Types of sugar and their characteristics. What is sugar, formula and composition of food sugar. What is brown and white sugar made of? Harm of sugars, properties, where they are used, how to store What sugar is made of
- an ordinary food sweetener, which is obtained by processing sugar cane or sugar beets. Sugar production in our country, as in Europe, is almost entirely based on the use of sugar beets.
Europeans knew about the sugar in wild-growing sugar beets as early as the 16th century, but they were able to obtain sucrose crystals only in 1747 thanks to the research of the German chemist Marggraf. After further experiments carried out in Achard's laboratory substantiated the economic feasibility of beet processing, sugar factories appeared in Silesia. Further, the technology was adopted by the French and Americans.
The white color of sugar is achieved during the refining process, but some of its crystals remain colorless. Many varieties of sugar contain different amounts of vegetable juice - molasses, which gives the crystals different shades of white color.
Sugar production technology
The process of sugar production from sugar beets includes several technological steps: extraction, purification, evaporation and crystallization. The beets are washed, cut into shavings, which are placed in a diffuser to extract sugar with hot water. Beet waste is used to feed livestock.
After that, the resulting diffusion juice, which contains about 15% sucrose, is mixed with lime milk to remove heavy impurities and passed through a carbon dioxide solution that binds non-sugar substances. After filtering, already purified juice is obtained at the outlet - it is awaited by the bleaching procedure with sulfur dioxide and filtering through activated carbon. After evaporation of excess moisture, a liquid remains with a sugar content of already 50-65%.
The crystallization procedure is aimed at obtaining the next intermediate processing product - massecuite (a mixture of sucrose and molasses crystals). Next, a centrifuge is used to separate the sucrose. The sugar obtained at this stage must be dried. It can already be eaten (unlike cane - a production process that does not end at this stage).
Sugar use
Sugar is an indispensable ingredient in many drinks, dishes, confectionery and bakery products. He is a familiar addition to coffee, cocoa and tea; confectionery creams, ice cream, icing and sweets are indispensable without it. As a good preservative, white sugar is used in the preparation of jam, jellies and other products from fruits and berries. Today, white sugar can be found almost everywhere, even where it is not expected to be found. For example, it can be found in low-fat diet yogurt or sausages. And also, sugar is used in tobacco production, in the leather industry or in the manufacture of canned meat.
Forms of release of sugar and features of its storage
White sugar is commercially available in the form of granulated sugar and refined sugar in pieces. Sugar is packaged in packages and bags of different capacity, usually from one to fifty kilograms. Dense polyethylene bags are used, inside of which a film is additionally laid to protect the contents from moisture and spillage of crystals. Rafinade is packaged in cardboard boxes.
The high hygroscopicity of white sugar causes certain requirements for its storage. The room where the product is located must be dry and protected from temperature fluctuations. Storing it at high humidity will cause lumps to form. Sugar has the ability to absorb foreign odors, so you should not keep it near products with strong flavors.
calories
White sugar is very high in calories - almost 400 kcal per hundred grams of the product, and its composition consists entirely of carbohydrates. Therefore, when dieting, it is recommended to limit the use of this product both in its pure form (for sweetening coffee or tea) and in the form of various sugar-containing drinks, cakes, cookies, etc.
Nutritional value in one hundred grams (white granulated sugar):
Refined sugar due to a higher degree of purification is devoid of ash in its composition.
Useful properties of white sugar
Composition and presence of nutrients
There are no additional microelements in refined sugar, this is the result of the refining technology itself to obtain the product that is maximally purified from any impurities. White granulated sugar contains small amounts of calcium, potassium, sodium and iron.
Beneficial features
The main feature of white sugar is its rapid absorption by the human body. When it enters the intestines, sucrose breaks down into fructose and glucose, which, getting into the blood, compensate for most of the energy losses. Glucose energy provides metabolic processes, both in humans and animals. In the liver, with the participation of glucose, special acids are formed - glucuronic and paired gray acids, which ensure the neutralization of toxic substances by the body, therefore, in case of poisoning or liver disease, sugar is taken orally or glucose is injected into the blood.
The functioning of our brain is also completely dependent on the metabolism of glucose. If the food taken does not give the body the right amount of carbohydrates, it is forced to receive them using human muscle protein or proteins of other organs for their synthesis.
With a lack of sugar (glucose), the tone of the central nervous system deteriorates, the ability to concentrate decreases, and resistance to low temperatures worsens. White sugar, being a very pure product, does not affect the microflora of the stomach and intestines, and does not have a negative effect on metabolism. When consumed in moderation, it will not cause obesity, so it is even safer than fructose or artificial sweeteners. Sugar puts less strain on the pancreas than rice porridge, wheat bread, beer, mashed potatoes. Sugar is a good preservative and mass filler; without it, you will not get a dairy dessert, cake, ice cream, spread, jam, jelly and preserves. White sugar, when heated, forms caramel, which is used in brewing, sauces, and sodas.
The product has antidepressant properties - an eaten piece of cake, or just a piece of refined sugar can relieve irritation, stress, depression. When sugar comes in, the pancreas produces insulin, which stimulates the release of the happy hormone serotonin. White sugar is not only a finished product, it is also the basis for a range of sweet products - flavored sugars, brown, instant and soft sugars, syrups, liquid and fondant sugar.
Dangerous properties of white sugar
With the excessive use of sugar in its pure form, also as part of sweets and sodas, the body cannot cope with its complete processing and is forced to distribute it among the cells, which manifests itself in the form of fat. At the same time, after the “distribution”, the level of sugar naturally decreases, the body again sends a signal that it is hungry.
Being overweight is a common problem for lovers of sweet foods in large quantities. Regularly high blood sugar levels can lead to diabetes mellitus, as the pancreas stops producing the right amount of insulin. If a diabetic stops following a strict diet, consumes sweets uncontrollably, the consequences can be fatal.
When digesting refined sugar, the body actively consumes calcium. The rapid breakdown of sugar begins in the human mouth, which provokes the appearance of caries. Modern sodas are especially dangerous, where the amount of sugar is simply huge. To prevent the consumption of sugar in excess quantities, it is advisable to study the labels of goods in stores, refuse sweet sodas and add large portions of white sugar or refined sugar to tea or coffee.
A short video about the production of white sugar.
