As Chinese consumers increasingly seek food and beverages made with healthier ingredients, packaging labeled with claims such as "zero-fat" or "zero-sugar" is growing in popularity. However, health experts warn that such claims can be misleading and advise consumers to always check the full list of ingredients.

The issue recently became one of the hottest topics on China's social media platforms after netizens discovered that labels claiming the absence of sugar or fat are being used on high-calorie, inherently unhealthy products. Some brands have even attempted to register trademarks for phrases such as "zero-sugar drink".

According to researchers from the National Institute for Nutrition and Health at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China's regulations on prepackaged food labeling stipulate that "sugar-free" means containing no more than 0.5 grams of the three common types of added sugar — sucrose, fructose and glucose — per 100 g or 100 milliliters of food, while "fat-free" means no more than 0.5 g of fat.

"Therefore, 'sugar-free' does not mean absolutely no sugar," said Liu Ailing, deputy director of the institute. "Moreover, sugar-free foods still contain carbohydrates, fats, proteins and other energy-providing nutrients. Some products may have higher fat content, meaning they are high in calories and can increase the risk of obesity."

For individuals seeking to lose weight, Liu suggests checking nutrition labels and choosing products with low levels of energy, fat, carbohydrates and sugar, while also monitoring portion control.

Zhang Yu, another researcher at the institute, said if a so-called "zero-fat" food item contains high levels of sugar or protein, excessive intake can still contribute to the accumulation of body fat.

A healthy diet depends not only on whether an individual product is labeled "zero-fat" or "zero-sugar", but on the overall balance of one's diet, he said.

In March 2025, the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation announced a revised rule banning the use of phrases such as "no additives", "zero additives" or "free from" on food labels, dubbing such claims as potentially deceptive and widely used as marketing tactics. The rule is set to take effect in March 2027.

Cui Wei, a nutritionist at the Wuhan Third Hospital of Wuhan University in Hubei province, said in an interview with local media that instead of focusing on front-of-pack claims — which are mainly used for marketing purposes — consumers should develop the habit of checking the ingredient list and the nutrition facts panel.

"By reading the nutrition facts panel, one can clearly see how many grams of carbohydrates, fats and other nutrients are in every 100 grams or 100 milliliters of the product. For example, if a product claims to be 'zero-sugar', we also need to pay special attention to its fat content because, to maintain a good taste, it might actually be high in fat," she said.

Cui added that ingredients are listed in descending order by quantity, and consumers should pay attention to at least the first three ingredients. Red-flag items include white sugar, glucose syrup, starch, as well as fats such as refined vegetable oil, shortening or nondairy creamer.

When reading the nutrition facts panel, she suggested checking the units of calories, as well as the levels of carbohydrates, sugar and fat, and whether the product contains any trans fatty acids.