• Refined Sugar Production
• Shipments and Product Types
• Sugar Consumption (Disappearance)

Refined Sugar Production

Refined cane sugar

About 90% of Canada’s refined sugar is produced from raw cane sugar, imported from tropical regions, principally from South America, Central America, and Australia. Before it comes to Canada, sugar cane is partially refined into raw sugar at mills operated near the sugar cane fields. Bulk raw sugar is transported to Canadian ports in ocean-going cargo vessels which carry from 20 - 40,000 tonnes at a time. This “raw sugar” consists of brown, coarse granulated sugar crystals with many impurities making it unfit for human consumption. The sugar refining process is a capital intensive, technologically sophisticated process that separates the pure sucrose crystals from molasses, plant residue and other impurities.

Beet Sugar

Refined sugar is also produced from sugar beets grown in Alberta. The sugar beets are harvested in the fall then processed to extract sugar and separate it from the fibre, water and other non-sugar materials. Major by-products of the beet sugar industry include beet pulp, which is used to produce a highly nutritious cattle feed, and molasses.

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Shipments and Product Types

Domestic and Export Shipments

The Canadian sugar industry produces and distributes approximately 1.3 million tonnes of refined sugar annually in four provinces, valued at approximately $800 million annually. Refined sugar is produced from imported raw sugar and Canadian sugar beets. While Canadian companies have actively pursued export markets, export sales have been restricted by foreign trade barriers.

Retail and Industrial Shipments

Refined sugar is produced for both industrial (food manufacturers and food service outlets) and retail customers (packaged sugar for direct consumer use). More than 85% of sugar production is industrial.

Product Types

Granulated sugar is the most common form of sugar sold in Canada to both retail and industrial customers. Liquid sugar and liquid invert sugar are also used principally in the beverage and confectionery sectors. Specialty sugars such as brown or yellow sugar and icing sugar are also produced to meet varying consumer and industrial needs.

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Sugar Consumption (Disappearance)

Statistics Canada publishes data on “food available for consumption” (or availability) twice per year, including data for refined sugar (includes white and brown sugars made from sugar cane or sugar beets). These data reflect the total amount entering the market, regardless of final use. This data also accounts for Canada-US trade in sugar containing products, recognizing the significant growth in sugar exported in food products.

Sugar disappearance data provides a basis for examining food consumption changes over time (trends). It is not a measure of actual sugar consumption because it does not account for losses in food processing (e.g. bread, wine), industrial and consumer wastage, and non-food uses.

Statistics Canada data for refined sugar indicates that per capita availability decreased between 1997 and 2007 from 37.1 kg to 32.1 kg per person per year.

SOURCE: Statistics Canada
NOTES:

• Domestic supply is equal to production, imports and beginning stocks, less exports and ending stocks.
• Statistics Canada data takes into account imports and exports of sugar in sugar containing products.
• Sugar disappearance is not equal to actual sugar consumption.

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