Sugar and Other Sweeteners

Sugar and starch are among those organic chemicals found so abundantly in nature that no serious efforts have been made to synthesize them commercially from coal (or petroleum), air, and water. Both are available at such concentrations in some plants that sizable industries have resulted from growing those plants and extracting carbohydrates therefrom. 

The primary use of sugar is in the manufacture of food or as a food in itself. When used for such purposes, most of it is highly refined or purified, but considerable quantities are consumed in some areas as a crude product, as in India where about 10 percent of the matured cane is consumed as unmilled sugar (gur and khandsari). Sugar is used to a limited extent in the production of other chemicals such as sucrose esters and in the form of by-product molasses as a substrate for fermentation processes. Currently, the juice of sugar-producing plants also is utilized for fermentation.  

The modern sugar industry dates from the end of the eighteenth century when steam replaced animal energy and made possible the development of larger and more efficient production units. The vacuum pan appeared in 1813, bag filters in 1824, multiple-effect evaporators in 1846, filter presses in 1850, centrifugals in 1867, dryers in 1878, and packaging machines in 1891.  

CANE MILL OR JUICE CLARIFI- MULTI-STAGE SYRUP VACUUM 

Harvesting, The sugar cane is still cut by hand with machete-type knives in many producing areas. The canes are cut at ground level, and, at the same time, leaves and tops of the stalk are removed. In areas where labor is scarce or expensive, machine harvesting has come into widespread use. Some harvesters cut, chop, and load the cane into transporting vehicles in one operation at rates of 30 to 45 tons/hr. Other harvesters cut, bundle, and dump cane in rows for pickup by other machines. Transportation of field cane to the mill is accomplished by railcars, trucks, trailers, and carts. 

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Basically, there are four major types of measures that are used in taste intensity measurements (a) threshold measures or estimates of the physical level at which the sensation of sweetness begins, (b) equal-sweetness matches between a sugar and other sweeteners, (c) category or rating scales, and (d) ratio scales. Each method has found its adherents and uses, and each possesses specific advantages and defects that indicate its use for one application, but contraindicate its use for another. These methods and their applications have been critically analyzed and reviewed, " " and it is, therefore, superfluous to deal with the topic here. 

Sweetening, flavouring and colouring agents. Mar of the sugars and other sweetening... 

Alvarez. J. and L.C. Polopolus Marketing Sugar and Other Sweeteners, Elsevier, New YoA. NY. 1091. 

Table 7-2 Relative Sweetness of Sugars and Other Sweeteners...

Kent, J. A., Sugar and Other sweeteners, RiegeVs Handbook of Industrial Chemistry, 9th ed.. Chap. 9, Chapman Hall, New York, 1992. 

To sweeten dishes and baked goods, use a small amount of stevia, an herb that tastes 1,000 times sweeter than sugar yet doesn t cause the blood spikes and dips that sugar and other sweeteners do. 

Wet milling of com is the conversion technology used when HFCS is desired as the main byproduct of ethanol formation. HFCS is often used in conjunction with or as a substitute for sugar and other sweeteners in many food products, specifically soft drinks and baked goods. 

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