The content of the article
SUGAR, from a chemical point of view, any substance from a large group of water-soluble carbohydrates, usually with a low molecular weight and a more or less pronounced sweet taste. These are mainly monosaccharides (simple sugars) and disaccharides, the molecule of which consists of two monosaccharide residues. The former include glucose (sometimes called dextrose or grape sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar, levulose); to the second - lactose (milk sugar), maltose (malt sugar) and sucrose (cane or beet sugar). In everyday life, however, only the usual food sweetener, sucrose, is called sugar; it is she who will be considered in this article.
Sugar (sucrose) is a sweet crystalline substance extracted mainly from sugar cane or sugar beet juice. In its pure (refined) form, sugar is white, and its crystals are colorless. The brownish color of many of its varieties is due to the admixture of various amounts of molasses - condensed vegetable juice that envelops the crystals.
Sugar is a high-calorie food; its energy value is approx. 400 kcal per 100 g. It is easily digested and easily absorbed by the body, i.е. it is a fairly concentrated and quickly mobilized source of energy.
Application.
Sugar is an important ingredient in various dishes, drinks, baked goods and confectionery. It is added to tea, coffee, cocoa; it is the main component of sweets, icings, creams and ice creams. Sugar is used in meat preservation, leather dressing and in the tobacco industry. It serves as a preservative in jams, jellies and other fruit products.
Sugar is also important for the chemical industry. It produces thousands of derivatives used in a wide variety of applications, including the production of plastics, pharmaceuticals, fizzy drinks and frozen foods.
Sources.
Several hundred different sugars are known in nature. Each green plant forms certain substances belonging to this group. In the process of photosynthesis, glucose is first formed from atmospheric carbon dioxide and water obtained mainly from the soil under the influence of solar energy, and then it is converted into other sugars.
In different parts of the world, in addition to cane and beet sugar, some other products are used as sweeteners, such as corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, sorghum, palm and malt sugar. Corn syrup is a very viscous, almost colorless liquid obtained directly from cornstarch. The Aztecs, who used this sweet syrup, made it from corn in much the same way that sugar is made from cane today. Molasses is much inferior to refined sugar in terms of sweetness, however, it makes it possible to regulate the crystallization process in the manufacture of sweets and is much cheaper than sugar, therefore it is widely used in confectionery. Honey, which is high in fructose and glucose, is more expensive than sugar, and is added to some foods only when you want to give them a special taste. The same is the case with maple syrup, which is valued primarily for its specific flavor.
Sugar syrup is obtained from the stalks of bread sorghum, which has been used in China since ancient times. Sugar from it, however, has never been refined so well that it could successfully compete with beet or cane. India is practically the only country where palm sugar is commercially produced, but this country produces much more cane sugar. In Japan, malt sugar, made from starchy rice or millet, has been used as a sweetener for over 2,000 years. This substance (maltose) can also be obtained with the help of yeast from ordinary starch. It is much inferior to sucrose in terms of sweetness, however, it is used in the manufacture of bakery products and various types of baby food.
Prehistoric man satisfied his need for sugar through honey and fruits. Some flowers probably served the same purpose, the nectar of which contains a small amount of sucrose. In India, more than 4,000 years ago, a kind of raw sugar was mined from the flowers of the maduka tree ( Madhuca). Africans in the Cape Colony used the view Melianthus major, and the Boers in South Africa - Protea cynaroides. In the Bible, honey is mentioned quite often, and “sweet cane” is mentioned only twice, from which we can conclude that it was honey that served as the main sweetener in biblical times; this, by the way, is also confirmed by historical evidence, according to which sugar cane began to be grown in the Middle East in the first centuries of our era.
For a not too sophisticated taste, refined cane and beet sugar are almost indistinguishable. Raw sugar, an intermediate product of production containing an admixture of vegetable juice, is another matter. Here the difference is very noticeable: raw cane sugar is quite suitable for consumption (if, of course, obtained in adequate sanitary conditions), while beet sugar tastes unpleasant. Molasses (fodder molasses), an important by-product of sugar production, also differ in taste: cane molasses is readily eaten in England, and beet molasses is not suitable for food.
Production.
If the refining of beet sugar is carried out directly at sugar beet factories, then the purification of cane sugar, in which only 96-97% of sucrose, requires special refineries, where contaminants are separated from raw sugar crystals: ash, water and components, united by the general concept of "non-sugar ". The latter include scraps of vegetable fibers, wax that covered the stalk of the reed, protein, small amounts of cellulose, salts and fats. It is only thanks to the huge scale of production of refined cane and beet sugar that this product is so cheap today.
Consumption.
According to statistics, the consumption of refined sugar in the country is directly proportional to per capita income. The leaders here include, for example, Australia, Ireland and Denmark, where over 45 kg of refined sugar per person per year, while in China - only 6.1 kg. In many tropical countries where sugarcane is grown, this figure is much lower than in the United States (41.3 kg), but people there have the opportunity to consume sucrose not in its pure form, but in a different form, usually in fruits and sugary drinks.
CANE SUGAR
Plant.
Sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum) is a perennial, very tall herbaceous species of the cereal family, cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for its sucrose content, as well as some by-products of sugar production. The plant resembles bamboo: its cylindrical stems, often reaching a height of 6–7.3 m and a thickness of 1.5–8 cm, grow in bunches. Sugar is obtained from their juice. At the nodes of the stems are buds, or "eyes", which develop into short side shoots. From them, cuttings are used to propagate cane. Seeds are formed in apical inflorescences-panicles. They are used for breeding new varieties and only in exceptional cases as seed. The plant needs a lot of sun, heat and water, as well as fertile soil. That is why sugarcane is cultivated only in areas with a hot and humid climate.
Under favorable conditions, it grows very quickly, its plantations before harvesting look like impenetrable jungles. In Louisiana (USA), sugar cane matures in 6-7 months, in Cuba it takes a year, and in Hawaii - 1.5-2 years. To ensure the maximum content of sucrose in the stems (10-17% of the mass), the crop is harvested as soon as the plant stops growing in height. If harvesting is done by hand (using long machete knives), the shoots are cut down close to the ground, after which the leaves are removed and the stems are cut into short pieces that are convenient for processing. Manual harvesting is used where labor is cheap or site conditions prevent efficient use of machines. On large plantations, the technique is usually used, after burning the lower tier of vegetation. Fire destroys the bulk of the weeds without damaging the sugar cane, and the mechanization of the process significantly reduces the cost of production.
History.
