Source: The WISEcode Standard v1.0, Sections 1.2.3, 5.4 and 6.1.
Where does the penalty start?
No penalty is applied below 20 percent of energy from added sugar. The first point is assigned in the 20 to 29 percent band. A product sitting exactly at 20 percent receives 1 point.
How high can it go?
The maximum is 7 points, reached at 80 percent or more of energy from added sugar. There is no further escalation above that.
Does the penalty replace the ingredient score?
No. It is added to the sum of ingredient processing weights. The two are independent inputs to the same total.
Can a sugar penalty alone make a product Super-Ultra?
Only in combination with ingredient weights. The Super-Ultra band begins above 15 points, and the sugar penalty contributes at most 7. A Unique Ingredient of Concern, by contrast, adds 16 points and forces the tier on its own.
Is the penalty applied to naturally occurring sugars?
No. Only sugars added during formulation are counted. Lactose in plain dairy and fructose in whole fruit are excluded.
Does a zero-calorie sweetener avoid the penalty?
It avoids the sugar penalty but usually carries a Level 3 processing weight, so the overall score may not improve.
Three misreadings worth correcting
- The threshold is not "more than 20 percent". The penalty begins at 20 percent.
- The measure is not grams of sugar. It is the share of calories from added sugar.
- The bands are not smoothed. Within a band, a reduction produces no score change.
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