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Sugar from Field to Table
Sugar in Nature
 What
is sugar?
’Sugar’ refers to sucrose, a carbohydrate found naturally
in fruits and vegetables. Sucrose is the major product of photosynthesis,
a natural process that turns sunlight into energy. Sucrose is the
most abundant sugar found in nature, and occurs in the greatest
quantities in sugar cane and sugar beets. While the term ‘sugar’
refers to sucrose, the term ‘sugars’ can also be used
to describe sucrose, as well as other types of sugars found in nature
such as glucose, fructose and lactose.
To learn more, please refer to: Different
Sugars for Different Tastes (PDF)
What is sucrose?
Sucrose is the technical name for sugar. All plants produce sucrose
by photosynthesis, a natural process that turns sunlight into vital
energy. However, sugar cane and sugar beets are the only plants
that make enough sucrose for commercial production. Whether produced
from cane or beet, the result is the same, pure sugar.
Is the sugar in fruit better for you than table sugar?
Sugar is a natural product. The sugar in your sugar bowl is the
same substance (sucrose) found naturally in sugar cane, sugar beets,
apples, oranges, carrots and other fruits and vegetables we eat.
The body uses sugar from sugar cane and sugar beets in the same
way as the sugars in fruit and vegetables. Sucrose and other types
of sugars all become glucose, which is the body’s preferred
fuel.
How does refined sugar compare to the sugar in fruit?
From a nutritional point of view, it doesn't matter what foods provide
the sugars in our diet. Once digested, all sugars are put to the
same good uses. Almost all fruits and vegetables contain sugar (sucrose)
along with other sugars, like fructose and glucose, in addition
to fibre and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Regardless of its
source, each gram of sugar supplies the body with the same amount
of energy per gram (4 Calories per gram). Please see the table below
for the sugars content of common fruits and vegetables.
Source: USDA Nutrient Laboratory, Sugar Content of Selected Foods.
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History of Sugar
Where did sugar first come from?
Around 20,000 BC, people in the islands of the South Pacific were
the first to find the sugar in sugar cane that grew naturally in
their area. However, India was the first country to extract natural
cane juice to make the first crude sugar, which they called "gur"
(loosely translated as "tasting sweet") in 500 BC. From
India, the knowledge of making sugar spread westward into the Middle
East and then to Europe by the Crusaders.
For hundreds of years, sugar was a highly prized and expensive
"spice" that was used only in the homes of nobility and
royalty. Christopher Columbus took sugar cane to plant in the Caribbean,
leading to the production of sugar in the New World. In the mid-1700's,
a German scientist developed an alternative to sugar cane through
the use of sugar beets. Since then, the sugar beet has become the
main source of sugar in Europe. Sugar beets are also grown and processed
to produce sugar in western Canada.
 When
was sugar first produced in Canada?
Refined sugar production in Canada dates back more than 175 years.
The first refinery was established in Halifax in 1818, half a century
before Confederation. Before that, Canada depended on imports of
poor-quality raw sugar or expensive refined sugar. Around the turn
of the century, the first attempts were made to establish a sugar
beet industry in Canada. Today's sugar companies have roots dating
back to the 1850's and Canada continues to be served by a cost efficient
and globally competitive cane sugar refining and sugar beet processing
industry.
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Sugar Production
 Cane
Sugar
In tropical regions where sugar cane is grown, the sugar cane is
first cut up into small pieces, then crushed to extract its juice.
The juice is clarified by removing most of the impurities (plant
fibre and soil, for example). This sugar-rich solution is boiled
until the syrup thickens and crystallizes. The crystals are spun
in a centrifuge to produce large crystals of raw sugar. This raw
sugar is then shipped in bulk ships to refinery warehouses across
the world. In Canada, the major refineries are located in Toronto,
Vancouver, and Montreal.
For a closer look at the refining process, click the picture above.
When Canadian refiners receive raw sugar it is covered with a thin
coat of molasses, residual plant material and other impurities from
shipping and handling. It must undergo further purification before
it is ready for human consumption. At the refinery, the first step
is to remove the thin coat of molasses and residual matter from
the raw sugar crystals. The washed crystals are then dissolved in
water and filtered to become a clear golden syrup. Some of the water
from the syrup is evaporated and tiny “seed” crystals
are added allowing larger sugar crystals to form. The naturally
white sugar crystals are spun in a centrifuge to separate them from
the remaining syrup then given a final dry with hot air before being
stored and packaged.