The right to be considered the birthplace of sugar cane is contested by two regions - the fertile valleys in the north-east of India and the islands of Polynesia in the South Pacific. However, botanical studies, ancient literary sources and etymological data speak in favor of India. Many woody wild-growing varieties of sugarcane found there do not differ in their main features from modern cultural forms. Sugarcane is mentioned in the Laws of Manu and other sacred books of the Hindus. The word "sugar" itself comes from the Sanskrit sarkara (gravel, sand or sugar); centuries later, the term entered Arabic as sukkar, into medieval Latin as succarum.
From India the sugar cane culture between 1800 and 1700 B.C. entered China. This is evidenced by several Chinese sources, reporting that the Chinese people who lived in the Ganges valley taught the Chinese to get sugar by digesting its stems. From China, ancient navigators probably brought it to the Philippines, Java, and even Hawaii. When Spanish sailors arrived in the Pacific many centuries later, sugarcane had already grown feral on many Pacific islands.
Apparently, the first mention of sugar in ancient times dates back to the time of Alexander the Great's campaign in India. In 327 BC one of his commanders, Nearchus, reported: “They say that in India there is a reed growing that gives honey without the help of bees; as if from it you can also make an intoxicating drink, although there are no fruits on this plant. Five hundred years later, Galen, the chief medical authority of the ancient world, recommended "sakcharon from India and Arabia" as a remedy for diseases of the stomach, intestines, and kidneys. The Persians, too, though much later, adopted from the Hindus the habit of eating sugar, and at the same time did much to improve the methods of its purification. As early as the 700s, Nestorian monks in the Euphrates Valley were successfully making white sugar using ashes to refine it.
The Arabs, who spread from the 7th to the 9th centuries. their possessions in the Middle East, North Africa and Spain, brought the culture of sugar cane to the Mediterranean. A few centuries later, the crusaders who returned from the Holy Land introduced sugar to all of Western Europe. As a result of the collision of these two great expansions, Venice, which found itself at the crossroads of the trade routes of the Muslim and Christian worlds, eventually became the center of the European sugar trade and remained so for more than 500 years.
At the beginning of the 15th century Portuguese and Spanish sailors introduced sugarcane culture to the islands of the Atlantic Ocean. His plantations appeared first in Madeira, the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands. In 1506, Pedro de Atienza ordered the planting of sugar cane in Santo Domingo (Haiti) - thus this culture penetrated the New World. In just 30 years after its introduction in the Caribbean, it spread so widely there that it became one of the main ones in the West Indies, which is now called the "sugar islands". The role of sugar produced here grew rapidly with an increase in demand for it in the countries of Northern Europe, especially after the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 and the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean as a supplier of sugar fell.
With the spread of sugar cane in the West Indies and the penetration of its culture into South America, more and more labor was required for its cultivation and processing. The natives, who survived the invasion of the first conquerors, turned out to be of little use for exploitation, and the planters found a way out in the importation of slaves from Africa. Ultimately, sugar production became inextricably linked to the slave system and the bloody riots it generated that rocked the West Indies in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the early days, sugar cane presses were powered by oxen or horses. Later, in places blown by the trade winds, they were replaced by more efficient wind turbines. However, production as a whole was still quite primitive. After squeezing raw cane, the resulting juice was purified with lime, clay or ash, and then evaporated in copper or iron vats, under which a fire was built. Refining was reduced to the dissolution of the crystals, boiling the mixture and subsequent re-crystallization. Even in our time, the remains of stone millstones and abandoned copper vats remind in the West Indies of the past owners of the islands, who made their fortunes in this profitable trade. By the middle of the 17th century. Santo Domingo and Brazil became the main producers of sugar in the world.
Sugarcane first appeared on the territory of the modern United States in 1791 in Louisiana, where it was brought by the Jesuits from Santo Domingo. True, it was grown here at first mainly in order to chew sweet stems. However, forty years later, two enterprising colonists, Antonio Mendez and Etienne de Boret, established his plantations in what is now New Orleans, with the goal of producing refined sugar for sale. After de Boret's success in this business, other landowners followed suit, and sugar cane began to be cultivated throughout Louisiana.
In the future, the main events in the history of cane sugar come down to important improvements in the technology of its cultivation, mechanical processing and final purification of the product.
Recycling.
The cane is first crushed to facilitate further squeezing of juice from it. Then it goes to a three-roller squeezing press. Usually, the cane is pressed twice, wetting between the first and second time with water to dilute the sweet liquid contained in the pulp (this process is called maceration).
The resulting so-called. "diffusion juice" (usually gray or dark green) contains sucrose, glucose, gum, pectic substances, acids and various impurities. Methods for its purification over the centuries have changed little. Previously, the juice was heated in large vats over an open fire, and ash was added to remove "non-sugars"; now, to precipitate impurities, lime milk is used. Where sugar is produced for local consumption, the diffusion juice is treated with sulfur dioxide (sulphurous gas) immediately before lime is added to speed up bleaching and purification. Sugar turns yellowish, i.e. not completely refined, but quite pleasant to the taste. In both cases, after adding lime, the juice is poured into a sump-illuminator and kept there at 110-116 ° C under pressure.
The next important step in the production of raw sugar is evaporation. The juice flows through pipes to evaporators, where it is heated by steam passing through a closed system of pipes. When the dry matter concentration reaches 40–50%, evaporation is continued in vacuum apparatuses. The result is a mass of sugar crystals suspended in thick molasses, the so-called. massecuite. The massecuite is centrifuged, removing molasses through the mesh walls of the centrifuge, in which only sucrose crystals remain. The purity of this raw sugar is 96–97%. The removed molasses (outflow of the massecuite) is boiled again, crystallized and centrifuged. The resulting second portion of raw sugar is somewhat less pure. Then another crystallization is carried out. The remaining edema often still contains up to 50% sucrose, but it is no longer able to crystallize due to the large amount of impurities. This product ("black molasses") goes to the USA mainly for livestock feed. In some countries, for example in India, where the soil is in dire need of fertilizers, the outflow of the massecuite is simply plowed into the ground.
Refining
its briefly boils down to the following. First, raw sugar is mixed with sugar syrup to dissolve the remaining molasses enveloping the crystals. The resulting mixture (affination massecuite) is centrifuged. The centrifuged crystals are washed with steam to give an off-white product. It is dissolved into a thick syrup, lime and phosphoric acid are added to make impurities float to the surface in the form of flakes, and then filtered through bone char (a black granular material obtained from animal bones). The main task at this stage is the complete discoloration and deashing of the product. Refining 45 kg of dissolved raw sugar consumes 4.5 to 27 kg of bone charcoal. The exact ratio is not established, since the absorbency of the filter decreases as it is used. The resulting white mass is evaporated and, after crystallization, centrifuged, i.e. they treat it in much the same way as with sugar cane juice, after which the refined sugar is dried, removing the remains of water (approx. 1%) from it.
