Sucrose content in sugar. What is sugar produced from in the world? What is sugar made from now?

What is sugar? In everyday life, sugar is commonly called sucrose. Sugar has a sweet taste and is a carbohydrate made up of fructose and glucose. Sugar is made en masse from sugar beets and, less commonly, from sugar cane. In addition to the main types of sugar, there are other types, varieties, and types.

Regular sugar (granulated sugar and refined sugar) is sucrose in its pure form. Sugar is divided into disaccharides and monosaccharides according to its composition. Monosaccharides include: glucose - grape sugar - and fructose - fruit sugar. Disaccharides are considered to be: sucrose - cane or beet sugar - and maltose - malt sugar. In addition to sucrose and maltose, a well-known disaccharide is milk sugar (or also called lactose).

The test expert advises. Before eating, it is important to remember that sugar is a high-carbohydrate food product and high in calories. Just 100 grams of sugar contains 400 kcal.

Sugar is a valuable food product; moderate consumption of sweets in food improves mood and provides the body with energy. Sugars have a beneficial effect on brain function and promote the production of joy hormones in the human body.

The topic of sugar often becomes the subject of discussion among sweet lovers and adherents healthy eating. To find out whether you should stop eating sugar and how harmful it is sweet product, called “white death” by nutritionists along with salt, you need to understand the product in detail. Much of what we know about the dangers of sugar is actually myths. Information about sugar can be false. In fact, proper use of a product can be beneficial, and only eating in excess of the norm can cause harm.

What is known about sugar, its types, types, varieties, effects on the body - let’s figure it out before completely eliminating sugar from your diet.

Chemical composition of sugar

The components of regular sugar are sucrose and a group of substances that are complex in composition. It is the sugar formula that is missing in chemistry. Chemical formula sucrose – C 12 H 22 O 11. Sucrose, in turn, consists of fructose and glucose. Now we know what is contained in sugar, what chemical composition carbohydrates that we eat every day.

Sugar in the form of complex compounds is included in most food products. It is found in breast milk, is part of cow's milk, and has a high sugar content in vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts. Plants typically contain glucose and fructose. In nature, glucose is most often found in plants. Glucose is also called dextrose or grape sugar. Fructose is referred to as fruit sugar or called levulose.

Fructose is considered the sweetest natural sugar. Glucose is less sweet than fructose. The glucose content exceeds the amount of fructose in plant organs. Glucose is part of polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose.

In addition to glucose, there are other natural sugars:

Maltose.
Lactose.
Mannose.
Sorbose.
Methylpentose.
Arabilose.
Inulin.
Pentose.
Xylose.
Cellobiose.

IN different countries Sugar is extracted from various plant products. For the production of sugar in Russia, sugar beets are common, containing up to 22% sucrose. Cane sugar in the form of brown crystals or grains is obtained from sugarcane juice and the product is imported from India.

Sugar production

Sugar production in industrial scale began in India in the 16th century. The sugar industry in Russia and the first factory for the production of a sweet product from imported raw materials appeared in 1719 in St. Petersburg. In the 19th century, sugar in Russia began to be obtained from beets grown in its own fields. Most of the sugar factories Russian Empire worked on the territory of today's Ukraine.

Later, in the USSR, the sugar industry began to develop rapidly in Ukraine, sugar factories for the production of beet sugar were opened in various regions of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and the Transcaucasian republics. In the 30s of the 20th century, the USSR held first place in the world in the production of sugar from sugar beets. In the 70s, the number of sugar factories was already 318 units. Currently, there are about 70 sugar beet processing factories in Russia.

What is sugar made from now?

In Russia, sugar is made from sugar beets. What is sugar made from in different countries, besides cane and beets? In different countries it is extracted from various natural sources, the raw materials are usually plants. Types of sugars by raw materials:

The Chinese make sorghum from the juice of the cereal plant.
In Canada, maple syrup is often used. To make maple sugar, take the sap of the sugar maple tree.
Egyptians obtain a sweet food product from beans.
Palm sugar (or jagre) is extracted from the sap of sweet palm species in the South. South-East Asia, on most Indian Ocean islands.
In Poland, sweetness is obtained from birch sap.
The Japanese make malt sugar from starchy rice.
Mexicans enjoy agave molasses, the sap of the plant.

In addition to the listed types of sugars by raw material, sugar is extracted from various sugar-bearing plants, including flowers. The raw material for sugar production can be starch. The sweetness made from corn starch is more often called corn syrup. In nature there are hundreds various types sugars But refined, artificially purified sugar does not occur in nature in its pure form; it is produced industrially.

Getting sugars

How is sugar made? Sugar production technology has remained unchanged for many years. In order to extract sugar from beets or obtain a product from sugar cane stalks, plant raw materials undergo several stages of a complex technological process in production.

First of all, the beets are washed to remove dirt and cut into shavings.
To neutralize microbes, the raw material is filled with lime mortar.
The purified mass is crushed.
The surface of the crushed raw material mass is treated with active substances, and as a result of a chemical reaction, it is released from the raw material.
Sugar syrup is filtered.
The next step is evaporation of the syrup. Used to remove excess water.
Vacuum crystallization.
The product obtained as a result of crystallization consists of crystals of sucrose and molasses.
The next step in the extraction of solid sugar is the separation of sucrose and molasses using a centrifuge.
Finally, drying is used; after drying, sugar can be eaten.

The technology for producing beet sugar is similar to producing a sweet product from cane.

Types of sugar

What types of sugar are there? Sugar is known to be produced different types, its main types:

Reed.
Beetroot.
Palm.
Malt.
Sorghum.
Maple.

In addition to the main types, there are types of sugar intended for use in confectionery production; such sugar cannot be bought in a store. We buy and eat regular white granulated sugar or granulated sugar. A less popular type is refined lump sugar. At home, consumers widely use a product made from sugar beets; this is what we buy in the store.

Types of Sugars

Sugar is divided into types and types. Sugars have the same composition, the difference lies in the degree of processing and the quality of purification of the product from impurities.

