Free sugars
WHO free sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks or consumers, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit-juice concentrates. WHO expresses its recommendation for adults and children primarily as a share of total energy.
Added sugar
Added sugar generally means sugar introduced during processing, preparation or cooking. Its exact definition should follow the cited guideline or labeling rule and should not automatically be treated as identical to all free sugars. Relevant Chinese guidance for healthy adults uses the term added sugar.
Total sugars
Total sugars may include both naturally occurring and added sugars. Interpret the field under the applicable labeling rule and product context; a total-sugars number alone does not reveal how much was added.
Total carbohydrate
Total carbohydrate can include sugars, starches and other carbohydrate components; it is not a sugar value. When calculating sugar in a drink, use only a label value explicitly identified as sugar or sugars.
What 25 g and 50 g mean
WHO recommends free sugars below 10% of total energy for adults and children, with possible additional benefit below 5%; about 50 g and 25 g are illustrations based on roughly 2,000 kcal per day. China’s National Health Commission advises healthy adults to keep added sugar at no more than 50 g per day and preferably below 25 g. The sugar category and framing differ, so these should not be merged into one unconditional personal limit.
Primary sources
Sources checked: 5 Nov 2026