The Many Names of Sugar

Sugar is naturally present in many whole foods and added to virtually all processed foods. You may see some chemical names of sugar and other names on labels When buying packaged foods, it’s good to know all the names of sugar that food manufacturers are using so you can make better purchasing decision. This list doesn’t include artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes I’ve gathered over 50 different names, hopefully, your eyes won’t glaze over while you’re reading through this list.

1. allulose

2. brown sugar

3. evaporated cane sugar

4. cane sugar

5. coconut sugar

6. maltose

7. dextrose

8. mannose

9. lactose

10. sucrose

11. fructose

12. high fructose corn syrup

13. levulose

14. galactose

15. glucose

16. beet sugar

17. cane juice

18. evaporated cane juice

19. cane juice crystals

20. raw sugar

21. yellow sugar

22. golden sugar

23. grape sugar

24. dextrin

25. Florida crystals

26. date sugar

27. palm sugar

28. crystalline fructose

29. cane sugar

30. confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)

31. ethyl maltol

32. glucose syrup solids

33. grape sugar

34. corn syrup solids

35. diastatic malt

36. castor sugar

37. agave syrup

38. table sugar

39. granulated sugar

40. sucanat

41. turbinado sugar

42. maltodextrin

43. icing sugar

44. muscovado sugar

45. barley malt

46. carob syrup

47. fruit juice

48. caramel

49. corn syrup

50. blackstrap molasses

51. molasses

52. brown rice syrup

53. fruit juice concentrate

54. invert sugar

55. honey

56. maple syrup

57. rice syrup

58. sorghum syrup

59. refiner’s syrup

60. malt syrup

61. treacle

62. golden syrup

Just because these sugars are present in foods doesn’t mean they are bad. The key thing to remember is how many grams are present in the packaged foods you’re purchasing. If the first two ingredients are some type of sugar or the grams are in the high single digits or double digits per serving, that item may not be a good choice.