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Ingredients › Liquid glucose

Baby food · 0–36 months

Is liquid glucose safe for babies?

Liquid glucose and glucose syrup in baby food

Liquid glucose — glucose syrup — is a thick, clear syrup made by breaking down corn, wheat or potato starch. It keeps biscuits soft and sweets chewy and adds sweetness without the word “sugar”. Pikabee flags it as an added sugar in any food for a child under three.

What Pikabee flags, by age

0–6 monthsRED, not in formula

Any food other than breast milk or infant formula is flagged at this age, because WHO advises only breast milk for the first 6 months. In an infant formula, dried glucose syrup is a permitted carbohydrate under the Codex formula standard and is not flagged.

6–12 monthsRED FLAG

Flagged as an added sugar. WHO Europe's model allows no added sugars in food for children 6–36 months.

12–36 monthsRED FLAG

Still flagged in every food for a child under three, including toddler milks.

What it is

Glucose syrup is made the same way as maltodextrin, but the starch is broken down further, into a sweeter syrup. Corn syrup is glucose syrup made from corn; high fructose corn syrup has some of the glucose turned into fructose to make it sweeter still.

On Indian labels “liquid glucose” is common in biscuits, cream wafers, sweets, jams, fruit bars and toddler snacks, often a few places after the flour.

Names it goes by on labels

Why Pikabee flags it

Glucose syrup is a free sugar in WHO's definition, and WHO Europe's model allows no added sugars in commercial food for children 6–36 months. High fructose corn syrup is flagged even in formula; dried glucose syrup in infant or follow-up formula is the one exception, because the Codex formula standards allow glucose polymers.

Questions parents ask

Is liquid glucose safe for a baby under 6 months?

Any food other than breast milk or infant formula is flagged at this age, because WHO advises only breast milk for the first 6 months. In an infant formula, dried glucose syrup is a permitted carbohydrate under the Codex formula standard and is not flagged.

Is liquid glucose safe for a 6 to 12 month old baby?

Flagged as an added sugar. WHO Europe's model allows no added sugars in food for children 6–36 months. Glucose syrup is a free sugar in WHO's definition, and WHO Europe's model allows no added sugars in commercial food for children 6–36 months.

Is liquid glucose safe for a 1 to 3 year old?

Still flagged in every food for a child under three, including toddler milks. Glucose syrup is a free sugar in WHO's definition, and WHO Europe's model allows no added sugars in commercial food for children 6–36 months.

Is liquid glucose the same as sugar?

It is a different sugar — mostly glucose instead of sucrose — but it is still added sugar, and Pikabee flags it for every child under three.

Why is liquid glucose in biscuits for kids?

It keeps biscuits soft, stops sugar crystallising and adds sweetness cheaply. Because it isn't called “sugar”, a pack can look less sweet than it is.

Is corn syrup in formula flagged?

Corn syrup solids and dried glucose syrup are permitted carbohydrates in infant and follow-up formula and are not flagged there. High fructose corn syrup is flagged everywhere.

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Sources

  1. WHO Regional Office for Europe (2022). Nutrient and promotion profile model: supporting appropriate promotion of food products for infants and young children 6–36 months.
  2. WHO (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children.
  3. Codex Alimentarius CXS 72-1981. Standard for infant formula and formulas for special medical purposes intended for infants.

Last reviewed 6 November 2026.

Related ingredients

Talk to your pediatrician about anything concerning.