Surprise · Remember the cover?

Sugar in a burger?

The burgers on the cover contain dextrose. It’s on the list in trick 3: one of the ingredients that contribute sugars.

The back of the burger pack from the cover, in black and white: the ingredients list, with the words “sal” (salt) and “dextrose” circled in red. — **Seen on the shelf** “Água, Pão ralado (… sal, dextrose)”: water, breadcrumbs (… salt, dextrose). On a beef burger’s ingredients list.

The guide's cover: a pack of burgers in a hand, with the nutrition traffic light marked — **Seen on the shelf** “Água, Pão ralado (… sal, dextrose)”: water, breadcrumbs (… salt, dextrose). On a beef burger’s ingredients list.

It’s in the breadcrumbs. Is there much of it? No, hardly any. But from now on, you’ll be spotting sugar in the oddest places.

A little dextrose doesn’t make a burger a bad choice. With a “preparado de carne” (meat preparation), compare the % of meat, the salt and the saturated fat as well.

Just a heads-up

The list tells you if it’s there. The 100 g column tells you how much.

Burger from the cover

0.5 g per 100 g

Low. There’s dextrose, but hardly any.

Ketchup

20.9 g per 100 g

Close to the cut-off for high. Here, it counts.

A ketchup’s traffic light: “açúcares” (sugars), 3.1 g per 15 g portion, in amber.

Look for “hidden” sugar in these too:

Sliced bread
Ketchup and sauces
Sausages
Ready meals
Cooked ham
Stock and seasoning cubes

Spotted sugar where you didn’t expect it? Go to the 100 g column: that’s what matters most. Brands use sugar for several reasons.

Cover of the guide 5 tricks to choose better, supermarket guide, sugar edition

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