How to read a candy label in the US and Canada (sugar and allergens)
A candy wrapper packs a lot of information into a small space, and the rules aren’t the same in the US and Canada. This guide walks through the parts that matter most for parents: how much sugar is in it, what’s actually in it, and whether it’s safe for a child with food allergies.
This is general information. If your child has a food allergy, follow the advice of their allergist, and read the label every time you buy a product, because recipes change.
Start with the serving size
Every number on a Nutrition Facts table is based on the serving size printed at the top. A bag of candy might list a serving as a few pieces, not the whole bag. If your child eats twice the serving size, double the numbers.
Sugar on the US Nutrition Facts label
US labels show two sugar lines:
- Total Sugars: all the sugar in a serving, including sugar naturally found in ingredients such as milk or fruit.
- Includes X g Added Sugars: the part of the total that was added. The word “includes” means this is already counted inside Total Sugars, not on top of it.
Added sugars also get a % Daily Value (%DV), based on a Daily Value of 50 grams a day. The FDA’s rule of thumb:
- 5% DV or less is a low source of added sugars.
- 20% DV or more is a high source.
The FDA defines added sugars as sugars added during processing (such as sucrose or dextrose), sugars sold as sweeteners, sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.
For candy, Total Sugars and Added Sugars are often close to the same number, because most of the sugar was added.
Sugar on the Canadian Nutrition Facts table
Canadian labels show Sugars (total sugars) in grams, with a % Daily Value. The Daily Value for sugars in Canada is 100 grams. Canadian labels do not have a separate “added sugars” line.
Health Canada’s rule of thumb for the % Daily Value:
- 5% or less is a little.
- 15% or more is a lot.
Because the number covers all sugars, a product made with fruit or milk will show sugar that wasn’t added. To see what was added, look at the ingredient list (more on that below).
Canada’s front-of-package “High in” symbol
Since January 1, 2026, most prepackaged foods in Canada that are high in saturated fat, sugars or sodium must show a black-and-white symbol with a magnifying glass on the front of the package that says “High in” followed by the nutrient, such as “Sugars.” The transition period for industry ended on December 31, 2025.
According to Health Canada’s guidance for industry, the symbol is required when a food meets or exceeds:
- 15% of the Daily Value for most foods.
- 10% of the Daily Value for foods with a small reference amount (30 g or 30 ml or less).
- 30% of the Daily Value for main dishes.
Some foods are exempt, including plain fruits and vegetables, plain milk and yogurt, and products in very small packages. Packages with a display surface under 15 cm², which Health Canada says includes one-bite confections like wrapped hard candies, caramels, mints and single sticks of gum, don’t need the symbol on each tiny wrapper. That’s why you’re more likely to see it on the outer bag or box than on individual Halloween treats.
The US doesn’t have an equivalent required front-of-package symbol, so on US candy you’ll rely on the Nutrition Facts label.
The ingredient list
Ingredients are listed by weight, from most to least. If sugar or a syrup is one of the first ingredients, it makes up a large share of the product.
In Canada, sugar-based ingredients are grouped together. They appear in brackets after the word “Sugars,” in order of weight. For example, Health Canada shows an ingredient list with “Sugars (fancy molasses, brown sugar, sugar).” That makes it much easier to see how much of the product is sugar.
In the US, sugars aren’t grouped, so they can be spread through the list under different names. That’s where knowing the names helps.
Sugar’s many names
Sugar goes by many names on ingredient lists. HealthLinkBC, the British Columbia government’s health information service, lists these as other names to look for:
- Agave syrup
- Corn sweetener, corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup
- Evaporated cane juice
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose and sucrose
- Honey and molasses
- Syrup
The FDA’s definition of added sugars covers syrups, honey and concentrated fruit juices, and Health Canada’s definition of free sugars also includes honey, syrups and fruit juices.
Allergen statements
Allergens can appear in three places on a label.
1. In the ingredient list. Both countries require major allergens to be named clearly. In the US, the allergen can appear in brackets after an ingredient, for example “lecithin (soy)” or “flour (wheat).”
2. In a “Contains” statement. Many products add a line right after the ingredients, such as “Contains: milk, soy.” In the US, this is one of the two allowed ways to declare an allergen. In Canada, priority allergens and gluten sources must be shown in the ingredient list, a “Contains” statement, or both.
3. In a “May contain” statement. This is a precautionary warning that an allergen might be present through cross-contact, for example because the product is made on shared equipment. In both countries, these statements are voluntary. The FDA says they shouldn’t be used as a substitute for good manufacturing practices, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) notes that the absence of a “may contain” statement doesn’t guarantee a product is free of an allergen.
If your child has a food allergy, talk to their allergist about how to treat “may contain” warnings.
US and Canadian priority allergens
The lists are similar but not identical.
| United States: 9 major allergens | Canada: priority allergens |
|---|---|
| Milk | Milk |
| Eggs | Eggs |
| Fish | Fish |
| Crustacean shellfish | Crustaceans and molluscs |
| Tree nuts | Tree nuts |
| Peanuts | Peanuts |
| Wheat | Wheat and triticale |
| Soybeans | Soy |
| Sesame (added January 1, 2023) | Sesame seeds |
| — | Mustard |
| — | Sulphites |
Canada also requires gluten sources to be identified: barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat.
The key differences: mustard and sulphites are priority allergens in Canada but not on the US major allergen list, and Canada includes molluscs (such as clams and mussels) alongside crustaceans.
Halloween label tips
- Check fun-size candy separately. Food Allergy Canada warns that trick-or-treat sizes don’t always have the same ingredient list as the full-size version, because they may be made in a different facility. Read the label on the Halloween package itself, and keep the outer bag if you can.
- Sort at home. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until kids are home to sort and check treats, and throwing out anything unwrapped or suspicious.
- Ingredients change. The CFIA advises checking the label every time you buy a product, since companies can change ingredients.
- Cross-border candy. A product with the same name may have a different recipe or label in the US and Canada. Read the version you have.
For allergy-friendly options, see our guide to nut-free Halloween candy and our allergy-friendly guides. To put the sugar numbers in context, read how much sugar kids should have.
Sources
- US Food and Drug Administration: Added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label
- US Food and Drug Administration: Food allergies
- Health Canada: Sugars: using the food labels
- Health Canada: Front-of-package nutrition symbol
- Health Canada: Front-of-package nutrition symbol labelling guide for industry
- Health Canada: Food allergies
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Before you shop: food allergies and allergen labelling
- Health Canada: Canada’s Dietary Guidelines, Section 2
- HealthLinkBC: Added sugars
- Food Allergy Canada: Mythbuster: do trick-or-treat sized candies always have the same ingredient list as the full-sized versions?
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Halloween safety tips