How much sugar a day? The WHO and Anses limits
The short answer
Two official guidelines, which do not measure the same thing. The WHO recommends limiting free sugars, meaning those that are added and those in fruit juice, to 50 g a day for 2,000 kcal, and ideally to 25 g. Anses (the French food safety agency) sets a limit of 100 g a day of total sugars, fruit included, excluding the sugars in milk. A 33 cl can of cola alone provides 33 g of sugars, two thirds of the WHO limit.
The two guidelines
| Source | What is counted | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| WHO, 2015 | Free sugars: added sugar, honey, syrups, fruit juice | less than 50 g (10% of energy), ideally 25 g |
| Anses, 2016 | Total sugars, fruit included, excluding lactose and galactose | less than 100 g |
The sugars in a whole fruit do not count towards the WHO limit. Those in a fruit juice, even a pure juice, do: this is the difference that matters most day to day.
How much sugar is in what you consume
| Product | Portion | Sugars | Share of the 50 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugary cola | 330 ml can | 33 g | 66% |
| Sugary energy drink | 250 ml can | 26 g | 51% |
| Orange juice, pure juice | 250 ml glass | 24 g | 48% |
| Chocolate cream dessert | 125 g pot | 21 g | 42% |
| Sweetened fruit yoghurt | 125 g pot | 14.5 g | 29% |
| Chocolate hazelnut spread | 20 g | 11.2 g | 22% |
| Jam | 20 g | 11.4 g | 23% |
| Honey | 10 g | 8.1 g | 16% |
| Milk chocolate | 20 g | 11.3 g | 23% |
Drinks, the biggest source
A can of cola, an energy drink or a glass of orange juice each provide between 24 and 33 g of sugars, half or more of the WHO limit. A single one of these drinks a day is enough to use up half of your allowance.
The breakfast that goes over the limit before noon
A glass of orange juice (24 g), 20 g of chocolate spread (11.2 g) and a fruit yoghurt (14.5 g): 49.7 g of sugars, the WHO limit reached by the morning. Swapping the juice for a whole orange, and the fruit yoghurt for a plain yoghurt with some fresh fruit, halves the total or more.
Does fruit count?
For the WHO, no: a whole fruit provides its sugars together with fibre and water. For Anses, it counts towards the 100 g of total sugars, but three fruits a day represent only about 35 to 40 g, as our ranking of the lowest-sugar fruits shows. Fruit is not what pushes you over the limit.
The hidden sugar in processed foods, ready meals, sauces and sliced bread, is covered in our guide to hidden sugar, and its effect on blood glucose in the one on the glycaemic index.
Diabetic? Honey is not an alternative to sugar: see honey and diabetes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum amount of sugar per day?
Less than 50 g of free sugars a day according to the WHO, ideally 25 g, and less than 100 g of total sugars, fruit included, according to Anses.
How much sugar is in a can of cola?
33 g per 330 ml, based on the 10 g per 100 ml of sugary cola in Ciqual, which is two thirds of the WHO limit.
Does pure fruit juice count as added sugar?
For the WHO, its sugars are free sugars, like added sugar: a 250 ml glass provides 24 g.
Is the sugar in fruit bad?
No, the sugars in a whole fruit do not count towards the WHO limit. Three fruits a day stay well below the Anses limit.
Is honey better than sugar?
As far as the limit goes, it counts the same: it is a free sugar, at 81 g of sugars per 100 g.
Other guides on how much to eat
how many seeds a day, how many almonds a day, how much coffee a day, how much red meat a week, how much fish a week, how much cheese a day, how many walnuts a day, how many eggs a day, how many bananas a day, how much water to drink a day, how much dark chocolate a day, how much rice per person, how much pasta per person.
Our sources
- WHO, Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children, 2015.
- Anses, Setting recommendations for sugar intake (in French), 2016.
- Table Ciqual 2025 (Anses), Sugars column.