Production.
Major producers include Brazil, India, Cuba, as well as China, Mexico, Pakistan, USA, Thailand, Australia and the Philippines.
BEET SUGAR
Plant.
In sugar beet ( beta vulgaris) use a long, silvery-white root (from which sugar is obtained) and a rosette of leaves (tops), which serve as excellent fodder for livestock. The root in its thickest part reaches 10–15 cm in diameter, and its thin processes penetrate the soil to a depth of 90–120 cm. The average root weight is approx. 1 kg; up to 15% is sucrose in it, which corresponds to about 14 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Sugar beet is grown mainly in the temperate zone, and since each plant consumes an average of approx. 55 liters of water, the culture requires abundant watering. By the time of harvesting, the water content in the roots can reach 75-80%, and in the tops - 90%.
According to the efficiency of photosynthesis, i.e. converting solar energy and inorganic substances into nutritious organic substances, sugar beet occupies one of the first places among plants. Her origin is not exactly known. Scientists believe that in prehistoric times it was a wild annual in Southern Europe and North Africa. Later, having got into areas with a cooler climate, the sugar beet became a biennial, storing sugar in the root in the first year, and producing seeds in the second. Now it is harvested at the end of the first growing season, when the mass of the roots and their sugar content are maximum.
History.
According to Spanish explorers, the Indians in the Santa Clara River Valley in what is now California made some kind of sweets from the juice of wild sugar beets. In Europe, the fact that beets contain sugar was already known in the 16th century, but it was not until 1747 that the German chemist A. Marggraf obtained crystalline sucrose from it. The most important event in the history of beet sugar took place in 1799, when laboratory experiments by F. Achard confirmed that the production of this product was justified from an economic point of view. As a result, as early as 1802 sugar-beet factories appeared in Silesia (Germany).
At the beginning of the 19th century during the Napoleonic Wars, the British fleet blocked the coast of France, and the import of sugar from the West Indies there was temporarily stopped. This forced Napoleon to turn to the German model and build a number of experimental beet sugar factories. In 1811, things were already well established: sugar beet crops occupied over 32,000 hectares, and refineries were operating throughout the country.
After the defeat of Napoleon, the European market was literally inundated with Caribbean sugar, and the newly emerged beet sugar industry began to decline. Interest in it, however, increased again during the reigns of Louis Philippe and Napoleon III, and since then it has been one of the important branches of the French economy.
In America, beet sugar was talked about in the 1830s. The association that arose in Philadelphia delegated its representatives to Europe to study its production. From 1838 to 1879, about 14 unsuccessful attempts were made in the United States to establish the production of beet sugar. The real disaster befell the Mormons in the 1850s, when they bought $12,500 worth of equipment from France, shipped it to New Orleans, then up the Mississippi to Kansas, finally from there by oxen to Utah, but they launched it like that failed. Success was achieved by E. Dyer, who applied new production methods in California. Thanks to him, America's own sugar beet production arose. Since then, it has been continuously developed, and now the share of beet sugar is approx. 25% of all refined sugar produced in the USA.
Recycling.
Sugar beet is a bulky and perishable product, so processing plants are usually built close to plantations. It takes approx. 27 kg of coal and 16 kg of lime and coke. The process consists of the stages already described: extraction, purification, evaporation and crystallization.
First, the beets are washed, and then cut into shavings, which are loaded into a diffuser, where sugar is extracted from the plant mass with hot water. The result is a "diffusion juice" containing 10 to 15% sucrose. The remaining beet pulp serves as an excellent fodder for livestock. Diffusion juice is mixed in a saturator with lime milk. Heavy impurities settle here. Carbon dioxide is then passed through the heated solution to cause the lime to bind the non-sugar. After filtering them, they get the so-called. "Pure Juice" Bleaching involves passing sulfur dioxide gas through it and then filtering it through activated carbon. Excess water is removed by evaporation. The resulting liquid contains 50 to 65% sugar.
Crystallization is carried out in huge vacuum containers, sometimes as high as a two-story house. Its product - massecuite - is a mixture of molasses with sucrose crystals. These components are separated by centrifugation, and the resulting solid sugar is dried. Unlike cane, it does not require further refining and is suitable for consumption.
From molasses (the first runoff), a second, and then a third batch of already less pure crystals is obtained by evaporation. They are dissolved and refined.
Production.
The main producers are Russia, Germany, USA, France, Poland, China, Turkey and Italy. In Europe, almost all sugar is obtained from sugar beets. In the USA, the sugar beet harvest in 1991 was 24,982,000 tons; it is grown mainly in Minnesota, California, Idaho and North Dakota.
MAPLE SUGAR AND SYRUP
Maple syrup is brown in color, very sweet, and has a strong, distinctive flavor that results from the reactions that take place during its manufacture. Maple sugar and syrup are produced almost exclusively in the northeastern United States, mainly in the states of Vermont and New York. Both sugar and syrup are obtained mainly from the apiary of black, red, silver and sugar maples growing in these areas. By itself, it does not have a special taste, but contains an average of 3% sucrose. One tree produces from 38 to 95 liters of apiary per year, from which 35 times less syrup is obtained.
American Indians added it instead of salt to cereals, soups and even meat dishes. They also taught the collection and processing of maple apiary to European settlers who tried to drain birch and gray walnut for the same purpose. The first written mention of this product dates back to 1760; it follows that maples grow in Canada, "giving a large amount of useful refreshing juice" suitable for making special sugar. The Winnebag and Chippewa tribes supplied large quantities of it to the Northwest Fur Company. Most maple sugar and syrup were produced between 1850 and 1890. In the future, the role of these products has declined, mainly because cane sugar is much cheaper. Nowadays, maple syrup is valued only for its special flavor and is consumed mainly with waffles and pancakes.
The tapping is usually carried out from the end of February to the end of April; during this period, cold dry nights and sunny days contribute to sap flow. A hole 1.5 cm in diameter is drilled in a tree trunk to a depth of 5 cm and a wooden or metal groove is inserted into it, through which the juice flows into the trough. Since it can quickly ferment, the portions collected during the day are immediately sent for evaporation. Processing proceeds in general according to the same scheme as in the case of sugar cane, although the technology here is somewhat simpler.