There are such types of granulated sugar

Regular Sugar - regular or also called crystalline. Crystalline is the most commonly consumed type of sugar. The size of the crystals affects the taste of crystalline sugar. It is an essential ingredient in sweet dishes prepared at home. It is used when preparing for the winter, cooking homemade, it is found in culinary recipes domestic and
Bakers Special - bakery has the smallest crystal size. Bakers use fine sugar in cooking when making baked goods.
Fruit sugar – fruity with small granules. It is valued more than usual for its uniform structure. Used in the preparation of sweet puddings.
Coarse Sugar is coarse and has large granules, which makes it an indispensable component in the production of liqueurs and candies.
Superfine, Ultrafine, Bar Sugar is an ultra-fine product with the smallest crystals, due to which sugar crystals quickly dissolve in water of any temperature. An ideal meringue component for strudels with thin dough.
Confectioners (Powdered) Sugar – confectionery powder. On store shelves, the finest grinding powder is presented under the usual name of powdered sugar. In home cooking, it is used for cream, eggs, making creams, powder is included in the composition for Easter cakes,.
Sanding Sugar - sugar coating. The product has large crystals. It is used, as a rule, in confectionery production; sugar coating is not used at home.

Sugar assortment

The main assortment of sugar in the store is granulated sugar and refined sugar. Brown sugar today is considered less popular among buyers in contrast to white sugar. Sugar range:

Hard and friable.
Granulated sugar.
Crushed, lump and sawn sugar.
Candy, stone.

Beet white sugar

White or regular sugar is a common food sweetener. It is obtained by processing sugar cane or sugar beets. Sugar industry enterprises produce the main types of white sugar - granulated sugar and refined sugar. White sugar is sold in the form of granulated sugar and refined sugar in pieces.

Rafinated sugar

Refined sugar is produced from granulated sugar. In order to obtain refined sugar, granulated sugar is dissolved in water, and the resulting syrup is further purified - refined. As a result of refining, refined sugar is obtained with a high content of sucrose and is a product that is maximally purified from impurities.

Refined sugar is produced in the following assortment:

Pressed crushed refined sugar.
Pressed refined sugar in cubes.
Pressed instant refined sugar.
Pressed refined sugar in small packaging is a travel option.
Refined sugar of increased biological value with the addition of lemongrass or eleutherococcus.

Refined sugar is packaged in carton boxes and in this form the goods from sugar factories arrive in stores.

Granulated sugar

Refined granulated sugar is made from purified sugar syrup. Depending on the size of the crystals, granulated sugar is presented in the following assortment:

Small.
Average.
Large.
Very large.

Unlike refined sugar, white granulated sugar contains a small amount of useful substances: calcium, sodium, iron and potassium. Granulated sugar is packaged in bags and bags.

Vanilla sugar

Culinary experts often call vanilla sugar vanilla or vanillin. What is the difference between vanillin and vanilla sugar? In order to understand the difference between regular sugar and vanilla sugar, you need to know what vanilla sugar is.

Vanilla is regular granulated sugar flavored with vanilla beans. Real vanilla is considered an expensive and valuable product. Vanillin is a substance derived from vanilla, its artificial substitute.

Brown cane sugar

Cane sugar is obtained from cane juice. There are many varieties of cane sugar; the main difference between types is the quantitative content of molasses (molasses) in the sugar. Brown is unrefined cane sugar. Dark unrefined has dark color and is rich in molasses flavor as opposed to light brown sugar.

Unrefined cane sugar is considered a healthy substitute for regular white sugar. Before you do right choice between refined cane sugar, unrefined and unrefined, you need to know what types of cane sugar there are.

Types of cane sugar

High quality
Special.
Special.
Refined purified
Unrefined.
Brown unrefined.

Cane sugar is sold in refined and unrefined forms; there are special varieties of cane sugar.

Varieties of cane sugar

Demerara variety (Demerara sugar). Unrefined, light brown with large crystals. It has a strong molasses aroma. Demerara is used as a natural sweetener for tea and coffee. Demerara is added to, its large crystals are used for sprinkling, buns,.
Muscavado sugar. Unrefined sugar, crystalline and rich in molasses flavor. The crystals are slightly larger than regular brown, but not as large as Demerara.
Turbinado sugar. Partially refined. Large crystals from yellow to brown. Has a pleasant caramel taste. Ideal for sweet and savory.
Barbados (Soft molasse sugar/Black Barbados sugar). Soft, thin and moist. It has a dark color and a strong aroma due to high content molasses. Used for making gingerbread, gingerbread, gingerbread houses and ginger dough.

What are the differences

Beet white sugar is edible only in refined form. Cane can be bought in refined, unrefined and unrefined forms. This is what distinguishes cane sugar from white sugar.

Liquid sugars

In addition to crystalline sugar, there is liquid sugar. In liquid form, it is a solution of white sugar and can be used for its intended purpose as crystalline sugar.

An amber-colored liquid with the addition of molasses is used to impart a special flavor to food products.

Another type of liquid sugar is invert sugar.

What is invert sugar

Invert Sugar is sugar in liquid form, consisting of a mixture of glucose and fructose. Used only in industry for the production of carbonated drinks. Invert sugar is used only in liquid form.

Which sugar is better to buy?

Before you buy sugar, you need to understand which sugar is better to buy for, white beet sugar or dark brown cane sugar. How to choose?

All sugar - white and brown - causes food addiction. When cooking, as you know, it is impossible to do without sugar. You can buy inexpensive granulated sugar, good quality refined sugar, or low-quality, but expensive brown sugar, which is popular among healthy eating supporters. Plain sugar, colored with sugar, is often sold under the guise of cane sugar. If you want to buy real cane sugar, its packaging should indicate:

Unrefined.
Type of cane sugar: Demerara, Muscovado, Turbinado or Black Barbados.

Crystals must have different size, the same crystalline sugar indicates chemical treatment product.

