Sugar Production and Processing

Sugar Production

• Sugar is commercially produced from sugar beets (Beta vulgaris) or sugarcane (Saccharum spp.)

Sugarcane Processing

• Processing focuses on producing cane sugar (sucrose) from sugarcane
• Other products of sugarcane processing include bagasse, molasses, and filtercake
• Bagasse is used for fuel for boilers and lime kilns, paper production, agricultural mulch, and chemical production
• Bagasse and residue are primarily used as fuel for boilers
• Dried filtercake is used as animal feed supplement, fertilizer, and source of sugarcane wax
• Molasses is produced as inedible (blackstrap) or edible syrup
• Blackstrap molasses is used as animal feed, ethanol production, compressed yeast, citric acid, and rum production
• Edible molasses syrups are often blended with maple syrup, invert sugars, or corn syrup

Sugarcane Processing

• Hand cutting is the most common harvesting method worldwide
• Cane is loaded by hand, mechanical grab loaders, or continuous loaders
• Cane is transported to mills using trailers and trucks
• Deterioration of cane begins after cutting, so unlike sugarbeets, sugarcane can't be stored for later processing without excessive sucrose loss

Commercial Uses

• Sugarcane is grown for its sucrose content and is primarily consumed as refined sugar or other processed products
• Raw sugarcane juice is known as “caldo de cana” or “garapa” (Brazil), “chediraz” (north India), and “aseer asab” (Egypt)
• In some countries, sugarcane juice is bottled for local distribution or sold fresh from juice bars, cafes, and restaurants

Sugar Quality Process

• Sugar is tested to validate its quality using a standard set of quality parameters for demonstrating compliance to potential buyers

Sugar Quality: Polarisation

• Polarisation (pol) measures sugar purity by determining the sucrose content as a mass percentage
• It is the primary standard for determining sugar quality

Sugar Quality: ICUMSA Colour Measurement

• Sugar quality is also measured through ‘colour’
• Colour refers to a range of complex molecular components contributing to sugar's overall appearance

Sugar Quality: Ash

• Ash refers to inorganic components naturally present in cane or beet
• It is present in cane juice and carried over in smaller amounts into raw sugar
• Ash is composed of soluble and insoluble compounds and can be determined by solution conductivity
• High ash content in raw sugar leads to higher refining costs due to longer purification time and lower yield

Sugar Quality: Moisture

• Reducing moisture in sugar is important because sugar is hygroscopic and can 'cake' if it becomes too moist
• Refined sugar's optimal moisture content is typically between 0.02 and 0.05%, and raw sugar is 0.25 to 1.10%

Sugar Quality: Crystal Size and Uniformity

• Crystal size, ‘screen size’, is important because irregular grains hinder the refining process
• Refineries require a certain screen size, and mills need to produce uniform sugar for profitability

Sugar Quality: Filterability

• Filterability is defined as how easily sugar pours through porous material compared to a pure sucrose solution of the same concentration and temperature
• It identifies the extent of sugar carbonation
• Refineries rely on filterability because low filterability reduces throughput, leading to financial losses

Factors Impacting Sugar Quality

• Various factors impact sugar quality
• Temperature: High temperatures may lead to increased microbial activity, causing sugar deterioration
• Moisture: Excess moisture can lead to sugar caking and spoilage
• Storage conditions: Improper storage can cause sugar to become contaminated or deteriorate
• Processing methods: Poor processing techniques can result in lower quality sugar
• Plant variety: Different sugarcane varieties have varying sucrose content and other quality characteristics

This quiz explores the methods of sugar production, focusing on sugar beets and sugarcane. It covers the processing of sugarcane into various products including bagasse, molasses, and animal feed. Test your knowledge about the processes involved in producing cane sugar and its by-products.