How much sugar can a child have, according to WHO?
WHO gives its free sugars limit as a share of energy, not grams. What counts as free sugars, and what the NHS and CDC advise for the youngest children.
Author: Lulyo
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Short answer
WHO recommends that free sugars provide less than 10% of total daily energy intake, and says going down to 5% or less may bring additional health benefits. This is a share of energy, not grams. For the youngest children other sources are stricter: the NHS says to avoid food and drink with sugar or sweeteners for children aged 4 or younger, and the CDC says children younger than 24 months should not have added sugars.
Details
What free sugars are
The WHO guideline of 2015 on sugars intake for adults and children concerns free sugars.1 In its "Healthy diet" fact sheet WHO describes them as monosaccharides and disaccharides (sucrose, fructose, glucose) added to foods and drinks by the manufacturer, the cook or the consumer, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.2
The limit is a share of energy
In its "Healthy diet" fact sheet WHO says free sugars should provide less than 10% of total daily energy intake, and that going down to 5% or less may provide additional health benefits.2 These are percentages of energy, not grams. How many grams that is depends on how much energy a particular child needs. We have no source-backed table of grams for children under 6, so we give no figures in grams.
For the youngest, other advice is stricter
- NHS: your baby does not need sugar or sweeteners; for children aged 4 or younger, avoid food and drink with sugar or sweeteners, which includes the natural sugar in honey, syrup, fruit juice and smoothies. Whole fruit is not among the examples it gives.3
- CDC: infants and young children should not have added sugars; children younger than 24 months should not have added sugars.4
How to see it on a label
In the nutrition table the line "of which sugars" lumps different sugars together. The ingredient list shows what was actually added: sugar, honey, syrups, juice concentrates. Read both. Tips for the ingredient list: How to read the ingredients on baby puree. You can paste a list into the ingredient list check; on honey specifically: Can babies under 1 year have honey?.
Limits of this article
We do not rate specific products. This summarises third-party sources and is not medical advice.
More questions
What are free sugars?
According to WHO, monosaccharides and disaccharides (for example sucrose, fructose, glucose) added to foods and drinks by the manufacturer, the cook or the consumer, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
Why is there no figure in grams?
WHO states the limit as a share of daily energy. How many grams that is depends on the energy needs of the particular child, and we have no source-backed table for children under 6, so we do not make numbers up.
Does fruit count?
The NHS advice for children aged 4 or younger refers to sugar and sweeteners, including the natural sugar in honey, syrup, fruit juice and smoothies. Whole fruit is not among the examples it gives.
Sources
- Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children (opens in a new tab)World Health Organization, 2015Back to the text
- Healthy diet (fact sheet) (opens in a new tab)World Health OrganizationBack to the text
- Foods to avoid giving babies and young children (opens in a new tab)NHS (UK)Back to the text
- Foods and drinks to avoid or limit (infants and toddlers) (opens in a new tab)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)Back to the text
This summarises third-party sources and is not medical advice. We do not rate specific products or brands.