You can safely buy granulated white sugar in original packaging; a conscientious manufacturer, as a rule, indicates the following data on the pack:

Category. Category can be first or extra.
GOST R 55396-2009.
Nutritional value of the product.
What raw materials are sand or refined sugar made from: beet sugar or raw cane sugar?
Year of manufacture and date of packaging.

Packets of lump sugar contain the same information as packages of granulated sugar. Powdered sugar produced at a sugar factory contains harmful additives. They are added so that the powder remains free-flowing and does not clump. It is more useful to prepare the powder at home; to prepare it you will need to grind simple granulated sugar in a mill.

Sausages, sausages.
Ketchups, .
Instant porridge in bags, breakfast cereals.
Canned meat.
Low-fat yoghurts, curds.
Juices, soda, cocktails.
Syrups, ice cream.
Frozen food products.
Confectionery, bakery.
Beer, kvass.

In addition to food, sugar is used for the manufacture of medicines, in the tobacco industry, in the leather industry, and is widely used in the chemical industry.

Why is sugar harmful to the human body?

First of all, sugar is harmful for people leading a sedentary lifestyle. The refined product is quickly absorbed by the human body and instantly raises blood glucose levels.

Elevated blood sugar levels are known to contribute to the development of diabetes. The load on the pancreas increases, and the gland does not have time to produce required quantity insulin, necessary for normal human life.

Excessive sugar consumption harms teeth and figure. Excess weight and sweets in addition to fats harm the body. Compliance with the norms of sucrose consumption brings benefits to the human body instead of harm. Harm is caused by sugar eaten in excess of the norm.

Sweets consumption rate

According to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), the norm for sugar consumption is:

For women, the daily norm is 50 g per day.
For men 60 g per day.

Remember! Excessive consumption leads those with a sweet tooth more often than others to obesity, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

How can you replace sugar?

Sweeteners are used as a dietary supplement, as a rule, by people suffering from diabetes. For healthy people, it is better to replace sucrose and artificial sweeteners with natural sweet products; they are lower in calories and more healthy:

Honey.
Stevia (or the herb is also called honey grass).
Maple syrup.
Agave syrup.
Jerusalem artichoke or earthen pear syrup.

How to properly store sugar at home

Sugar, as a food product, has its own shelf life. For proper preservation of all long-term stored food products, it is necessary to comply with their storage conditions at home.

The shelf life of sugar is calculated in years. Sugar belongs to products long-term storage. After the expiration date, it retains its original taste for a long time.

All types of sugar have the same shelf life. At home, granulated sugar and refined sugar pieces should be stored in a dry place at a temperature not exceeding 25+. The storage period will be about 8 years.

The shelf life of the product in a cold room is reduced to 5-6 years. For long-term storage, it is better to keep sugar in a fabric bag; for use throughout the year, you can pour it into glass containers, plastic dishes or leave it in the original packaging.

Besides widely known species There are other types of sugars. Today you can often hear that brown sugar is healthier than white sugar. This is actually a myth. A purified beet or cane product does not contain vitamins, minerals, or fiber.

Nutritionists advise replacing sucrose, if possible, with fructose from fresh fruits, reducing the consumption of sweets and monitoring blood glucose levels in order to stay healthy for many years, eat right, using healthy foods.

Sugar is a high-calorie food product. According to statistics, a person annually consumes about sixty kilograms of this carbohydrate.

India is considered the birthplace of the product, where it has been known for about 2500 years. grains Brown made from sugar cane and shipped to European countries from India. Egypt acted as an intermediary in this trade.

It first appeared in Russia around the 11th century. At that time, only the king and his entourage could consume this valuable product.

In 1802, sugar production from beets was established, first near Tula, and then in other regions of the country.

Based on their composition and properties, sugar is divided into disaccharides, monosaccharides and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides include fructose (fruit sugar), dextrose or glucose (grape sugar) and galactose. Disaccharides include maltose (malt sugar), lactose (milk sugar) and sucrose (cane and beet sugar). The human intestine absorbs only monosaccharides.

Currently, different types of sugar are produced - palm, cane, beet, white and brown. All its types are produced in purified and unrefined forms.

Refined (purified) sugar is steamed, turned into syrup and filtered, after which it turns into a beautiful white mass that is evaporated and then dried.

Honey is a special type of sugar. It contains about 20% water, trace elements and minerals and about 80% sugar in the form of sucrose, glucose and fructose.

The beneficial properties of brown sugar for the human body are explained by the content of molasses and a whole range of useful components in it. Although the calorie content of brown sugar is much higher than that of white sugar.

The following types of sugar are available: baking sugar, fruit sugar, regular sugar, crystal sugar, ultrafine sugar, coarse sugar, liquid sugar, confectioner's sugar, and casting sugar.

The most famous among consumers are granulated sugar and refined sugar. Lump and candy sugar are considered less popular. Most often they are served in restaurants with various drinks.

Nutritional value and calorie content of sugar

One hundred grams of this sweet product contains 99.8 g of mono- and disaccharides, 0.1 g of ash, 0.1 g of water, 3 mg of calcium, 0.3 mg of iron, 3 mg of potassium and 1 mg of sodium.

The calorie content of sugar is 399 kcal per 100 g of product. Scientists believe that women can consume no more than four teaspoons of this product daily, men - no more than six spoons, and children - one teaspoon per day.

Useful properties of sugar

An important benefit of sugar lies in its ability to activate blood circulation in the spinal cord and brain. There is an opinion among scientists that sugar brings undoubted benefits for diseases of the spleen and liver, since glucose supports the barrier function of the liver by participating in the synthesis of glucuronic and paired sulfuric acids.

This product indirectly increases the release of serotonin in the brain - the “good mood hormone”.

Sugar is considered one of the main sources of carbohydrates for the human body. The benefits of sugar include the fact that this sweet product saturates a person’s muscles with the necessary energy, eliminates headaches, and relieves fatigue for a short period of time.

The harm of sugar

Speaking about the dangers of sugar, it should be remembered that this product can be internal and external.

