Total sugar means all the sugar in a food. Added sugar is the part put in while making the food, as set out in label rules. Added sugar is already inside the total. Do not add the two numbers together.
No added sugar is a separate recipe claim. It does not mean no sugar, and it certainly does not mean no calories.
Read what each number tells you
A plain milk food contains sugar that is already there. A sweetened version also contains added sugar. The total shows both sources together.
The label explains where sugar comes from. It does not make sugar that is already there energy free. Nor does it make milk and a sugary drink the same food. Their wider recipes differ.
Indian label rules require details of total and added sugars. Read those entries rather than guessing from a front claim. [1]
Check the no added sugar claim
FSSAI sets recipe conditions for no added sugar claims. Using a sugar rich fruit paste or thick juice to replace added sugar does not give a free pass. Those uses still need to meet the rules. [2]
But even a valid claim leaves other energy sources in the food. Fat, protein and starch still count. A rich coating does not lose its calories because the recipe left out table sugar.
The honest test is the finished bar's energy and protein. Our label checklist keeps that comparison simple.
Make the swap achieve something
Replacing sugar with a lower calorie ingredient is useful when it lowers the total energy you want to reduce. Check that the recipe has not added those calories back through more fat or a larger portion.
Reviews of controlled trials found weight changes mainly when sugar changes also changed the calories eaten. Swapping sugar for equal calories did not create the same weight effect. [3]
That is why FEERO focuses on the whole ratio. Lower sugar is useful, but it is not enough by itself.
Choose a bar that supplies protein efficiently and tastes good. Give the claim credit for what it means. Then make the rest of the label prove the product fits your goal. One attractive claim does not finish the job.