Sweeteners, Sugar Alcohols and HFCS: Scored as Ingredients, Not as Sugar

Source: The WISEcode Standard v1.0, Sections 3.2.2, 3.2.3 and 5.4.

Two separate parts of the score

The Standard treats sweetness through two independent mechanisms. The sugar penalty measures the share of calories coming from added sugars. The processing weight measures what kind of ingredient was used. A sweetener can score zero on the first and still add points on the second.

Non-nutritive sweeteners

Zero-calorie sweeteners contribute no sugar calories, so they add nothing to the sugar penalty. However, non-bioidentical synthetic sweeteners such as saccharin sit at Processing Level 3 and carry a weight of 2 points each. Swapping sugar for a synthetic sweetener can therefore leave a product no better off overall.

Sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols are not added sugars and do not enter the sugar penalty calculation. They are scored on their processing characteristics like any other ingredient, so the level assigned depends on how the specific polyol is produced.

High-fructose corn syrup

HFCS is counted as an added sugar in the penalty calculation and is additionally classified at Processing Level 3 as a controversial ingredient under active scientific debate. It contributes on both sides of the score, which is why it is one of the costliest sweetener choices in the model.

Conventional sugars

Cane and beet sugar, dextrose and similar refined sugars sit at Processing Level 2, carrying a weight of 1 point each, and also count toward the sugar penalty.

Practical implication

Before reformulating a sweetener system, model the effect on both the sugar penalty and the ingredient weights. The lowest-scoring route is usually less sweetener overall rather than a substitution.