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McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce: calories and sugar by portion, age and sex

Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce at 2% of an adult’s daily calories, 11% of the daily sodium limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 2.2 teaspoons of added sugar.

How many calories are in a McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce? It contains 50 calories, 0g of fat (0g saturated), 9g of added sugar and 160mg of sodium.

Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator

Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own. Add fries, a drink, dips and a dessert, then choose your age and sex, and switch between US and UK guidance, for a more accurate view of how a Sweet 'N Sour Sauce fits into a day.

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Nutrition information

Nutrition information: McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

Calories50
Total fat0g
of which saturated0g
Trans fat0g
Carbohydrate11g
Total sugars10g
Includes added sugars9g
Fibre0.3g
Protein0g
Sodium160mg

Nutrition figures are McDonald’s USA published data, per item as sold and before any optional sauces or extras. Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce contains 50 calories, which is 2% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value used on US food labels. It provides 0g of total fat, of which 0g is saturated, 10g of total sugars (9g added), 160mg of sodium, 0g of protein and 0.3g of fibre.

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce is a single manufactured product. Across the whole item the ingredient list names corn syrups and invert sugar, dextrose, modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, colours and preservatives. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, storage and transport.

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce is over the US per-meal added sugar limit

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce contains 9g of added sugar, 0.9 times the 10g per-meal limit in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The same guidelines recommend no added sugar at all for children aged 10 and under.

FDA Daily Values (2,000-calorie diet)

Calories2,000
Total fat78g
Saturated fat20g
Carbohydrate275g
Added sugars50g
Fibre28g
Sodium2,300mg
Protein50g

Added sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

9g of the 10g counts as added sugar, or about 2.2 teaspoons. The other 1g is naturally occurring. Under UK rules, sugar from juice, purée and concentrate is counted too, which makes 10g of free sugar.

Added sugars come from

  • high fructose corn syrup, dextrose

Naturally occurring sugars come from

  • sugars naturally present in the sweet ’n sour sauce

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030: no more than 10g of added sugar per meal from age 11 and none for children aged 10 and under. FDA Daily Value: 50g a day. Sources are read from the published ingredient list for each component.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing and additives: McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce is a single manufactured product. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains corn syrups and invert sugar, dextrose, modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, colours and preservatives. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.

Corn syrups and invert sugar

Sweeten and control texture more cheaply than sugar alone. Found in the sweet ’n sour sauce.

Dextrose

A simple sugar used for browning, bulk and mild sweetness. Found in the sweet ’n sour sauce.

Modified starches

Starches altered industrially to thicken, bind or hold texture through freezing and reheating. Found in the sweet ’n sour sauce.

Thickeners and gums

Thicken sauces, fillings and drinks and stop them separating. Found in the sweet ’n sour sauce.

Flavourings

Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the sweet ’n sour sauce.

Colours

Restore or standardise appearance after processing. Found in the sweet ’n sour sauce.

Preservatives

Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds in centrally prepared components. Found in the sweet ’n sour sauce.

Boone classifies McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce as NOVA group 4, ultra-processed, based on the additives named above. NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. A group 4 food is not automatically unhealthy, and a group 1 food is not automatically healthy. Read from the published ingredient list, September 2026.

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce contains at least 22 distinct ingredients: 12 raw and 10 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 53, of which 28 are manufactured. Raw means something you could buy and cook with at home; manufactured means a substance that only exists as an output of industrial processing.

Ingredient count by order: McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

What you orderRawManufacturedTotal% manufactured
McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce on its own12102245%
McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce + medium fries15132846%
McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce + fries + a dip15132846%
McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola16153148%
McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce + fries + dip + drink + an OREO McFlurry25285353%

The 10 manufactured ingredients

caramel color, cellulose gum, dextrose, extractives of paprika, high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, natural flavor, sherry wine powder, sodium benzoate, xanthan gum.

The 12 raw ingredients

apricot puree concentrate and/or peach puree concentrate, chili pepper, distilled vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, soy sauce, soybean, soybean oil, spice, water, wheat.

What those ingredients are, by type

Other additives and processing aids6
Fruit, vegetables and nuts4
Sugars and syrups2
Flavourings and extracts2
Water1
Acids and acidity regulators1
Grains and flours1
Salt and minerals1
Starches1
Oils and fats1
Herbs and spices1
Colours1

Boone counts every distinct named ingredient on McDonald’s published component lists, including sub-ingredients, and removes duplicates, so salt appearing in four components counts once. Additive class names are dropped and the named substance kept, so “leavening (baking soda)” counts baking soda once. Ice and water added at the counter are not counted. Raw covers whole foods and basic kitchen staples such as flour, sugar, salt and oil. Manufactured covers substances that only exist as an output of industrial processing. Every figure here is a minimum. The build uses a Sweet ’n Sour sauce.

Ingredients

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce is listed by McDonald’s USA as a single component.

Ingredients by component: McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

Sweet ’n sour sauce

High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Apricot Puree Concentrate And/or Peach Puree Concentrate, Distilled Vinegar, Contains 2% Or Less: Soy Sauce (water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Salt, Modified Food Starch, Sherry Wine Powder, Dextrose, Soybean Oil, Xanthan Gum, Spices, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Natural Flavors, Garlic Powder, Cellulose Gum, Dried Chili Peppers, Onion Powder, Caramel Color, Extractives Of Paprika (color).

Ingredients taken from the McDonald’s USA product pages, retrieved September 2026, with obvious spelling errors corrected. Recipes change - always check in restaurant before ordering if you have an allergy.

Allergens at a glance

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce contains wheat and soy.

Allergen information: McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

AllergenStatus
MilkNot declared
EggsNot declared
FishNot declared
Crustacean shellfishNot declared
Tree nutsNot declared
PeanutsNot declared
WheatContains
SoybeansContains
SesameNot declared

The sweet ’n sour sauce lists unnamed spices, which may include mustard. Contains = declared by McDonald’s USA. May contain = McDonald’s states the allergen may be present. McDonald’s prepares food in shared kitchens, so no item can be guaranteed allergen free. UK rules also require barley, oats, mustard, celery and sulphites to be declared; these are shown where the ingredient list names them. Retrieved September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce?+

Boone calculates that McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce contains 50 calories, which is 2% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value and 3% of the daily needs of a moderately active child aged 4 to 8.

How much added sugar is in a McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce?+

Boone calculates that McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce contains 9g of added sugar, about 2.2 teaspoons, which is 18% of the 50g FDA Daily Value.

Is McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce within US sugar guidance for children?+

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 recommend no added sugar for children aged 10 and under and no more than 10g per meal from age 11. With 9g of added sugar, McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce fits the per-meal limit for ages 11 and up but not the guidance for younger children.

How much sodium is in a McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce?+

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce contains 160mg of sodium. Boone calculates that as 11% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 7% of the 2,300mg adult limit.

Is McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce as NOVA group 4. Reading the published ingredient list, it is a single manufactured product and contains corn syrups and invert sugar, dextrose, modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, colours and preservatives. NOVA group 4 describes how far a food is from its whole-food form, not how nutritious it is.

How much fibre is in a McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce?+

McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce contains 0.3g of fibre. Boone calculates that as 1% of the 28g Daily Value and 1% of the 21g target for a child aged 4 to 8. Fibre is a target to reach rather than a limit to stay under.

Is McDonald's US Sweet 'N Sour Sauce suitable for children?+

Boone’s analysis flags that its 9g of added sugar is above the Dietary Guidelines advice of no added sugar for children aged 10 and under. That does not make it off limits, but it does mean a Sweet 'N Sour Sauce uses up a large share of a young child’s day in one item.