Sugar and Starch: Carbohydrates and Sugar Industry

Sugar Industry

• Sugar and starches are two common forms of carbohydrates, consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a ratio of 1:2:1.
• Sugar is a less efficient source of energy than fats and oils due to its high oxygen content.

Historical Background of Sugar Industry

• Sugar was first domesticated in New Guinea around 8000 BCE.
• Sugarcane cultivation spread to Southeast Asia, China, and India through seaborne traders.
• Beet sugar was discovered in 1747, but was not successfully cultivated until 1870.
• High-fructose corn-derived sweetener (HFCS) was commercialized in 1747.

Types and Producers of Sugar in the Philippines

• Cane Sugar:
  • Derived from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum).
  • Used in home food sweeteners, bakery, food preservation, and others.
  • Producers: Victorias Milling Company, Inc. and Universal Robina Corporation (URC).
• Beet Sugar:
  • Derived from the sugar beet plant (Beta vulgaris).
  • Used in food processing, ethanol production, and biogas production.
• Coconut Sugar:
  • Derived from coconut palm sap.
  • Has a lower glycemic index (35) than cane sugar.
  • Produced by Greenlife Organic Coconut Sugar.

Raw Materials (Sources of Sugar)

• Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum):
  • Tropical by origin and cultivated in warm countries.
  • Contains about 80% juice, which varies in sugar content depending on area and season.
• Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris spp. Vulgaris, L.):
  • Second major source of sugar.
  • Grown for sugar content and as a garden vegetable and fodder.
• Other Sources:
  • Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench): Used to produce sorghum syrup.
  • Maple sap (for maple sugar): Tapped from sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum).
  • Date palm sap (for date sugar): Tapped from date palm trees.
  • Coconut sap (for coconut sugar): Tapped from coconut palm trees.

Products (Benefitting Industries)

• Food Industry:
  • Involved in the production of bread, cakes, pastries, candies, and chocolates.
  • Used in fruit preserves, jams, and sweet spreads.
• Beverage Industry:
  • Used in soft drinks, juices, sweetened teas, and other beverages.
• Chemical Industry:
  • Used in tanning leather, making adhesives, and in photographic supplies.
• Pharmaceutical Industry:
  • Used in manufacturing polishes, cosmetics, and paper coating.

Chemical/Manufacturing Processes

• Unit Operations:
  • Shredding/Crushing: Breaks down sugarcane or sugar beets into smaller pieces for further processing.
  • Milling: Extracts juice from shredded sugarcane or sugar beets.
  • Filtration: Separates solids from liquids in sugar juice after clarification.
  • Evaporation: Concentrates sugar juice by removing water.
  • Crystallization: Forms sugar crystals from concentrated sugar solution.
  • Centrifugation: Separates sugar crystals from remaining liquid (molasses).
  • Drying/Cooling: Removes excess moisture from sugar crystals and cools them down for storage and packaging.
  • Sieving: Graded sugar crystals according to size.
• Unit Processes:
  • Clarification: Removes impurities from sugar juice.
  • Affination: Purifies sugar crystals by washing them with a sugar syrup to remove remaining impurities.

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Starch Industry

• Starch is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of a chain of D-glucopyranosyl, with a general formula of (C6H10O5)n with n = 250 to over 100.
• Starch is made up of two types of molecules: amylopectin (branched chain form) and amylose (linear chain form).
• Starch occurs especially in seeds, bulbs, and tubers.

History of Starch Industry

• 3500 BC: The ancients used starch in manufacturing paper (as an adhesive and stiffener).
• 700-1300 AD: Starch was used in textiles, particularly in sizing and warp glazing.
• 1744: The English used starch in sizing and warp glazing.
• 1811: The discoveries of Kirchhoff with respect to glucose and the thinning of starches by enzymic action gave great impetus to starch manufacture.
• 1821: The use of roasted starch (dextrins) began.
• 1831: The first starch produced in the US was white potato starch, made at Antrim, N.H

Starch Derivatives

• Soluble Starch:
  • Used for finishing textiles and in the paper industry.
  • Serves as a mordant in calico printing—a thickener for the colors.
• Dextrin:
  • Produced when starch is heated or treated with dilute acids.
  • Possesses adhesive properties, used as mucilage, glue, and natural gums.
  • Used in cloth printing, glazing cards, paper, and making pasteboard.
• Glucose:
  • Produced when starch is treated with dilute acids and hydrolyzed completely.
  • Used like sugar.### Starch: Sources, Production, and Uses

Sources of Starch

• Corn (maize) starch: main crop supplying over 80% of global starch market
• Cassava starch: produced primarily by wet milling of fresh cassava roots
• Wheat starch: used in industry for production of starch, paste, dextrose, and alcohol
• Rice starch: used in laundry and sizing
• Potato starch: used in instant pudding, pie fillings, sweets, and chewing gum
• Sago starch: derived from stem of palms, used almost entirely for human consumption
• Non-conventional sources: mango, jackfruit, litchi, longan, and loquat fruits, banana starch

Production of Starch

• Steeping: soaking cleaned starch-rich crops in water to soften them for extraction
• Evaporation: concentrating starch solution by removing excess water
• Grinding: breaking down softened starch-rich crops to extract starch granules
• Separating/Screening: separating starch granules from other components
• Dewatering: removing excess water from starch slurry
• Drying: reducing moisture content in concentrated starch slurry
• Centrifugation: separating starch granules from remaining liquid
• Concentration and Refining: purifying starch through centrifugation, filtration, and drying

Products and Industries

Food and Beverage Industry

• Used as thickening agent in sauces, puddings, and gravies
• Improves texture and tenderness of cakes
• Used as emulsifier for milk-products and filling for food items

Bioplastics

• Made from sugars in corn starch, biodegradable, carbon-neutral, and edible
• Used in disposable items like packaging, cups, and straws

Pharmaceutical Industry

• Used as filler, diluent, humectant, binder, and disintegrant
• Enables capsules and tablets to break down for easy absorption

Paper Industry

• Used to enhance bonding strength of paper and corrugated boxes

Textile Industry

• Used to soften fabric and provide required stiffness
• Enhances strength of warp yarn and used in material sizing