The sweeteners Verella flags, and the ones it does not
Sugar-free is the aisle where the ingredient list matters most, because what replaced the sugar is the thing worth reading. Verella flags two sweetener cases and deliberately leaves others alone.
The flag
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Aspartame Caution
Contains aspartame, which IARC classified as possibly carcinogenic (2023) while WHO kept its intake limits unchanged. Some people prefer to limit it.
Verella looks for: Additive E951, or "aspartame"
Source: IARC (2023) Group 2B classification; WHO and JECFA (2023) maintained the acceptable daily intake unchanged
Polyols, for IBS profiles only
Sorbitol, mannitol, isomalt, maltitol, lactitol and xylitol are flagged only when your profile includes IBS, because that is the population the guidance addresses. NICE CG61 advises people with IBS and diarrhoea to avoid sorbitol. Erythritol is deliberately excluded: it is largely absorbed and does not carry the same concern, so flagging it would be a false alarm.
Verella does not flag sweeteners as a category, and it does not flag stevia or sucralose at all. A flag needs a named body that has looked at the ingredient and said something citable.
How a flag changes the verdict
A capping flag is the one case where nothing else on the label matters. A product can be high in protein, low in sugar and a perfect fit for your goal, and one line in the ingredient list still takes it to Best avoided. A caution is weaker: on its own it holds the verdict at Better occasionally at best, and two cautions together take it to the bottom.
The rest of the watchlist
Your condition rules run alongside these on every scan.