The first is found in cereals, fruits, and some vegetables. Sugar of this type is not considered harmful, since it is retained in the human body in the amount necessary for normal life.

Extrinsic sugar is found in molasses, cakes, candies, drinks and other sweet foods. Consuming this type of sugar in large quantities is harmful to the body.

White refined sugar from beets or cane contains no fiber, vitamins, proteins or minerals. This product is 99% pure simple carbohydrate.

When sugar enters the body, it immediately enters the blood plasma. It is absorbed into the blood so quickly that it requires excessive concentrations of insulin. A sharp jump in insulin levels leads to a decrease in the concentration of this carbohydrate in the blood, resulting in hypoglycemia. This condition manifests itself in increased fatigue, loss of energy, slowness of movement, dizziness, anemia, low blood pressure, darkening of the eyes, hair loss, cyanosis.

The greatest harm of sugar is that it removes calcium and other minerals from the body, absorbs valuable nutrients, and depletes protein reserves. All this leads to the development of caries, rickets, osteoporosis - painful destruction of bones.

A sharp increase and sharp decrease in blood glucose concentration causes a feeling of false hunger.

Consumption of sufficient protein and excessive consumption of sugar leads to the development of obesity, and a lack of protein in the body and excessive consumption of sugar very often causes thinness.

Excessive sugar consumption reduces the strength of the immune system by seventeen times. London doctors discovered that this sweet product is able to partially change the bacteria on the mucous membrane of the intestinal walls. This leads to the breakdown of bile salts and the formation of substances that cause cancer.

Cardiovascular disease is caused by a combination of sugar and animal fats, which are deposited on the walls of arteries in the form of cholesterol.

Excessive consumption of sugar-containing foods increases the risk of developing diabetes, brain and blood diseases, and also contributes to premature aging. Carbohydrates are deposited in skin collagen, reducing its elasticity.

Eating sugar contributes to the formation of harmful free radicals, which kill the human body from the inside.

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In order to understand what sugar is made from in our country, it is worth turning to the regulatory documents that regulate its production. First of all, this is GOST No. 52678-2006, approved in 2006 (December 27). According to its provisions, various types of sugar (including raw sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar and refined sugar) are produced from sugar beets.

Sugar beets are a root crop that can be grown in climatic conditions Russia, in contrast to palm trees, sugar cane, certain varieties of sorghum and millet, from which sweet extractives are obtained in other areas of the planet (Southeast Asia, China, Cuba, Japan).

To find out what sugar is made from, you need to consider in general terms the technological chain of production of this product. At the first stages, the sugar beet roots (they are light, not red in color, by the way) are washed, weighed and chopped into shavings. Then the juice is extracted from the raw material in a diffuser using hot water. It contains about 15% sucrose. The juice is separated from the so-called pulp, which is fed to livestock feed.

Many people, thinking about what sugar is made from, do not even imagine how many additional components are involved in this process. For example, the resulting beet juice is mixed with lime milk, then, after the impurities have precipitated, carbon dioxide is passed through the solution for filtration (sometimes the mixture is filtered through ion exchange resins).

What sugar is made from looks like sugar syrup after being refined. It is further evaporated, treated with sulfur dioxide and filtered again. At this stage, the solution already contains about 60% sugar. After which the raw material must be crystallized in vacuum devices at a temperature of about 75 degrees Celsius. The resulting mixtures are passed through centrifuges to separate the sucrose from the molasses, resulting in crystalline sugar.

How is refined sugar made? The usual method used here is to dry and press sugar syrup, which is subsequently cut into cubes. A more complex and expensive method allows the syrup to be initially poured into molds into which refined sugar is added. The raw materials are dried in molds, removed and separated.

Today you can find quite expensive brown sugar on the shelves. Its color is determined by the fact that the components of cane molasses are not completely separated from the sugar raw material, which gives it additional aroma and color. How is sugar made from cane? The production cycle of this product is similar to that of beet sugar. But there are also certain features. For example, at the first stage the juice is squeezed out using rollers, and processing is characterized by the use of a small amount of lime (up to 3% of the weight of the beets and up to 0.07% of the weight of the stems).

Which sugar is healthier is up to everyone to decide for themselves. Reed is subject to less chemical exposure, which, on the one hand, is good, but on the other, it can produce unwanted impurities. In addition, brown sugar is considered higher in calories than white sugar.

Chemical composition of sugar

The components of regular sugar are sucrose and a group of substances that are complex in composition. It is the sugar formula that is missing in chemistry. The chemical formula of sucrose is C 12 H 22 O 11. Sucrose, in turn, consists of fructose and glucose. Now we know what is contained in sugar, what is the chemical composition of the carbohydrate we eat daily.

In addition to glucose, there are other natural sugars:

Maltose.
Lactose.
Mannose.
Sorbose.
Methylpentose.
Arabilose.
Inulin.
Pentose.
Xylose.
Cellobiose.

In different countries, sugar is extracted from various plant products. For the production of sugar in Russia, sugar beets are common, containing up to 22% sucrose. Cane sugar in the form of brown crystals or grains is obtained from sugarcane juice and the product is imported from India.

Sugar production

Sugar production on an industrial scale began in India in the 16th century. The sugar industry in Russia and the first factory for the production of a sweet product from imported raw materials appeared in 1719 in St. Petersburg. In the 19th century, sugar in Russia began to be obtained from beets grown in its own fields. Most of the sugar factories of the Russian Empire operated on the territory of today's Ukraine.

What is sugar made from now?

In Russia, sugar is made from sugar beets. What is sugar made from in different countries, besides cane and beets? In different countries, it is extracted from various natural sources, the raw materials, as a rule, being plants. Types of sugars by raw materials:

The Chinese make sorghum from the juice of the cereal plant.
In Canada, maple syrup is often used. To make maple sugar, take the sap of the sugar maple tree.
Egyptians obtain a sweet food product from beans.
Palm sugar (or yagre) is extracted from the sap of sweet palm species in South and Southeast Asia, and on most islands of the Indian Ocean.
In Poland, sweetness is obtained from birch sap.
The Japanese make malt sugar from starchy rice.
Mexicans enjoy agave molasses, the sap of the plant.