Sugar in its purest form is a vegetable disaccharide. In other words, these are carbohydrates, which consist of fructose and glucose. In Sanskrit, the word "sugar" means "sand". From the foregoing, we can conclude that the product in the above form has been known for a long time.
For us, it is obtained from beets. But the ancestor is the type of cane sugar. Today on sale you can see several varieties of this product.
What types of sugar are there? You probably know a few of them, but not all. The article will discuss not only this, but also the features of each type. In addition, here you will find information about the types of sugar substitute that exist.
What are the types of sugar depending on the raw materials for production?
In our latitudes, the most common varieties of this product are beet and cane. The latter is extracted from sugar cane stalks. It is considered the most ancient, came to us from India.
Another species is extracted from the roots of sugar beets. It appeared due to the fact that some European states did not want to depend on cane imports.
Sugar maple is considered a unique raw material for the production of the product in question. It was discovered by the people of Canada. It is here that a large volume of products of this variety is produced.
In countries where palm trees grow, local people extract palm sugar from the sap of these trees.
There are also malt and sorghum varieties of sand. They are not widespread enough.
Each type of sugar and their characteristics will be discussed in more detail in the following sections.
What are the types of beet product depending on the degree of purification?
According to this characteristic, the product is divided into white and yellow.
The first type of sugar contains almost 100% sucrose. Here, apart from this component, there is nothing. It contains a very small amount of useful trace elements. The product is very sweet in taste.
In yellowish sugar, sucrose is much less, about 87%. It contains more nutrients such as potassium, iron and calcium. But it is not as sweet as the first variety of the product.
Types of sugar by release form
There are two types in total. The first of these is granulated sugar. It is presented in the form of unpressed sucrose crystals. This product is sold in bulk. As a rule, in stores you can buy it in bags or packages.
Another variety is refined sugar. It is produced in pressed individual pieces. In shape, they resemble a parallelepiped.
Varieties of granulated sugar
In other words, we are talking about a product in the form of sand. There are a large number of types of granulated sugar, but they are mainly used in cooking. Varieties of this product differ in crystal size and functional characteristics.
You can talk a lot about sugar, its type and varieties. First, we will talk about the product that is used every day in any family. It is referred to as regular sugar. It is considered ideal for cooking most dishes. It is also used in manufacturing plants.
But another kind of product is valued because of the appearance of the sugar and the one-dimensional structure of the crystals. Cooks use it in dry mixes for making desserts. Due to its homogeneity, there is no settling of smaller crystals to the bottom of the package. This is one of the good qualities of dry mixes.
Baker's sugar has a more homogeneous mass and smaller crystals than fruit sugar. This product is produced specifically for professional confectionery purposes. It is impossible to buy it anywhere in the store. This type of granulated sugar is used to sweeten cookies. And also it is used to obtain the ideal structure of baking.
Ultrafine sugar has the smallest crystals. It dissolves easily at any temperature. It is used in the manufacture of fine structure pies and meringues.
Ground, and then sifted granulated sugar is a confectionery powder. This product contains about 2% corn starch. This ensures that the baked products will not stick together.
Coarse sugar has larger crystals than regular sugar. It is used in the creation of liqueurs and sweets. One of the properties of this type of product is that it does not break down into glucose and fructose at high temperatures.
Sugar dusting has the same large crystals as the previous species. As a rule, they are sprinkled on top of products. This gives the baked goods a beautiful sparkling appearance.
A little about the varieties of brown sugar
There are quite a few types of this product. All of them differ from each other in the amount of molasses that they contain. The lighter the sugar, the less it contains.
The brown product is obtained from sugar cane. This happens by evaporating the extracted syrup.
Types of sugar and properties are reduced to its dissolution in water. So, demerara is one of the popular varieties of the product, which is widely distributed in England. It has a rich flavor of molasses, and it consists of large crystals of a golden hue. As a rule, it is added to tea and pastries.
Light brown soft sugar is used in fruit pies. The crystals of this product are small. It adds extra flavor to baked goods.
Dark brown soft sugar is also finely crystalline. It is mainly used in the preparation of ginger biscuits.
The next type of sugar is light muscovado. It has a specific aroma and taste of toffee. The crystals of this product are small, so it is used in caramel sauces and ice cream, as well as sweets.
Dark muscovado has a dark hue and a moist texture and is finely crystalline. It is used in marinades and sauces and, of course, in baked goods.
What are the types of liquid sugar?
There are several varieties of this product.
Liquid sucrose tastes like regular granulated sugar, only liquid.
Amber liquid sucrose has a darker color. It serves as a substitute for brown sugar.
The next type of product consists in equal parts of glucose and fructose. It is referred to as invert sugar. Available only in liquid form. It is used in the manufacture of carbonated drinks.
Where is palm sugar used?
This type of product has been used in cooking for several millennia as a sweetener.
How many types of sugar are there? Some people claim that there are a huge number of them. But not everyone has tried them, because they are not available to everyone. Some types of this product prevail in other countries.
However, palm sugar can also be purchased in Russia. It was first made from the sweet juice of Palmyra. Nowadays, it is also obtained from coconut palms and sold as coconut sugar. One of the features of this product is that it does not dissolve very well in water.
This type of product has a color from golden to brown. Sugar is minimally processed. Most people use it in cooking. This product can be ordered from specialty retailers. Palm sugar has a crumbly and granular texture. Sold in glass jars.
What are the types of sugar substitute?
Usually they are used in products intended for people with diabetes, as well as in dairy and confectionery products and even in chewing gum in order to reduce their calorie content.
Sugar substitutes are divided into artificial and natural. Each of them will be discussed in more detail in the following sections. In them you will find a description of each variety and the name of each product.
Features of artificial sugar substitutes
They are obtained through chemistry. These include aspartame, saccharin, gemsvit, alitame, sucralose.
So, sodium saccharinate (saccharin) is one of the cheap substitutes. It is almost 550 times sweeter than sucrose. This product is presented as a white powder, which sometimes has a yellowish tint. It has a metallic taste. But unlike the main product considered in this article, it has carcinogenic properties.
Sucralose is a chlorine derivative of sucrose. It is 650 times sweeter than the original substance.
The synthetic sweetener is aspartame. It has 3 times less sweetness than sucralose. Not everyone is allowed to eat it, because during the decay in the human body, methyl alcohol is formed. One of the advantages of aspartame is its calorie content. In this product, it is a hundred times less than that of sucrose.
