Sugar-free products in the supermarket - what should you look out for?

Let's be honest: We spend a large part of our daily lives in the supermarket. We quickly grab familiar products and rarely think about how much sugar actually ends up in our shopping cart.
And that's exactly the problem - sugar is often hidden where you least expect it.

If you want to shop more consciously without becoming an ingredient expert every time, you've come to the right place. Let's take a look together at what you should really pay attention to when buying sugar-free products.

1. "Sugar-free" sounds good - but look closer.

   A product may be labelled as sugar-free if it contains less than 0.5g of sugar per 100g.
   But that doesn't automatically mean it doesn't taste sweet.

   The sweetness often comes from:
   • Erythritol
   • Stevia
   • Xylitol

   👉 Quick tip: Taste alone doesn't tell you much – the ingredient list is crucial.
   

2. The ingredient list - your most important helper
   Yes, we know: reading small print isn't fun.

   But this is precisely where the truth about a product is hidden.

   The code names of sugar
   Sugar rarely appears simply as "sugar". Much more often it hides behind other terms.

   Pay special attention to:

   Everything that ends in "-ose"
   Dextrose, glucose, fructose, maltose
   → all types of sugar, even if they sound harmless.

   Syrups - liquid sugar
   Agave syrup, rice syrup, maple syrup
   → often marketed as "natural", but not sugar-free.

   Extracts & Concentrates
   Barley malt extract, fruit juice concentrate
   → sweetened products without the addition of classic sugar.

   Maltodextrin
   → is derived from starch, does not taste sweet,
   However, chemically it belongs to the sugar family and is metabolized quickly.

   👉 Remember: The shorter and more understandable the ingredient list, the more relaxed your shopping experience will be.
   

3. "No added sugar" - sounds good, but it's not the same.

   The label "no added sugar" means only one thing:
   No additional sugar was added.

   Natural sugars may still be present, e.g., through:
   • Fruit juices
   • Fruit purees
   • Dried fruit

   That's not automatically bad - the important thing is that you know what's really in it.
   

   
   

4. The nutrition facts table - your quick reality check

   If you need something quickly, take a look at the nutritional information table.

   Especially important:
   • Carbohydrates
   • of which sugars (of which sugars)

   These two lines often say more than big promises on the front of the packaging.
   

5. Your shopping checklist (at a glance)

✅	Ask	Checked
🔍	Nutrition information table: "of which sugars"	⬜
📋	Ingredients list ending in "-ose" & syrups	⬜
🚫	No artificial sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K)	⬜

💡 If you can check off all the points, you know exactly what you're buying – and not just what the packaging promises.

Don't feel like guessing labels?

With Purelite, you don't need to be a food chemist.
We use clear, understandable and natural ingredients so you can enjoy sweets – without hidden sugar traps and without feeling guilty.
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