In addition to the listed types of sugars by raw material, sugar is extracted from various sugar-bearing plants, including flowers. The raw material for sugar production can be starch. The sweetness made from corn starch is more often called corn syrup. There are hundreds of different types of sugars in nature. But refined, artificially purified sugar does not occur in nature in its pure form; it is produced industrially.

Getting sugars

First of all, the beets are washed to remove dirt and cut into shavings.
To neutralize microbes, the raw material is filled with lime mortar.
The purified mass is crushed.
The surface of the crushed raw material mass is treated with active substances; as a result of a chemical reaction, sugar syrup is released from the raw material.
Sugar syrup is filtered.
The next step is evaporation of the syrup. Used to remove excess water.
Vacuum crystallization.
The product obtained as a result of crystallization consists of crystals of sucrose and molasses.
The next step in the extraction of solid sugar is the separation of sucrose and molasses using a centrifuge.
Finally, drying is used; after drying, sugar can be eaten.

The technology for producing beet sugar is similar to producing a sweet product from cane.

Types of sugar

What types of sugar are there? Sugar, as you know, is produced in different types, its main types:

Reed.
Beetroot.
Palm.
Malt.
Sorghum.
Maple.

Types of Sugars

Sugar is divided into types and types. Sugars have the same composition, the difference lies in the degree of processing and the quality of purification of the product from impurities.

There are such types of granulated sugar

Regular Sugar - regular or also called crystalline. Crystalline is the most commonly consumed type of sugar. The size of the crystals affects the taste of crystalline sugar. It is an essential ingredient in sweet dishes prepared at home. It is used when preparing jam for the winter, making homemade jam, and it is found in culinary recipes for homemade cakes and desserts.
Bakers Special - bakery has the smallest crystal size. Bakers use fine sugar in cooking when making baked goods and biscuits.
Fruit sugar – fruity with small granules. It is valued more than usual for its uniform structure. Used in the preparation of sweet puddings and custards.
Coarse Sugar is coarse and has large granules, making it an indispensable ingredient in the production of fudge, liqueurs and candies.

Superfine, Ultrafine, Bar Sugar is an ultra-fine product with the smallest crystals, due to which sugar crystals quickly dissolve in water of any temperature. An ideal component for meringues, strudel filling, and pies with thin dough.
Confectioners (Powdered) Sugar – confectionery powder. On store shelves, the finest grinding powder is presented under the usual name of powdered sugar. In home cooking, it is used for whipping cream, egg whites, preparing creams; the powder is included in glazes for Easter cakes and cupcakes.
Sanding Sugar - sugar coating. The product has large crystals. It is used, as a rule, in confectionery production; sugar coating is not used at home.

Sugar assortment

The main assortment of sugar in the store is granulated sugar and refined sugar. Brown sugar today is considered less popular among buyers in contrast to white sugar. Sugar range:

Hard and friable.
Granulated sugar.
Crushed, lump and sawn sugar.
Candy, stone.

Beet white sugar

Rafinated sugar

Refined sugar is produced in the following assortment:

Pressed crushed refined sugar.
Pressed refined sugar in cubes.
Pressed instant refined sugar.
Pressed refined sugar in small packaging is a travel option.
Refined sugar of increased biological value with the addition of lemongrass or eleutherococcus.

Refined sugar is packaged in cardboard boxes and in this form the goods are delivered from sugar factories to stores.

Granulated sugar

Refined granulated sugar is made from purified sugar syrup. Depending on the size of the crystals, granulated sugar is presented in the following assortment:

Small.
Average.
Large.
Very large.

Unlike refined sugar, white granulated sugar contains a small amount of useful substances: calcium, sodium, iron and potassium. Granulated sugar is packaged in bags and bags.

Vanilla sugar

Vanilla is regular granulated sugar flavored with vanilla beans. Real vanilla is considered an expensive and valuable product. Vanillin is a substance derived from vanilla, its artificial substitute.

Brown cane sugar

Cane sugar is obtained from cane juice. There are many varieties of cane sugar; the main difference between types is the quantitative content of molasses (molasses) in the sugar. Brown is unrefined cane sugar. Dark unrefined is dark in color and rich in molasses flavor, unlike light unrefined sugar.

Unrefined cane sugar is considered a healthy substitute for regular white sugar. Before you make the right choice between refined cane, unrefined and unrefined, you need to know what types of cane sugar there are.

Types of cane sugar

High quality
Special.
Special.
Refined purified
Unrefined.
Brown unrefined.

Cane sugar is sold in refined and unrefined forms; there are special varieties of cane sugar.

Varieties of cane sugar

Demerara variety (Demerara sugar). Unrefined, light brown with large crystals. It has a strong molasses aroma. Demerara is used as a natural sweetener for tea and coffee. Demerara is added to desserts; its large crystals are used to sprinkle muffins, buns, and sweet pies.

Muscavado sugar. Unrefined sugar, crystalline and rich in molasses flavor. The crystals are slightly larger than regular brown, but not as large as Demerara.
Turbinado sugar. Partially refined. Large crystals from yellow to brown. Has a pleasant caramel taste. Ideal for sweet and savory dishes.
Barbados (Soft molasse sugar/Black Barbados sugar). Soft, thin and moist. It has a dark color and a strong aroma due to the high molasses content. Used for making gingerbread, gingerbread, gingerbread houses and ginger dough.

What are the differences

Beet white sugar is edible only in refined form. Cane can be bought in refined, unrefined and unrefined forms. This is what distinguishes cane sugar from white sugar.

Liquid sugars

In addition to crystalline sugar, there is liquid sugar. In liquid form, it is a solution of white sugar and can be used for its intended purpose as crystalline sugar.

An amber-colored liquid with the addition of molasses is used to impart a special flavor to food products.

Another type of liquid sugar is invert sugar.

