You can usually recognise a good‑quality jam by its high fruit content and simple ingredients. Ideally, it should contain as much fruit as possible and only a few common ingredients, such as fruit, sugar, pectin and lemon juice.
Added sugar in jam isn't there only for sweetness. It also helps with preservation and consistency.
Marmalade, jam, extra jam and fruit spread – what’s the difference?
In everyday speech, people often call almost anything fruity in a jar “jam”. However, from a food‑labelling perspective, product names differ depending on composition.
Jam is a mixture of sugars, fruit pulp and/or purée and water.
Extra jam (or premium jam) must have a higher minimum fruit content and is made from non‑concentrated fruit pulp. Generally, this means at least 45g of fruit per 100g of product, while regular jam contains at least 35g of fruit per 100g of product.
Marmalade is, under current regulations, reserved for products made from citrus fruits.
Fruit spread is usually used when the product does not meet the requirements for the reserved names "jam" or "marmalade".
As of April 2026, the rule that marmalade refers only to citrus products still applies across the EU. However, the EU has already adopted a change allowing Member States, from 14 June 2026, to permit the term "marmalade" to be used for products currently labelled as jam made from non‑citrus fruit. In practice, this means terminology in shops may become more flexible in the future.
Why is sugar added to jam?
Added sugar in jam is not only there to make the product sweet. It also has several important technical functions. It helps reduce water activity (the amount of “free” water available to microorganisms), which improves shelf life and stability. Sugar also affects texture. With commonly used pectin, the combination of sugar and acidity is essential for creating the familiar gel‑like consistency. Sugar also influences viscosity, spreadability, colour and flavour.
This is why “no added sugar” products often taste and look slightly different. They aren’t simply less sweet versions of standard jam. When sugar is reduced, manufacturers need to adjust the structure and preservation of the product differently. As a result, these products often contain different types of pectin, sweeteners, a higher proportion of fruit, or fruit‑juice concentrates.
How to recognise quality jam
1. Check the fruit content
One of the key pieces of information on the label is how many grams of fruit were used to make 100g of the finished product. For jams, this information is mandatory. In general, the higher the fruit content, the more likely the jam will have a fuller fruit flavour. However, a high fruit content alone does not automatically mean the product is "healthier" — that also depends on how much added sugar it contains and the overall composition.
2. Look for simple and readable ingredients
You can often recognise a good‑quality jam by a short and easy‑to‑understand ingredients list. A typical example would be: fruit, sugar, pectin, lemon juice. There’s nothing unusual about this. Pectin is a standard gelling agent, and citric acid or lemon juice supports flavour and gel formation. The presence of E‑numbers does not necessarily indicate lower quality. For example, pectin (E440) is completely standard in jam production. It’s more sensible to be cautious with products where fruit appears after several sweeteners in the ingredients list, or where the formulation seems unnecessarily complicated.
3. The “extra” label is nice, but doesn’t automatically mean quality jam
The extra jam label is a useful guide because it indicates a higher minimum fruit content than standard jam. However, this doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best option. A product may contain more fruit but also a considerable amount of sugar. It’s best to treat the word “extra” as a helpful indicator rather than a guarantee of quality.
Do they differ in calories?
The calorie difference between a “100% fruit” product and a classic jam with added sugar is often noticeable. The calorie difference between a “100% fruit” product and a classic jam with added sugar is often noticeable. For products labelled 100% fruit, energy values typically range from around 35 to 100 kcal per 100g, depending on the fruit used.
By comparison, classic strawberry jams with added sugar commonly contain approximately 160 to 230 kcal per 100g.
Importantly, “no added sugar” does not automatically mean low‑calorie. Some fruit spreads are not sweetened with beet sugar but instead use concentrated fruit juices, so their energy value may remain relatively high despite the claim.
How to choose in practice?
If you want to choose a good‑quality jam without getting lost in the small print, follow this simple process: First, check the product name — is it jam, extra jam or fruit spread? Then check the amount of fruit per 100g. Next, read the ingredients list — fruit should appear first and the recipe should be straightforward. And finally, review the nutrition information, especially sugars and energy.
Bottom line
You can usually recognise a good‑quality jam by its high fruit content, simple ingredients and clear labelling. Added sugar in jam isn’t only there for flavour — it also supports preservation and texture. Still, the more a product relies on real fruit rather than added sweeteners and unnecessary extras, the better it’s likely to be for both taste and nutrition. And if you’re watching calories, don’t rely solely on the “no added sugar” claim.