What are natural substitutes?
These include xylitol and sorbitol. They are found in plants. One of the advantages is that the enzyme insulin is not needed for the absorption of natural substitutes. They are used in the production of food for diabetics.
In nature, sorbitol can be found in rose hips, apples and mountain ash. In terms of sweetness, it is half as much as sucrose. Sold in stores in the form of crystals. It has a grayish tint, it has no smell. Also, sorbitol is completely soluble in water.
In turn, xylitol is produced from cotton husks and corn cobs. It is a white crystalline powder. Like sorbitol, xylitol is completely soluble in water and has no odor. But in terms of sweetness, it is the same as sucrose.
Sugar quality assessment
This product has a high energy value and a high content of sucrose.
Crystals should be uniform in size and shape, with brilliance. A good product feels dry to the touch. There should be no lumps of unbleached mass in granulated sugar.
A typical product should have a sweet taste, without any off-flavour. It must be completely soluble in water. It should not contain other impurities and sediments.
The granulated sugar should be white. A slightly yellowish tint is allowed.
Product defects are gray color, loss of flowability and wetting. Sugar is also bad if it contains foreign smell and taste. As a rule, this happens due to the fact that the rules of the commodity neighborhood are not observed.
In addition, the product is of poor quality if there are foreign impurities in the product. This is thought to be the result of poor refining of the sugar and the process of packaging it in bags made of poor material.
conclusions
Thus, from the foregoing, we can learn that there are a very large number of varieties of the product in question. There are cases when it seems that the same type of sugar is called differently in different countries.
Each of them contains sucrose, only in different quantitative proportions. In some of the species there are more useful trace elements. One type of product is more soluble in liquid, while the other is worse. But each one is sweet.
In everyday life, people use ordinary granulated sugar or refined sugar. It, of course, does not have as many useful substances as in the brown form, but it is a more affordable product. The remaining varieties of sugar are mainly used in the manufacture of various pastries, sauces and soda.
And finally: use this product in moderation, as it is very harmful to the teeth. When sugar enters the oral cavity, bacteria are formed that secrete acid that breaks the enamel. Therefore, after using the product, do not forget to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth.
The history of sugar, types of sugar by raw material
Cane sugar, beet sugar, maple sugar, palm sugar, sorghum sugar, nutritional value of sugar, sugar myths
Section 1. Production and technology of sugar.
Sugar -this common name for sucrose. Cane and beet sugar (granulated sugar, refined sugar) is an important food product. Regular sugar (sucrose) refers to carbohydrates that are considered valuable nutrients that provide the body with the energy it needs. Starch also belongs to carbohydrates, but its absorption by the body is relatively slow. Sucrose is quickly broken down in the digestive tract into glucose and fructose, which then enter the bloodstream.
Production and technology of sugar
Glucose provides more than half of the body's energy costs. The normal concentration of glucose in the blood is maintained at 80-120 milligrams of sugar per 100 milliliters (0.08~0.12%). Glucose has the ability to maintain the barrier function of the liver against toxic substances due to its participation in the formation of so-called paired sulfuric and glucuronic acids in the liver. That is why taking sugar orally or injecting glucose into a vein is recommended for certain liver diseases, poisonings.
History of sugar
Homeland of sugar - India. In Europe, sugar was known to the Romans. Brown sugar grains were prepared from sugar cane juice and imported to Europe from India. Egypt, a province of the Roman Empire, was an intermediary in trade with India. Sugarcane later appeared in Sicily and southern Spain, but this tradition was lost with the fall of the Roman Empire.
The history of sugar in Russia begins around the 11th-12th centuries. When sugar was first brought in, only the prince and his entourage could taste it. The first "sugar chamber" in Russia was opened by Peter I at the beginning of the 18th century, and raw materials for sugar were imported from abroad. In 1809, the production of sugar from domestic raw materials - sugar beet - began to improve.
Brown sugar It is unrefined cane sugar.
Brown sugar consists of sugar crystals coated with cane molasses with a natural flavor and color. It is produced by boiling sugar syrup using a special technology. There are many varieties of brown sugar, which differ mainly in the amount of molasses they contain. Dark cane sugar has a more intense color and stronger molasses flavor than light cane sugar. Sometimes brown sugar is called "tea" or "coffee". Manufacturers position brown sugar as an elite environmentally friendly delicacy product. While nutritionists note that brown sugar may contain unwanted impurities and has a high calorie content.
Cane sugar
Sugar cane stalks, a plant growing wild in India, were the original raw material for the extraction of sugar; in Europe, cane sugar became known even before our era as a medicine. Under the rule of the Arabs in the ninth century, the cultivation of sugar cane was established in Egypt, Sicily, and southern Spain; at the end of the 10th century, the production of sugar in the form of conical heads was already carried out in Venice, but sugar became more widespread in Europe only during the Crusades. In 1490, Columbus moved sugar cane from the Canary Islands to Santo Domingo (Haiti), and from that time its culture in the West Indies and Central America began to develop rapidly and colonial granulated sugar began to cover the general need for it in Europe, in which, starting from the 16th century, refineries appeared to purify it. Nevertheless, sugar remained a luxury item for a long time, until the 19th century. Most of the sugar consumed in the world today comes from sugar cane.
Sugar cane is a perennial herb cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. Its cultivation requires a frost-free climate with sufficient rainfall during the growing season to take full advantage of the plant's enormous growth potential. Harvested mechanically or by hand, the stems are cut into pieces and quickly transported to a processing plant. Here, the raw material is either crushed and the juice is extracted with water, or the sugar is extracted by diffusion. The juice is then purified with slaked lime (defecation) and heated to kill the enzymes. As a result, the liquid syrup is passed through a series of evaporators, after which the remaining water is removed by evaporation in a vacuum container. The supersaturated solution then crystallizes to form sugar crystals. The molasses, which is a by-product of the process, and fibers from the stems, known as bagasse, are burned to provide energy for the sugar extraction process. Raw sugar crystals have a sticky brown coating and can be eaten as is, or bleached with sulfur dioxide or carbonic acid (saturation) to produce a white product.
