Ingredients A–ZSeasoningsChecked 2026-09-30
Sugar and sugars 砂糖・糖類
Food ingredientUsed in 37 products on this site
These are ingredients that add sweetness. Sugar, starch syrup (mizuame), and isomerized sugar (such as high-fructose corn syrup, “果糖ぶどう糖液糖”) are all treated as food ingredients, not food additives.
How it appears on labels
| On the label (Japanese) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 砂糖 | sugar |
| 糖類（砂糖、水あめ） | sugars (sugar, starch syrup) |
| 水あめ | starch syrup (mizuame) |
| 果糖ぶどう糖液糖 | high-fructose corn syrup |
| グラニュー糖 | granulated sugar |
| ザラメ糖 | zarame (coarse crystal) sugar |
| 麦芽水飴 | malt syrup |
| 果糖 | fructose |
| ぶどう糖 | glucose |
| 麦芽糖 | maltose |
Labeling rules
- When several ingredients of the same kind are used, they can be grouped under a name such as “糖類” (sugars) or “野菜” (vegetables), with the contents written in parentheses (Food Labeling Standards Article 3; Consumer Affairs Agency Q&A Processed Foods-58). “糖類（砂糖、水あめ）” (sugars (sugar, starch syrup)) is written this way.
- “ぶどう糖果糖液糖” (glucose-fructose syrup), “果糖ぶどう糖液糖” (fructose-glucose syrup), and “高果糖液糖” (high-fructose syrup) can also be written together as “異性化液糖” (isomerized sugar) (table in Article 3 of the Food Labeling Standards).
- In the same table, anhydrous crystalline glucose, hydrous crystalline glucose, and whole-sugar glucose can be written together as “ぶどう糖” (glucose). When the ingredient name says only “ぶどう糖”, you cannot tell from the label which of these it is.
- The “糖類” (sugars) in the nutrition facts means something different. It is defined as “monosaccharides or disaccharides that are not sugar alcohols”, and this definition is used for the “糖類無添加” (no sugars added) claim (Food Labeling Standards).
Good to know
- Sweeteners (such as aspartame and sucralose) are food additives and are written after the slash (／). Sugar and starch syrup are written before the slash (／).
- Glucose is a monosaccharide, and maltose is a disaccharide made of two glucose units joined together. Both are counted in the “糖類” (sugars) in the nutrition facts (monosaccharides or disaccharides that are not sugar alcohols).
- The Consumer Affairs Agency Q&A (E-8) has a labeling example in which “ぶどう糖、麦芽糖” (glucose, maltose) are listed side by side in the ingredient name. For House Foods curry roux on this site, Java Curry says “ぶどう糖” (glucose) and “麦芽糖” (maltose), and Kokumaro Curry says “ぶどう糖” (glucose).
- In the food composition table, white sugar (jōhakutō) has 391 kcal per 100 g, and glucose (hydrous crystalline) has 342 kcal.
Food composition data
| Sugar and glucose (per 100 g) | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Salt equivalent (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White sugar (jōhakutō)Food No. 03003 | 391 | 0 | 0 | 99.3 | 0 |
| Glucose, hydrous crystallineFood No. 03018 | 342 | 0 | 0 | 91.3 | 0 |
| Glucose, anhydrous crystallineFood No. 03019 | 374 | 0 | 0 | 99.7 | 0 |
Per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: MEXT, Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement).
Products on this site that contain it
Product pages are in Japanese for now; each one reads every ingredient on the label.
Related pages
Sources
- Food Labeling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) — e-Gov Japanese Law Search
- Q&A on the Food Labeling Standards (revised March 28, 2025) — Consumer Affairs Agency
- Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement) — MEXT
Sources are in Japanese unless noted otherwise. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in standards of public bodies and industry associations. It does not judge whether an ingredient or product is good or bad. If you have a food allergy, always check the label on the package.