. For juices, also see [How to read packaged juice labels](/how-to-read-packaged-juice-labels/).
Is this medical or legal advice?
No. It is a plain-language reading of FSSAI claim rules and ICMR-NIN free-sugar guidance for shoppers. A dietitian advises on your diet; a regulatory advisor advises on a label you sell.
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