What is invert sugar

Invert Sugar is sugar in liquid form, consisting of a mixture of glucose and fructose. Used only in industry for the production of carbonated drinks. Invert sugar is used only in liquid form.

Which sugar is better to buy?

Before you buy sugar, you need to understand which sugar is better to buy for baking, white beet sugar or brown dark cane sugar. How to choose?

All sugar - white and brown - causes food addiction and is classified as gluten-free products. When preparing sweet pastries, as you know, it is impossible to do without sugar. You can buy inexpensive granulated sugar, good quality refined sugar, or low-quality, but expensive brown sugar, which is popular among healthy eating supporters. Plain sugar, colored with sugar, is often sold under the guise of cane sugar. If you want to buy real cane sugar, its packaging should indicate:

Unrefined.
Type of cane sugar: Demerara, Muscovado, Turbinado or Black Barbados.

The crystals should have different sizes, the same crystalline sugar indicates chemical processing of the product.

You can safely buy granulated white sugar in original packaging; a conscientious manufacturer, as a rule, indicates the following data on the pack:

Category. Category can be first or extra.
GOST R 55396-2009.
Nutritional value of the product.
What raw materials are sand or refined sugar made from: beet sugar or raw cane sugar?
Year of manufacture and date of packaging.

Where is sugar used?

In food the product is used in various dishes. As the main ingredient, sucrose, along with flour, is included in traditional recipes pizza dough. Sucrose is used everywhere in the confectionery industry, in the production of condensed milk. Sweet fillings for pies, dessert fillings for pies, and some types of pizza contain a sweet ingredient.

White sugar is an excellent preservative; it is added when making jams for the winter, making preserves. Almost all homemade preparations and preserves contain it. Products where the manufacturer adds sugar:

Sausages, sausages.
Ketchups, sauces.
Instant porridge in bags, breakfast cereals.
Canned meat.
Low-fat yoghurts, curds.
Juices, soda, cocktails.
Syrups, ice cream.
Frozen food products.
Confectionery, bakery.
Beer, kvass.

In addition to food, sugar is used for the manufacture of medicines, in the tobacco industry, in the leather industry, and is widely used in the chemical industry.

Why is sugar harmful to the human body?

First of all, sugar is harmful for people leading a sedentary lifestyle. The refined product is quickly absorbed by the human body and instantly raises blood glucose levels.

Elevated blood sugar levels are known to contribute to the development of diabetes. The load on the pancreas increases, and the gland does not have time to produce the required amount of insulin necessary for normal human life.

Excessive sugar consumption harms teeth and figure. Excess weight and sweets in the form of pastries and cakes in addition to fats are harmful to the body. Compliance with the norms of sucrose consumption brings benefits to the human body instead of harm. Harm is caused by sugar eaten in excess of the norm.

Sweets consumption rate

According to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), the norm for sugar consumption is:

For women, the daily norm is 50 g per day.
For men 60 g per day.

Remember! Excessive consumption of sweets leads those with a sweet tooth more often than others to obesity, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

How can you replace sugar?

Honey.
Stevia (or the herb is also called honey grass).
Maple syrup.
Agave syrup.
Jerusalem artichoke or earthen pear syrup.

How to properly store sugar at home

Sugar, as a food product, has its own shelf life. For proper preservation of all long-term stored food products, it is necessary to comply with their storage conditions at home.

The shelf life of sugar is calculated in years. Sugar is a shelf-stable product. After the expiration date, it retains its original taste for a long time.

In addition to the well-known types of sugars, there are other types. Today you can often hear that brown sugar is healthier than white sugar. This is actually a myth. A purified beet or cane product does not contain vitamins, minerals, or fiber.

Do you know how sugar is made?

Sugar is not a food product, but a pure chemical substance added to food to improve taste. This substance can be obtained different ways: from oil, gas, wood, etc. But the most cost-effective way to obtain sugar is the processing of beets and a special type of cane, which is called sugar cane.

Do you know how sugar is actually made?

To get white and pure refined sugar, it must be passed through a filter made of cow bones.
Beef bone char is used to produce refined sugar!

A bone char filter acts as a coarse filter and is very often used in the first step of the sugar purification process. In addition, this filter allows you to eliminate coloring substances; the most commonly used coloring agents are amino acids, organic acids, phenols (carbolic acids) and ash.

The only type of bone used in a bone filter is beef bones. Bone char filters are the most effective and economical bleaching filters, which is why they are the most commonly used filters in the cane sugar industry.
Companies are using up their bone char reserves quite quickly.
Sugar does not provide energy to the body. The fact is that “burning” sugar in the body is a complex process in which, in addition to sugar and oxygen, dozens of other substances are involved: vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. (it is still impossible to definitively say that all these substances are known to science). Without these substances, the body cannot produce energy from sugar.
If we consume sugar in its pure form, then our body takes the missing substances from its organs (from teeth, from bones, from nerves, from skin, liver, etc.). It is clear that these organs are beginning to experience a lack of these nutrients(fasting) and after a while they begin to malfunction.

When producing sugar using conventional technology, disinfectants are used: formaldehyde, bleach, amine group poisons (vasin, ambisol, and combinations of the above substances), hydrogen peroxide and others.

“In traditional technology, the juice is obtained by simmering for an hour and a half, and to prevent the fungal mass from growing during this time, which can then clog the centrifuges, the chopped beets are flavored with formaldehyde at this stage.”
... The sucrose product in Russia is colored, lives its own life, and is not stored without preservatives. In Europe, it is not even considered a food product, because in our sugar factories, in addition to color, they also leave man-made impurities, including formaldehyde. Hence dysbacteriosis and other consequences. But there is no other sugar in Russia, so they are silent about it. And on a Japanese spectrograph we see residues of formaldehyde in Russian sugar.”

Other chemicals are also used in the production of sugar: milk of lime, sulphur dioxide etc. During the final bleaching of sugar (to remove impurities that give it a yellow color, specific taste and smell), chemistry is also used, for example, ion exchange resins.

Now about the effects of sugar on our body.

