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Cane Sugar (Sucrose)

Last reviewed October 19, 2026

In plain words: Cane sugar is sucrose crystallized from sugar-cane juice. It is the same substance as beet sugar, and it counts as an added sugar when manufacturers put it into food.

What the evidence review says

Cane sugar is ordinary table sugar (sucrose) made from sugar cane. The concern is how much is eaten, not the ingredient itself. WHO's 2015 guideline on sugars intake links free sugars with unhealthy weight gain and tooth decay. WHO recommends that "adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake" (WHO, Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children, 2015). This is WHO's public-health guideline, not personal advice from us. Cane sugar is the same as beet sugar in this respect.

No notable concern as an additive, a petroleum dye, or a substance with an impurity ADI. The concern is the amount eaten. WHO's 2015 guideline, based on systematic reviews, recommends reducing free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake (a strong recommendation) and suggests a further reduction below 5% (a conditional recommendation), citing unhealthy weight gain and tooth decay. In trials of adults eating freely, lowering dietary sugars was followed by a small drop in body weight, and raising sugars by a small gain. Cane sugar is not different in these effects from beet sugar or other added sucrose. It is not a target of the 2025–2026 dye actions.

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This page is for general education. It is not medical advice and does not replace advice from your doctor, pediatrician, allergist or registered dietitian. Research changes; we review these pages when new evidence or rules come out. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.