About
Jaggery (Gur) is a traditional unrefined sweetener produced by boiling and concentrating fresh sugarcane juice (Saccharum officinarum) without separating the molasses, thereby retaining trace minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients absent in refined white sugar. It is widely used across South Asia, Africa, and Latin America as a natural sweetener in foods, beverages, and traditional confections.
Safety summary
Jaggery is predominantly sucrose and carries the same metabolic risks as other sugars — particularly for individuals with diabetes or metabolic syndrome — as it raises blood glucose levels; no formal ADI has been established by any major regulatory body since jaggery is a whole food, not a food additive. Light-colored jaggery manufactured using sulfur dioxide (SO2) as a clarificant may pose additional risks from sulfite residues and should be avoided by sulfite-sensitive individuals. Animal studies support antioxidant, lung-protective, and anti-genotoxic properties, though these findings have not been confirmed in robust human clinical trials.
Regulatory landscape
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Regulated as a standardised food under FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, sub-regulation 2.8.4. Defined as product obtained by boiling or processing juice pressed from Saccharum officinarum; moisture must not exceed 10% (non-liquid variety); must be free from substances deleterious to health; sodium bicarbonate used for clarification must be food-grade; must comply with contaminants, toxins, residues, and microbiological requirements as specified.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | FDA classifies jaggery as 'a type of sugar' under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iii); it must be declared as added sugar on Nutrition Facts labels. FDA has also noted that 'jaggery' is not the accepted common or usual name for a food ingredient under US labeling law and should be listed as 'sugar' or 'raw cane sugar' on ingredient declarations. No specific standard of identity exists for jaggery in the US.source |
Who should approach with care
Research citations
- 1FDA. FDA Warning Letter to Joy Gourmet Foods LLC (Ref. 618704, 02/11/2022), 2022. fda.gov
- 2PubMed. Effect of replacement of sugar with jaggery on pasting properties of wheat flour, physico-sensory and storage characteristics of muffins, 2018. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3FSSAI. Draft Notification: Standards for Gur or Jaggery — Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, Sub-regulation 2.8.4, 2017. fssai.gov.in
- 4PubMed. Adverse health effects due to arsenic exposure: modification by dietary supplementation of jaggery in mice, 2010. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5PubMed. Genotoxic effects of arsenic: prevention by functional food-jaggery, 2008. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6PubMed. Enhanced translocation of particles from lungs by jaggery, 1994.