Does 'no added sugar' mean a product is sugar-free?

No. 'No added sugars' means no sugars or sweetening foods were added during manufacture — but the product can still be high in naturally occurring sugars, which is why such labels often must add 'contains naturally occurring sugars'. Fruit juice, dried fruit and dairy can carry 'no added sugar' while still being sugar-rich. Check the 'of which sugars' line in the nutrition table.

Is 'natural' a regulated word on food in the EU?

Almost never. There is no general EU legal definition of 'natural', 'wholesome', 'pure', 'artisan' or 'farmhouse' on food, so they are largely marketing. The narrow exceptions are tightly defined terms like 'natural mineral water' and 'natural flavouring', and the protected EU organic logo — those do have legal meaning.

What's the difference between a nutrition claim and a health claim?

A nutrition claim states what a food contains or doesn't ('low fat', 'high fibre') and is only allowed if it appears in the EU's authorised list and meets its threshold. A health claim links a food or nutrient to a function or health outcome ('supports normal immune function'), and is only allowed if it is on the EU Register of authorised claims, assessed by EFSA. Disease-prevention wording needs separate, specific authorisation.

Can ultra-processed food carry healthy-sounding claims?

Yes — a claim like 'high in protein' or 'source of fibre' only certifies that one threshold is met, not that the overall product is a good choice. An ultra-processed product can legally carry several nutrition claims at once. Read claims as narrow, single-nutrient facts, and use a whole-product view alongside them.

Labels9 min readUpdated 23 June 2026

Food label claims decoded: what 'low fat', 'no added sugar', 'high fibre' and 'natural' legally mean

The front of a food pack is the most heavily worked surface in the shop, and EU law splits the words on it into three groups: claims that are legally defined with a numeric threshold, claims that must be pre-authorised by the regulator, and words that mean whatever the designer wants. Knowing which is which is most of the skill of reading a label. The governing rule is Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims.

Nutrition claims have legal thresholds

A “nutrition claim” says what a food does or does not contain. These are only permitted if they appear on the EU's authorised list andthe product meets the defined threshold — a manufacturer cannot invent “extra low fat”. The common ones, and what they actually require:

Claim	Legal condition (per 100 g unless noted)
Low fat	≤ 3 g fat (≤ 1.5 g per 100 ml for liquids)
Fat-free	≤ 0.5 g fat
Low saturated fat	≤ 1.5 g saturates
Low sugars	≤ 5 g sugars (≤ 2.5 g per 100 ml)
Sugars-free	≤ 0.5 g sugars
No added sugars	No sugars or sweetening foods added
Low salt / sodium	≤ 0.3 g salt (≤ 0.12 g sodium)
Source of fibre	≥ 3 g fibre (or ≥ 1.5 g per 100 kcal)
High fibre	≥ 6 g fibre (or ≥ 3 g per 100 kcal)
Source of protein	≥ 12% of energy from protein
High protein	≥ 20% of energy from protein
Reduced [nutrient]	≥ 30% lower than a comparable product
Light / lite	Same as 'reduced' + the reason must be stated

Two traps live in this table. “No added sugars” is not “sugar-free” — naturally occurring sugars still count, and the label often has to say so. And “light” only means “30% less than something”: less than a comparator that may itself be high, and the pack must state what is reduced.

Health claims must be pre-authorised

A “health claim” connects a food, nutrient or ingredient to the body — “supports normal immune function”, “helps maintain normal cholesterol levels”. In the EU these are only legal if they sit on the official Register of authorised claims, each of which was assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The wording is essentially fixed; a brand cannot upgrade “contributes to” into “boosts”.

Disease-risk-reduction claims (a step beyond a function claim) need separate, specific authorisation and are rare.
General wellbeing puffery— “good for you”, “supports wellness” — is only allowed if it is accompanied by a specific authorised claim; on its own it is not permitted.
Botanical (“herbal”) claims are largely on hold pending EFSA assessment, so many appear in a regulatory grey zone.

The words that mean (almost) nothing

A large vocabulary of reassuring words has nogeneral legal definition on EU food and is therefore marketing: “natural”, “wholesome”, “pure”, “simple”, “clean”, “artisan”, “farmhouse”, “home-style”. They evoke the outcome of minimal processing without committing to it. A handful of look-alike terms are tightly regulated, and the difference is worth knowing:

Looks like marketing	But is actually defined
'natural' on most foods	'natural mineral water' (its own EU rules)
'natural' flavour vibes	'natural flavouring' (defined in the flavourings regulation)
'organic-ish' green packaging	The EU organic leaf logo (Regulation 2018/848, certified)
'no nasties' / 'clean'	Nothing — no legal definition

A claim is one fact, not a verdict

The most important habit: a nutrition claim certifies a single threshold, never the whole product. “High in protein” and “source of fibre” can sit on the same pack as a long additive list and a poor overall score. A product can be simultaneously “low fat” and high in sugar, or “no added sugar” and energy-dense. Each claim is true and narrow; the back-of-pack nutrition table is the whole picture.

How Forkin handles claims

Forkin deliberately scores the product, not its front-of-pack copy. The Forkin Scoreis computed from the nutrition declaration and ingredient list — the regulated, verifiable parts of the label — so a flurry of authorised claims on the front cannot move it. Where a claim is a regulated nutrition fact, it is consistent with the data we read; where it is unregulated marketing, it simply isn't an input. Our reasoning is documented on the methodology page.

Forkin describes what EU rules and classification systems say about a label — it does not tell you a food is “good” or “bad” for you personally. It is an information tool, not medical or dietary advice. Always read the label.

A claims-reading checklist

Treat “no added sugar” and “light” as relative — then check the sugar and fat lines yourself.
Read a single nutrition claim as one true fact, not a green light for the whole product.
Discount “natural”, “clean” and “wholesome” — they carry no legal weight.
For organic, look for the certified EU leaf logo, not the word.
When a health claim sounds strong, remember the EU wording is fixed and EFSA-checked — anything fancier is a rewrite.

Frequently asked questions

Does 'no added sugar' mean a product is sugar-free?: No. 'No added sugars' means no sugars or sweetening foods were added during manufacture — but the product can still be high in naturally occurring sugars, which is why such labels often must add 'contains naturally occurring sugars'. Fruit juice, dried fruit and dairy can carry 'no added sugar' while still being sugar-rich. Check the 'of which sugars' line in the nutrition table.
Is 'natural' a regulated word on food in the EU?: Almost never. There is no general EU legal definition of 'natural', 'wholesome', 'pure', 'artisan' or 'farmhouse' on food, so they are largely marketing. The narrow exceptions are tightly defined terms like 'natural mineral water' and 'natural flavouring', and the protected EU organic logo — those do have legal meaning.
What's the difference between a nutrition claim and a health claim?: A nutrition claim states what a food contains or doesn't ('low fat', 'high fibre') and is only allowed if it appears in the EU's authorised list and meets its threshold. A health claim links a food or nutrient to a function or health outcome ('supports normal immune function'), and is only allowed if it is on the EU Register of authorised claims, assessed by EFSA. Disease-prevention wording needs separate, specific authorisation.
Can ultra-processed food carry healthy-sounding claims?: Yes — a claim like 'high in protein' or 'source of fibre' only certifies that one threshold is met, not that the overall product is a good choice. An ultra-processed product can legally carry several nutrition claims at once. Read claims as narrow, single-nutrient facts, and use a whole-product view alongside them.

Put it into practice

Forkin applies everything in this guide automatically — scan any barcode and see the score, processing group, additives, and your allergens checked in one view. See pricing or compare Forkin to other scanners.

Get the app →