Beet sugar
In 1747, Andreas Margraf published in the memoirs of the Berlin Academy of Sciences his observations on the possibility of extracting sugar from the roots of beet (beta alba) and even indicated the procedure, which, in essential terms, has been preserved to this day. The honor of setting up the first plant for extracting sugar from sugar beets belongs to Margraf Achard's student, but the first experiments on a factory scale were unsuccessful and the production of beet sugar was put on solid ground in 1806 by Napoleon (distribution of land for the cultivation of sugar beets, establishment of schools at factories, issuance of bonuses) , who saw in him one of the means to maintain the continental system and independence from English imports. The high price of colonial cane sugar (about 8 francs per kilogram) made it profitable to produce local sugar, and at the same time, production improvements introduced in France (graters, hydraulic presses, straining through bone charcoal, heating and thickening the juice with steam) led to its rapid development. : in 1828, 103 plants were already operating in France and delivered up to 5 million kg of sugar. The methods developed in France were then transferred to Germany and other European countries. In Russia, the first factory for extracting beet juice, mainly for processing into alcohol, was founded by Major General Blankenigel in 1802 in the Tula province, then a sugar factory was set up by Ivan Akimovich Maltsov in 1809, the further development of Russian beet sugar production owes much to the family of Counts Bobrinsky . In 1897, 236 factories operated in Russia, the productivity of which was up to 45 million poods per year.
Sugar beet is a biennial plant, a fleshy root crop is formed in the first year. It is cultivated in temperate regions with moderate rainfall and requires fertile soil. The crop is harvested mechanically in autumn, with the removal of tops and adhering soil. Root crops can be stored without loss for several weeks before they are sent to a processing plant. Here the beets are washed and cut, the sugar syrup is extracted with hot water by diffusion. The juice delivered from the diffusers passes through the measuring tanks, and usually 120 kg of juice is obtained from 100 kg of beetroot, which, to separate from the entrained particles of pulp, is passed through filters made of wood chips or coarse fabric or through metal sieves. After that, the juice is heated to 60 ° C in reshofers, that is, in boilers equipped with tubes through which the juice passes, and steam is let into the space between the tubes; after that, the juice enters the defecator(s) and is purified several times with lime (defecation) and then with carbonic acid (saturation). The chemical process of defecation and saturation consists in the fact that lime, when heated, displaces weak bases into a precipitate, gives insoluble salts with dibasic organic acids, decomposes inverted sugar, gives insoluble compounds with leguminous protein substances, and, finally, an excess of it entrains in the sediment present in the juice suspension; at the same time, alkaline bases, freed from salts of organic acids, enter into combination with sucrose, forming alkaline sugars, and an excess of lime simultaneously gives lime sugar; at the same time, nitrogenous substances partly begin to decompose with the release of ammonia. The subsequent treatment of the defecated juice with carbonic anhydride is mainly aimed at removing excess lime, which, precipitating in the form of carbon dioxide, produces further clarification and discoloration of the juice, as well as decomposing alkaline and calcareous sugars; saturation is stopped at a known alkalinity of the juice (part of the alkalinity depends on the presence of carbonic alkali salts), in order to protect the juice from decomposition by microorganisms. In addition, a very large number of means and methods have been proposed for purifying juice instead of lime and carbonic acid, but all these proposals have not acquired practical significance.
The juice purified by the indicated means is so freed from non-sugar that it can be brought by simple evaporation to a concentration at which sugar crystals will precipitate from the boiled mass. Condensed juice, or syrup, called utfil (Hutfüllmasse), during filtering, is subjected to final boiling in vacuum apparatuses. Separation of crystals from molasses is carried out with the help of centrifuges, putting into the rotating drum of the centrifuge either a hot, freshly released massecuite (hot whitening), or allow it to cool (cold whitening), and it solidifies into a solid mass, which is necessary to make it homogeneous, with in order to evenly load the centrifuge, stir what is done in the apparel mixers. The centrifuge drum filled with utfil ejects the molasses through the mesh walls (the first runoff) and retains the sugar crystals, which are pierced either first with a clerk or directly with steam, washing the molasses that is retained on the crystals; this part of the flowing liquid is usually collected separately (second drip). At the end of the gap, the sugar crystals, which make up the so-called white sand, or the first product, are removed from the centrifuge and dried, passing through rotating cylinders through which a stream of heated air passes. With hot whitening, up to 50% of the first product is obtained from 100 parts of the waste file, with cold up to 53-55%, although already somewhat less pure. White sand contains 99-99.8% sugar. The drips obtained from the first product are processed and separated from the molasses. Thus, a second product, or the first yellow sand, is obtained, containing 90-95% sugar. Molasses, separated from the second product, after processing gives the third product, with a sugar content of 85 to 90% (second yellow sand). As a rule, after the isolation of the crystals of the third product, molasses is obtained, containing so much non-sugar that it is called black, or fodder, and is used in large quantities as a material for distillation, as well as for livestock feed.
Maple sugar is a traditional sugar in the eastern provinces of Canada, extracted from the sap of sugar maple since the 17th century, for which the trunks are drilled in February and March and then juice containing up to 3% sugar begins to flow out of the holes. The flow of sap continues for several weeks, so that a large amount is obtained from each tree. The sap is evaporated to make "maple syrup" and then sugar is extracted from the syrup (up to 3-6 pounds annually from each tree). It is used by the local population instead of ordinary cane sugar. The maple syrup industry generated over $100 million in 1989.
Palm sugar or jagre - is extracted in South and Southeast Asia, the Moluccas and many islands of the Indian Ocean from sweet juice flowing in large quantities from cuts on young flower cobs of various types of palms. In India, on the Coromandel coast, in the Maldives and Moluccas, and partly in Sri Lanka, it is obtained mainly from coconut palm sap (the so-called coconut sugar). One coconut palm is able to produce more than 250 kg of juice per year, containing up to 20% sucrose, and with skillful use, without too much force on the trees, you can get good juice yields for many years. Sugar, obtained from palm sap by evaporation, is molded in coconut shells and delivered to the market in the form of round loaves. Its consumption is limited mainly to the places of production. Palm sugar is also extracted from the date palm, arenga and other palms.
