Sulphurless Traditional Mishri

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Sulphurless traditional mishri is large-crystal rock sugar (sucrose) produced by slow crystallisation of sugarcane juice or refined sugar syrup without the use of sulphur dioxide as a bleaching or preserving agent. It is used as a sweetener in Indian cuisine, Ayurvedic preparations, and mouth-fresheners, and is distinguished from sulphur-treated mishri by its natural off-white or amber hue.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

As essentially pure sucrose, mishri carries the same risks as any added free sugar: dental caries, contribution to excess caloric intake, and glycaemic load concerns, particularly for persons with insulin resistance or diabetes. No chemical additive hazard is associated with the sulphurless variant specifically; the WHO and EFSA both flag excess free sugar intake as a risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. No Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is established for sucrose itself as it is a normal food constituent, but WHO recommends limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Sucrose is a normal food constituent and not subject to an E-number or ADI in EU food additive law. EFSA reviewed dietary sugars comprehensively; while excess intake is linked to health risks, no tolerable upper intake level (UL) has been formally set for sucrose. Rock candy/mishri as pure sucrose is lawfully sold in EU markets as a food.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Sugar is a Class I preservative under FSS Regulations; addition of Class I preservatives in any food is not restricted. Sulphurless mishri contains no sulphur dioxide (INS 220) or sodium metabisulphite (INS 223), both of which are regulated Class II additives under the same framework.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Sucrose is affirmed as Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS) under 21 CFR §184.1854. Sulphurless rock candy sugar would fall under this GRAS status as an unmodified sucrose product with no chemical processing aids.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Diabetes — Mishri is essentially pure sucrose with a high glycaemic index; consumption raises blood glucose rapidly and is inconsistent with diabetic dietary management.

Children — Frequent consumption of concentrated sucrose in children is strongly associated with dental caries and may contribute to excess caloric intake and obesity risk, as flagged by WHO and EFSA.

Infants — Added sugars including mishri are not appropriate for infants under 2 years; WHO and paediatric guidelines recommend no added sugars for this age group.

Obesity — As a concentrated free-sugar source, mishri contributes to excess caloric intake; WHO guidance links high free-sugar consumption to weight gain and metabolic disease.

Heart Disease — EFSA's review of dietary sugars links excess intake to dyslipidaemia and cardiovascular risk factors, warranting moderation in those with existing heart disease.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. A comparative study of the word sugar and of its equivalents in Hindustani as traceable to Chinese. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2EFSA. Sugar consumption and health problems — EFSA overview, 2022. efsa.europa.eu
3FSSAI. Food Additives — Class I and Class II Preservatives under FSS Regulations 2011, 2015. fssai.gov.in
4WHO. Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children, 2015. who.int
5FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 — Chapter 2.8: Sweetening Agents including Honey, 2011. fssai.gov.in

Independently researched5 citations