Added Sugars

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “Added sugars include sugars that are added during the processing of foods (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. They do not include naturally occurring sugars that are found in milk, fruits, and vegetables.”

In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) included added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label for the first time, which helps consumers and school menu planners more easily identify added sugars in the foods and beverages we eat, drink, and serve to students.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA offer additional educational resources on added sugars.

Currently, there are no added sugars limits in the school meal programs, and schools may choose to serve some menu items and meals that are high in added sugars, provided they meet weekly calorie limits.

The CACFP currently has requirements for total sugars, rather than added sugars. In CACFP, breakfast cereals must contain no more than 6 grams of total sugars per dry ounce and yogurt must contain no more than 23 grams of total sugars per 6 ounces.

The final rule establishes the following added sugars limits in the school lunch and breakfast programs.

• Product-based limits to be implemented by school year 2025-26 (beginning July 1, 2025):
  • Breakfast cereals may have no more than 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.
  • Yogurt may have no more than 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces (2 grams of added sugars per ounce).
  • Flavored milk may have no more than 10 grams of added sugars per 8 fluid ounces or, for flavored milk sold as a competitive food for middle and high schools, 15 grams of added sugars per 12 fluid ounces.
• Weekly dietary limits to be implemented by school year 2027-28 (beginning July 1, 2027):
  • In addition to product-based limits described above, the final rule also establishes a dietary specification limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of calories across the week in the school lunch and breakfast programs.

For consistency across child nutrition programs, the final rule also replaces total sugars limits for breakfast cereals and yogurts in CACFP with added sugars limits.

• Added sugars limits to be implemented by Oct. 1, 2025, in CACFP:
  • Breakfast cereals may have no more than 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.
  • Yogurt may have no more than 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces (2 grams of added sugars per ounce).

Note: With state agency approval, CACFP operators may choose to implement the added sugars limits for breakfast cereals and yogurt prior to Oct. 1, 2025.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines) recommend limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of calories daily, yet school breakfasts currently provide about 17 percent of calories from added sugars and school lunches currently provide 11 percent (Added Sugars in School Meals and Competitive Foods Report to Congress). Further, the Dietary Guidelines indicate that about 70 to 80 percent of school-aged children currently exceed the recommended limit for added sugars. USDA determined that specific added sugars limits were needed to reduce added sugars in school meals, consistent with the goals of the Dietary Guidelines.

The product-based limits apply to the leading contributors to added sugars in school meals, items that are popular with children, and foods for which added sugars can be reduced while maintaining palatability. Paired with the weekly dietary limit, which will be implemented two school years later, the limits on added sugars finalized in this rulemaking will align school meals more closely with the Dietary Guidelines. USDA considered product availability when developing this rule, as well as the implementation timeframes. For example, before proposing the added sugars limits, USDA collected data for breakfast cereals and yogurts to ensure adequate products would be available for schools.

USDA received tens of thousands of comments on added sugars, with most in support of reducing added sugars in school meals, primarily to promote child health and academic performance.

Some respondents cited challenges with the proposed limit on grain-based desserts at school breakfast. For example, school nutrition professionals raised concerns about the impact on grab-and-go breakfasts, which often include grain-based desserts, such as breakfast bars and toaster pastries. Therefore, in response to stakeholder input, USDA did not finalize the proposed limit for grain-based desserts at this time. USDA is committed to supporting alternative breakfast models, which encourage student participation by making school breakfast more accessible.

USDA will also provide resources and technical assistance that schools may use to reduce added sugars in school meals, identify grain items that are lower in added sugars, and explore methods for improving and simplifying grain-based dessert requirements by soliciting further stakeholder input.

Schools have many ways to reduce the amounts of added sugars in their menus, such as using fruit as a sweetener in recipes and reducing the frequency of high-sugar items offered during the week. For more ideas, check out USDA’s Team Nutrition’s Best Practices for Reducing Added Sugars at School Breakfast.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluates the safety of sweeteners (sometimes referred to as “high-intensity” or “non-caloric” sweeteners) and other sugars metabolized differently than traditional sugars as well as other added ingredients, such as color. We look to FDA for their expertise in this area, and this final rule aligns with current FDA regulations. More information about these sweeteners can be found at the FDA websites: Aspartame and other sweeteners in food and How safe are color additives?

USDA listened to the public comments that raised potential unintended impacts of the proposal to limit grain-based desserts in the School Breakfast Program. Respondents noted concerns about product availability for alternative breakfast models (e.g., “grab-and-go”), which often include grain-based desserts such as breakfast bars and toaster pastries.

Although this rule does not finalize the limit on grain-based desserts at breakfast, USDA expects that schools will select grains with less added sugars to meet the weekly added sugars limit at breakfast. Gradually phasing in limits on added sugars to less than 10 percent of calories across the week will give schools time to adjust menus and help children gradually adapt to meals with fewer added sugars over time.