The harm of sugar has long been clearly proven. It is known that white refined sugar is an energy waste, devoid of proteins, fats, nutrients and microelements, and even mixed with residual “chemicals”.

59 REASONS SUGAR IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH

1. It helps reduce immunity.
2. May cause disturbances in mineral metabolism.
3. CAN LEAD TO IRRITABILITY, ANXIETY, ATTENTION DISORDERS, AND CHILDREN’S WAIMS.
4. Causes a significant increase in triglyceride levels.
5. Helps reduce resistance to bacterial infections.
6. May cause kidney damage.
7. Reduces the level of high-density lipoproteins.
8. Leads to a deficiency of the microelement chromium.
9. Contributes to the occurrence of breast, ovarian, intestinal, prostate, and rectal cancer.
10. Increases glucose and insulin levels.
11. Causes deficiency of the microelement copper.
12. Interferes with the absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. VISION WORSES.
14. Increases the concentration of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
15. May cause hypoglycemia (low glucose levels).
16. Helps increase the acidity of digested food.
17. May increase adrenaline levels in children.
18. In patients with disorders digestive tract leads to impaired absorption of nutrients.
19. Accelerates the onset of age-related changes.
20. Contributes to the development of alcoholism.
21. Causes tooth decay.
22. Promotes obesity.
23. Increases the risk of developing ulcerative colitis.
24. Leads to exacerbation of peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum.
25. May lead to the development of arthritis.
26. Provokes attacks of bronchial asthma.
27. Contributes to the occurrence of fungal diseases (pathogens - Candida albicans).
28. Can cause the formation of gallstones.
29. Increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
30. May cause acute appendicitis.
31. May cause multiple sclerosis.
32. Promotes the appearance of hemorrhoids.
33. Increases the likelihood of varicose veins.
34. May cause elevated glucose and insulin levels in women using hormonal birth control pills.
35. Contributes to the occurrence of periodontal disease.
36. Increases the risk of developing osteoporosis.
37. Increases the acidity of saliva.
38. May impair insulin sensitivity.
39. Leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
40. May reduce growth hormone production.
41. Can increase cholesterol levels..
42. Helps increase systolic blood pressure.
43. Causes drowsiness in children.
44. Promotes headaches.
45. Interferes with the absorption of proteins.
46. Causes food allergies.
47. Contributes to the development of diabetes.
48. May cause toxicosis in pregnant women.
49. Promotes the appearance of eczema in children. 50. Predisposes to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
51. May disrupt DNA structure.
52, May disrupt protein structure.
53. By changing the structure of collagen, it promotes the early appearance of wrinkles.
54. Predisposes to the development of cataracts.
55. Contributes to the occurrence of pulmonary emphysema.
56. Provokes the development of atherosclerosis.
57. Helps increase the content of low-density lipoproteins.
58. Leads to the appearance of free radicals in the bloodstream.
59. Reduces the functional activity of enzymes.

But look how much sugar is contained in some common foods:

Are you able to eat 16 cubes of refined sugar at one time? How about drinking half a liter of Coca-Cola? This is exactly how much dissolved sugar equivalent is contained in 500 milliliters of this drink.

Look at the photos. This is exactly how much sugar in cubes is contained in the form of sweeteners in our usual drinks and sweets. Now you understand the harm of sugar, especially dissolved sugar. Its harm is not immediately visible, just as dissolved sugar is not visible.

I happened to visit a sugar factory, where I became acquainted with the process of making a familiar product - sugar.
Actually, it all starts at the entrance, where guests are first greeted by the gilded V.I. Lenin, somehow hinting with his gesture: “Tovag’ishi! Sweets are there, beyond God!
And most importantly, it doesn’t deceive. Sugar is really there, in commercial quantities.

Everyone knows that sugar cane does not grow in our country and sugar has to be extracted from beets, this not at all glamorous root vegetable.

Trucks heavily loaded with beet are driven to the acceptance point

Weigh and then unload the contents of bodies and trailers into a bunker

It should be noted that the entire production process is automated, as evidenced by the presence of various panels and consoles at all key points of the technological chain

From the bunker, the root crops fall onto a conveyor belt, which carries the raw materials underground.

It is clear that before using beets, you need to clean them from soil, tops, adhering stones, sand and other impurities - in finished product It won’t be possible to get all this in any case, but it’s easy to damage the equipment. To do this, beets, following the supply path to production, pass through various straw traps, stone traps, and sand traps. For the final cleaning of beets from contaminants, the root crops pass through a beet washer.

The entire process is controlled by the operator. On the monitor on the right is a diagram of the processes taking place in the cleaning and washing area, which displays operational information. The monitor on the left displays video from a camera installed above the conveyor belt, along which the washed raw materials go to the next section.

And here is the same conveyor that the camera is looking at. Clean root vegetables are sent to the beet cutter.

Beet roots are fed into the hopper of the beet cutter and are carried inside the housing, where under the influence of centrifugal force they are pressed against cutting edge knives, sliding along which, the beets are gradually cut into beet chips. It’s difficult to observe the process itself, but the knives look like this:

The “degree of sugar recovery” depends very much on the quality of the chips. It must be of a certain thickness, with a smooth, crack-free surface.

The chips obtained at the previous stage are sent along a belt conveyor to the diffusion apparatus.
Inside the diffusion column there is a screw (a thing like in a meat grinder), with the help of which the chips move from bottom to top at a certain speed. Against the movement, water continuously flows through the column of chips from top to bottom. Passing through the crushed raw materials, the water dissolves the sugar in the beet chips and is saturated with it. The whole process takes place without air access and at a certain temperature. As a result of the process, sugar-saturated juice accumulates at the bottom of the column, and pulp (sugar-free beet chips) is discharged from the top of the apparatus.

Freshly squeezed pulp enters the pulp dryer. This is a huge, continuously rotating drum, inside which the pulp is dried in a stream of hot gas.

Granules of dried beet pulp are picked up by the air flow of a pneumatic conveyor and carried through pipes to a warehouse for subsequent sale - the “squeezed” beet cut is used as livestock feed.

