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Honey & sweeteners · Product label guide

Sugar & sweeteners: compare ingredients, then choose.

Compare cane sugar, syrups, stevia, monk fruit, allulose, and sugar-alcohol sweeteners.

Research · Sugar & sweeteners

What our research found about sugar & sweeteners

This shelf covers cane sugar, syrups and non-sugar sweeteners. Added sugars are sugars and syrups added in preparation, and the FDA labels them separately from natural sugars. Stevia, monk fruit, allulose and sugar alcohols such as erythritol are used to cut sugar, and many monk fruit and stevia retail blends are mostly bulking agents such as erythritol, which is why the ingredient list matters.

The evidence on non-sugar sweeteners is mixed. The World Health Organization’s 2023 guideline advises against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight, and a 2023 Nature Medicine study linked higher blood erythritol with cardiovascular events, although the finding is observational and not yet settled. Sugar alcohols can cause digestive upset in larger amounts. Whatever the choice, the goal is usually to reduce overall sweetness, not to swap one sweetener for another.

Products
677 brands
Full labels recorded
2842% of the shelf
Maker says organic
27maker’s claim
List an added sweetener
10of 28 labels
List a seed oil
0of 28 labels
Typical label length
3ingredients (median)

Counts use complete, current ingredient labels only. Records without a published label stay unknown and are never counted as clean.

What to compare

  • Read the whole list. Sweetener blends often list erythritol or dextrose before the named sweetener.
  • Added sugar vs. sweetener. Cane sugar, syrups and honey are added sugars; stevia and monk fruit are not sugars.
  • Digestive tolerance. Sugar alcohols can cause gas and loose stools in larger servings.
  • Baking behavior. Substitutions rarely match sugar’s browning and moisture; check the product’s own guidance.

References

  1. WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control World Health Organization
  2. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk Nature Medicine
  3. Aspartame and other sweeteners in food U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  4. Added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  5. Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released World Health Organization

Compare the recorded labels

Find the ingredients that matter to you.

67 of 67 products

“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.

Compare product claims and recorded ingredients. Click a column heading to sort.
Buy
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →5
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗12 oz bagProduct details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →4
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredBuy on Amazon ↗13 fl oz bottleProduct details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →0
Not scoredSearch on Amazon ↗Product details →1

Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” The clean score is strict and needs no setup: nine additive groups on the current label plus verified organic and sourcing claims; without them a product cannot reach 100. It is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.

“Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Search on Amazon” opens an Amazon search for the product, so pick the exact match yourself. Confirm the package, seller, availability, and current price before checkout. Buying links do not influence ingredient results.

01 · A closer look

Your preferences, explained.

The clean score is strict and needs no setup: nine additive groups not found in a current ingredient statement, plus a verified organic claim (and a grass-fed or pasture-raised claim for animal foods), are needed for 100; a possible match earns half and a missing claim earns nothing. Missing or expired evidence stays unknown. It does not assess nutrition, allergies, contaminants, or safety.