Molasses desugarization

Fig. 7. U.S. production of beet sugar from molasses desugarization processes. Values for 1995 are estimated.

R. A. McGinnis, ed.. Beet Sugar Technology, 3rd ed.. Beet Sugar Development Foundation, Denver, Colo., 1983, for an overview of the processes involved in all but molasses desugarization. 

The product has purities typically in the 90—92% range and can be combined with thin juice, concentrated and crystallized, or concentrated and stored for later use. Crystallizing the desugarization thick juice apart from the normal beet campaign may be desired because the secondary molasses produced after the separation contains the nonsucrose components, which are the most difficult to separate from sucrose and perhaps should be set aside and sold instead of resubmitted to the columns. 

The desugarization by-product is normally sold as a low value molasses. Pulse method systems also produce a relatively high value betaine-rich (at least 50% on soHds) fraction. The concentrated betaine-rich by-product is used as a custom animal feed, whose European markets are well estabUshed and may provide a future opportunity in the U.S. feed industry. Beet sugar molasses contains from 3 to 6% betaine, by weight, about three-quarters of which may be recoverable as a potential by-product ( 40 50% purity). 

The desugaring of cane juice concentrates the heat- and alkali-stable vitamins in the final molasses. Even after this accumulation, only myo-inositol may have reached the level of minimum dietary requirements.109 Niacin, pantothenic acid and riboflavin are also present in significant quantities109 the thiamine, pyridoxin, pantothenic acid, biotin and folic acid contents of molasses have been estimated by bioassay.110 111 The biotin content of Hawaiian and Cuban molasses was 2.1 and 1.7 gammas per gram, respectively.119 The antistiffness factor (closely related to stigmasterol) has been found in cane molasses.88 89 The distillery slop from the yeast fermentation of molasses is marketed as a vitamin concentrate this product also contains vitamins originating in the yeast. 

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