During the refining process, the natural sugar that is stored in
the cane stalk is separated from the rest of the plant material
to produce pure sugar. The refining process provides us with products
we know well, such as granulated sugar, brown sugar and molasses.
For more on cane sugar refining in Canada see: Lantic
Sugar Refinery
Visit the Redpath
Sugar Museum
 Beet
Sugar
Sugar beets are grown in colder climates such as the Canadian prairies.
The crop is planted in the spring and harvested in September and
October. Sugar beets are stockpiled at specific locations near processing
plants and must be fully processed before warmer temperatures in
the spring cause the beets to spoil. Generally, a beet factory processes
beets for approximately six months from harvest.
Sugar beets grown in Alberta are processed at the Rogers’
Taber factory. Sugar beet processing is accomplished in one continuous
process without the raw sugar stage. Sugar beets are first sliced
into thin strips, called cossettes then are washed, sliced and soaked
in hot water to remove the sugar-containing juice. The syrup is
then purified, filtered, concentrated, crystallized, and dried,
in much the same way as for cane sugar. The process results in pure,
granulated sugar and molasses. The dried pulp from the cossettes
is formed into pellets as a highly nutritious animal feed.
Is there a difference between sugar produced from sugar beets or sugar cane?
No, there is no difference in the pure sugar produced from either cane or beet. Sugar from both sources is produced by nature in the same way as all green plants produce sugar - as a means of storing the sun's energy. The same sugar (sucrose) is also found in almost all fruit and vegetables.
Most of Canada's refined sugar is produced from imported raw cane sugar. This is because the short growing season and cold temperatures in Canada prevent the growth of sugar cane. Sugar cane is a giant grass that thrives in a warm, moist climate and stores sugar in its stalk. It is partially processed into raw sugar then shipped in bulk to countries like Canada for refining. Canada does produce refined sugar from sugar beets, grown in the prairies. The sugar beet grows best in a temperate climate and stores sugar in its white root. While imported raw cane sugar and domestic sugar beets are two distinct sources of sugar in Canada, pure sugar (sucrose) is the same as it occurs in sugar cane and sugar beets.
Is sugar bleached to make it white?
No, there is no bleaching agent added at any time during the refining
process. Sugar contains no artificial preservatives, colourings
or any other additives. Pure sucrose crystals are naturally white.
During the refining process, the natural sugar that is stored in
the sugar cane stalk (or beet root) is separated from the rest of
the plant material. The juice is purified, filtered, concentrated
and dried in a series of steps to produce pure sucrose.
How is brown sugar produced?
In Canada, the method currently used to produce brown sugar is called blending. Blending is a process that combines the separately purified white sucrose crystals with refiners' syrups (such as fancy grade molasses) to produce yellow or brown sugar. The difference between light (yellow) and dark brown sugar is that the darker brown sugars have more of the refiners' syrup (molasses) left in the product. Turbinado-style, Muscovado and Demerara-style sugars are all specialty brown sugars.
For more information on Types of Sugar, please click
here
What happens to the materials left over from sugar processing?
Many of the materials left over from the production of sugar are
recycled and reused. Sugar beet residue, or pulp, is used to produce
a highly nutritious animal feed or further processed for use as
fibre or other products. In addition, much of the water removed
through cane sugar refining and sugar beet processing still contains
sugar, so it is pumped back into the system to be used again. Molasses,
used by distillers, bakers, pharmaceutical companies and others,
is recycled through the sugar beet and cane sugar refining process,
an average of four times to extract the maximum amount of sugar. Back to top »
Sugar in Food
 Sugar
performs a variety of functions in food products, in addition to
providing a sweet taste and flavour. Sugar is used as a preservative,
in products such as jams and jellies, and acts to inhibit the growth
of microorganisms. Sugar is used in baked goods, like cakes, to
hold moisture and prevent the staleness that occurs when these foods
dry out. In canned fruits and vegetables, sugar enhances texture
and colours. Sugar is also used to prevent large ice crystals from
forming in frozen sweet mixtures, like ice cream, and to support
fermentation in products containing yeast, such as bread. In these
roles and others, sugar is an important and versatile food ingredient.
For more information on the Functional Properties of Sugar,
click here Back to top »
Non-Food Uses of Sugar
Sugar has some surprising, non-food uses:
- sugar is involved in the fermentation process to make products
containing alcohol (such as wine)
- sugar slows the setting of cement and glues
- sugar is an ingredient in printers' inks
For additional information on Non-Food Uses of Sugar,
click here Back to top » |
