The New Heinz Ketchup

[Nanny0gg]

With 50% less sugars.

Is it me?

Shouldn't it be either 50% less sugar or 50% fewer sugars?

It looks and sounds so wrong!

Oh no, another less / fewer thread!

If there is more than one type of sugar and the amount of each type has been halved then I think it makes sense to say 50% less sugars. But I don't know if that's what they intend.

Suppose it has 10g of sucrose and 10g of fructose, so it contains "sugars".

"50% less sugars" would mean it's reduced to 5g of sucrose and 5g of fructose.

"50% fewer sugars" would mean it's reduced to only having sucrose (say), ie the fructose has been eliminated.

However, I sympathise when you say it feels wrong: I think the pedantic ear is programmed to react against a combination of LESS plus a plural noun ending in S, even when it is in fact a valid construction.

I was too busy recovering from the shock of the price of the stuff that I didn't notice the less/fewer issue!