The juice obtained during the diffusion process, in addition to the sucrose we need (that is, sugar), contains many different substances, united by the term “non-sugars”. All non-sugars, to a greater or lesser extent, interfere with the production of crystalline sugar and increase the loss of the beneficial product. And the next technological task is the removal of non-sugars from sugar solutions. Why are various physical and chemical processes used?

The juice is mixed with lime milk, heated, and the sediment is discarded. Pre-defecation, defecation (that’s right, I heard correctly and made a mistake - in Russian it’s just cleansing), saturation and many other interesting terms. At one stage, the juice is filtered in such installations

Along the perimeter of the filtration apparatus one can see glass flasks through which the juice to be purified is passed.

The resulting juice is concentrated by evaporation. The resulting syrup is boiled until it crystallizes. “Cooking” sugar is the most important operation in the preparation of a sweet product. In the photo - our guide and chief technologist at the control point of the boiling area

Before us is the heart of production - vacuum devices for boiling syrup. “Cooking” occurs in a rarefied atmosphere, due to which the syrup boils at 70 degrees Celsius. With more high temperatures the sugar will just burn. How this happens in a frying pan :) The control panel is visible on the left. At one point, one of them screamed a siren and turned on a red flashing light, signaling the need for human intervention in the automated process. One of the workers immediately appeared and the remote control went silent with satisfaction.

You can “milk” the device a little and visually check the quality of the syrup.

The syrup on the glass slide crystallizes before your eyes. It's practically sugar!

Boiled syrup - massecuite, sent for centrifugation

In a centrifuge, all excess is separated from the massecuite and goes into a special collection under the installation. And granulated sugar crystals remain on the walls of the drum. The following photographs were taken within one minute and the sugar gap is clearly visible in them.

Wet granulated sugar unloaded from centrifuges is transported for drying

Drying unit. The drum rotates. The sugar inside the drum is blown with hot air (more than 100 degrees).

After drying, the sugar is cooled to room temperature with continuous mixing in the same installation. At this time, you can get to it from the end and open the secret hatch!

The dryer drum rotates and the sugar is poured out, cooling.

It's time to try it finished products taste! Sweet!

Dried and cooled granulated sugar is fed to the sieving machine. The photograph does not convey the movement, but the whole structure sways like a sieve in the hands of a grandmother :)

Upon completion of sifting, the sugar is sent for packaging.

Unfortunately, at the packaging area I was asked not to take pictures. Filming was allowed only after the end of the work shift and the conveyor had stopped.

The photo shows semi-automatic packaging bins, with packers sitting on benches next to them. A bag is taken from the stack, placed on the neck of the hopper, and the dispenser pours 50 kg into the bag. After which the conveyor belt moves, the neck of the bag falls into the “ sewing machine”, which stitches the bag and then the sewn bag goes along the conveyor belt to the warehouse.

The enterprise also has an automatic packaging line, it’s almost the same thing, only there are no packers. All the action takes place in a translucent tunnel; in fact, you can only see how the machine picks up a bag from a stack, puts it on the bell of the hopper, loads a portion of granulated sugar, then sews it up and sends it to the finished product. For some reason, there were no photographs of the process. Apparently he was hypnotized by the self-moving bags :)

That's all.

p.s. The production area is very noisy, I couldn’t hear much of what was said. So if I was not accurate in describing the technology and processes, don’t blame me.

Sugar is a carbohydrate, one of three nutrients without which the body cannot function. But do you know what sugar is made from and why some sugar is brown?

88% of the world's sugar was produced from sugar cane, 12% from sugar beets.

As you might guess, cane sugar is made from sugar cane. Sugarcane is a perennial plant. To produce sugar, chopped sugar cane stalks are taken to a processing plant.

Chopped sugar cane stalks

Delivery of cut stems must be made as soon as possible.

At the factory, the raw materials are either crushed and the juice and water are extracted, or the sugar is extracted by diffusion.
The juice is later clarified with slaked lime and heated to kill the enzymes.
The resulting liquid syrup is passed through a series of evaporators, after which the remaining water is removed by evaporation in a vacuum container. The resulting solution then crystallizes to form sugar crystals.

Brown sugar is unrefined cane sugar, consisting of sugar crystals coated with cane molasses, which has a natural flavor and color.

Brown sugar

Beet sugar

Sugar beets are biennial plants; the fleshy root crop is formed in the first year. The harvest is harvested in the fall, then sent to a processing factory.

The shelf life before sending for processing can be up to several weeks.

Sugar beet

At the processing plant, the beets are washed and cut, and the sugar syrup is extracted hot water by diffusion. The juice from the diffusers passes through measuring cups, then it is passed through filters made of wood shavings or coarse fabric, or through metal sieves.
After this, the juice is heated to 60°C in boilers equipped with tubes through which the juice passes, and steam is released into the space between the tubes.
The juice is then purified several times with lime and then carbonic acid.
The purified juice is so free from impurities that it can be brought to such a concentration by simple evaporation that sugar crystals will precipitate from the mass.

Maple sugar

Maple sugar is a traditional sugar in the eastern provinces of Canada, extracted from the sap of sugar maple trees, for which the trunks are drilled in February and March, and then sap containing up to 3% sugar begins to flow out of the holes. The sap is evaporated to form maple syrup, and then sugar is extracted from the syrup.

Palm sugar

Palm sugar (jagre) - is extracted in South and Southeast Asia, the Moluccas and many Indian Ocean islands from the sweet juice that flows in large quantities from cuts on the young flower cobs of various types of palm trees. Sugar obtained from palm sap by evaporation is molded in coconut shells and marketed in the form of round loaves.

Sugar from cane and beets are practically indistinguishable in taste, and the raw materials for its production are selected only based on climatic conditions.

In Russia, most of the year, sugar is made from imported raw cane, but in the fall and early winter, sugar is made from sugar beets.
I also recommend watching a video of how sugar is made in Russia: