My diet:

Evaporated cane juice

No E-numberSweetenersOrigin: Plant
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Every diet

VeganDepends

This is cane sugar. Bone-char filtration depends on the refinery.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalDepends

The halal question is bone-char filtration of the cane sugar.

KosherYes
KetoNo

Evaporated cane juice is sucrose.

Low-FODMAPYes
The short answer
Evaporated cane juice is sugar. The name sounds like a juice. It is not keto, and it carries the same bone-char question as other cane sugar. If a label still uses the phrase, read it as sugar.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesSweeteners
Glycemic index65
Daily limitNot set
Also calledEvaporated cane juice, Cane juice crystals

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

In 2016 the FDA said evaporated cane juice is a false or misleading name and that this ingredient should be declared as sugar. The substance is cane sucrose. Europe and Canada likewise treat it as sugar, not as an additive with an E-number.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Mills squeeze the cane, clarify the juice, and boil it until crystals form. Stopping short of the white-sugar refining steps leaves a tan crystal. The calories and the sucrose are the point of the ingredient.

Where it comes from: Evaporated cane juice is cane syrup boiled down to sugar crystals. Chemically it is sucrose. The FDA has said the name is misleading because the ingredient is sugar, not juice in the sense of a fruit beverage.

Why it’s in food

  • Sweetens a yogurt
  • Replaces table sugar on a natural label
  • Feeds a granola
  • Sweetens a beverage

Often found in

YogurtGranola barsKombuchaCookiesPlant milksCereals

Also listed as: Evaporated cane juice, Cane juice crystals, Evaporated cane sugar

Health & gut impact

The name was the problemUnder study

FDA guidance says this ingredient is sugar and should be labeled sugar. Brands that still print evaporated cane juice are using a name the agency called misleading.

FDA guidance, Ingredients Declared as Evaporated Cane Juice (2016)

The same dose as sugarConcern

A gram of these crystals is a gram of cane sugar. A natural-sounding name does not change the blood-sugar response.

Identity of evaporated cane juice as sucrose

What can I use instead?

Sucrose

Ratio: The honest name for the same crystals

Best for: Any recipe

Turbinado sugar

Ratio: Another partly refined cane crystal

Best for: Coffee

Related

More sweeteners:

Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) E950Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K, E950) is a zero-calorie sweetener approved in the US, EU and Canada. EFSA re-checked it in 2025 and raised its daily limit. It's usually paired with sucralose or aspartame to hide a slightly bitter aftertaste.Use in moderationAdvantame E969Advantame (E969) is an extremely intense sweetener related to aspartame. Regulators approve it, and the amount in a food is tiny next to the daily limit. It does not carry aspartame's phenylalanine warning at normal use.Generally safeAgave syrup (Agave nectar)Agave syrup is a plant sweetener that is mostly fructose. It barely moves blood sugar, and it is still sugar: skip it on keto and in a low-FODMAP elimination.Use in moderationAlluloseAllulose is a "rare sugar" that tastes like sugar but has almost no calories and doesn't raise blood sugar. It's keto-friendly and browns like real sugar in baking.Generally safe

Common questions

Is evaporated cane juice healthier than sugar?

No. The FDA's point was that it is sugar. The juice has been boiled down to crystals.

Why do some labels still say it?

The guidance tells companies to say sugar. Older or imported panels sometimes keep the old phrase.

Is Evaporated cane juice safe?

Use in moderation (57/100). In 2016 the FDA said evaporated cane juice is a false or misleading name and that this ingredient should be declared as sugar. The substance is cane sucrose. Europe and Canada likewise treat it as sugar, not as an additive with an E-number.

Is Evaporated cane juice vegan?

Depends. This is cane sugar. Bone-char filtration depends on the refinery.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • FDA guidance, Ingredients Declared as Evaporated Cane Juice (2016)
  • Identity of evaporated cane juice as sucrose