"0g sugar" on the front of a package doesn't mean what most people assume it means. Manufacturers can legally make that claim while the ingredient list still contains sweeteners that behave like sugar in your body — they're just not called "sugar."
There are more than 60 documented names for added sugar used on food labels. Most people recognize two or three. Here's the fuller list, grouped by how they usually show up.
Sucrose, glucose, fructose, dextrose, maltose, lactose — anything ending in "-ose" is a sugar, full stop.
These are technically true to their name, but nutritionally act almost identically to table sugar: cane juice, agave nectar, coconut sugar, date syrup, honey, maple syrup, fruit juice concentrate. They're common in products marketed as "clean" or "no refined sugar."
Corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, barley malt syrup, malt extract, golden syrup, invert sugar. These are usually cheaper than table sugar for manufacturers, so they show up in packaged snacks, sauces, and baked goods.
Maltodextrin, dextrin, maltitol syrup — these appear disproportionately often in protein bars, "light" yogurts, and low-fat products, where reducing fat means the manufacturer needs something else to carry flavor and texture.
If any of the above shows up in the first five ingredients, the product likely contains more sugar than the front-of-pack marketing suggests — regardless of what the big "0g Sugar" badge says.
If you're on a GLP-1 medication (semaglutide, tirzepatide) and eating smaller portions, every bite matters more — a sugar-heavy "protein" bar can quietly take up a large share of an already-reduced daily intake. The same logic applies if you're managing prediabetes or simply trying to reduce added sugar: catching it at the ingredient list, before it's in the cart, is the easiest point of control.
This article is educational, not medical advice. If you're managing diabetes or another condition, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about what's right for you.