The extraction of sugar from the stalks of sugar sorghum (Sorghum saccharatum (L.) Pers.) has been practiced since ancient times in China, later it became widespread in the northern states of the United States during the Civil War, when the supply of cane sugar by sea was blocked by England, but sorghum sugar was not received. wide distribution, as sorghum did not live up to expectations as a convenient raw material for sugar extraction. This is explained by the fact that although sorghum juice is very rich in sucrose, the extraction of the latter in its pure form from it is associated with significant difficulties due to the high content of mineral salts, gum-like substances and inverted sugar in the juice; as a result, the yields of pure crystalline sugar are very small. To extract sugar from sorghum, among other things, the diffusion method is also used. Sorghum cut contains 5-11% ordinary and 1-9% inverted sugar; the composition of one waste file, for example, was as follows: sucrose 53.5%, invert sugar - 13.6%, organic matter (not sugar) - 5.1%, ash - 4.7% and water - 23.1%. With a much greater benefit, sorghum goes to distillation. However, sorghum for sugar production retains its agricultural potential, as sorghum can be grown in dry areas where cultivation of other sugar crops is either impossible or unprofitable. Also, sweet sorghum does not require special machines and special cultivation techniques; the same methods and mechanisms that are used for corn are suitable for its cultivation.
Sugar production technology
The main raw materials for the production of sugar are sugar beet, which contains 15-22% sucrose, and sugar cane.
Getting granulated sugar begins with the preparation of sugar beets. Root crops are washed, cleaned of impurities and crushed into shavings. Then the chips are heated with water to 70-75 °C. In this case, the diffusion of soluble substances into water occurs with the formation of a dark gray diffusion juice, which, in addition to sucrose, contains other substances.
Purification of diffusion juice consists in treating it with lime and then with carbon dioxide. The first process is called defecation, and the second - saturation. During defecation, sucrose partially reacts with lime, forming sugars that precipitate. After defecation, the juice becomes light yellow in color with a flocculent sediment. Then the juice is subjected to saturation - the transfer of lime into insoluble calcium carbonate and the decomposition of sugars to sucrose. After double saturation, the juice is filtered and treated with sulfur dioxide (sulphurization). As a result of this treatment, the juice becomes light yellow, transparent, containing about 14% sucrose.
From the purified juice, sugar is isolated by crystallization. To do this, the juice is evaporated to a content of 65% solids. The resulting syrup is treated with adsorbents, filtered and sulfitized again. Transparent colorless condensed syrup enters the vacuum apparatus, where further water evaporation and sugar crystallization take place. As a result, a thick mass (7.5% water) is formed - the massecuite of the first crystallization and the intercrystalline liquid - green molasses. To separate the latter, the massecuite is processed in centrifuges. The sugar crystals settled there are washed with a small amount of water, steamed and centrifuged. This separates the so-called molasses containing water-soluble sugar crystals. It is collected and sent to vacuum apparatus for re-boiling.
Green molasses is also boiled in vacuum apparatus and a second crystallization massecuite is obtained. If the sugar content in the molasses of the second crystallization massecuite remains high, then the third crystallization massecuite is obtained from it. The molasses of the massecuite of the last crystallization - molasses - is used to produce ethyl alcohol, citric acid, amino acids and for other purposes.
The resulting sugar from the centrifuges is sent for drying. Then it is passed through a magnetic trap, sorted and packaged.
Refined sugar is obtained from granulated sugar. For production, pure beet sugar and raw cane sugar are used. It is dissolved in hot water until the syrup is thick. Then it is treated with adsorbents, ion exchangers (artificial resins) and filtered. The filtered syrup enters the vacuum apparatus, where it is condensed to a massecuite massecuite and centrifuged. To ensure the whiteness of the refined massecuite, a suspension of ultramarine (blue dye) is added to it.
They produce cast and pressed refined sugar. Upon receipt of cast refined sugar, hot massecuite is poured into cone-shaped molds 60 m high, slowly cooled, watered with clairs (saturated solution of pure sugar) on top. At the same time, as it flows out from the bottom of the mold, the clere washes off the molasses from the sucrose crystals and carries away its remains. Washing with clairs is carried out several times. The sugar is then dried, knocked out of the molds and broken into pieces.
The manufacturing process of cast refined sugar is quite laborious. More often produce pressed refined sugar. In its production, the massecuite is whitewashed in centrifuges. The resulting refined porridge (2% moisture) is pressed. The pressed bars are dried and after cooling they are split into pieces of the correct shape. By adjusting the moisture content of the refined porridge, the strength of the sugar can be changed.
To obtain compressed refined sugar with cast properties, more moisture is left in the refined porridge (3-3.5%), for instant, on the contrary, less (1.5%).
Assortment of sugar
Crystalline sugar is the type of sugar most familiar to the consumer worldwide. It is granulated sugar, consisting of white crystals. Depending on the size of the crystal, granulated sugar provides the unique properties of granulated sugar. These properties are in demand by food companies in accordance with their specific needs. In addition to the size of the crystals, special additives add variety to the types of sugar.
Regular Sugar. Sugar commonly used in household use. This is exactly the white sugar that most cookbook recipes have in mind. The same sugar is most widely used by food companies.
Fruit Sugar. Smaller and better quality than regular sugar. Used in dry mixes such as gelatin desserts, pudding mixes and dry drinks. The high degree of crystal homogeneity prevents smaller crystals from separating or settling to the bottom of the package, which is an important quality of good dry mixes.
Pekarsky (Bakers Special). The size of the crystals is even smaller. As the name suggests, this type of sugar was created specifically for industrial baking of muffins.
Ultrafine (Superfine, Ultrafine, Bar Sugar, Caster Sugar). The smallest crystal size. Such sugar is ideal for pies and meringues with a very fine texture. Due to its easy solubility, ultrafine sugar is also used to sweeten fruits and frozen drinks.
Confectionery powder (Confectioners Sugar, Icing Sugar). The basis of confectionery powder is ordinary granulated sugar, ground into powder and sifted through a fine sieve. Approximately 3% corn starch is added to prevent sticking. The powder is produced in various degrees of grinding. It is used for glazing, in the confectionery industry and in the production of whipped cream.
Coarse Sugar. Sugar with a crystal size larger than regular sugar. A special processing method makes this sugar resistant to changes at high temperatures. This property is important in the production of sweets, confectionery and liqueurs.
Sugar dusting (Sanding Sugar). Sugar with the largest crystals. It is used mainly in the baking and confectionery industries for sprinkling products. The facets of the large crystals reflect the light, giving the products a sparkling look.
Brown sugar consists of sugar crystals coated in treacle syrup with a natural flavor and color. It is produced either by special boiling down of sugar syrup, or by mixing white sugar with molasses.
There are many varieties of brown sugar, which differ mainly in the amount of molasses (molasses) they contain. Dark brown sugar has a more intense color and stronger molasses flavor than light brown sugar.
Light brown sugar is used in the same way as white sugar. Dark brown sugar has a rich flavor that makes it a specific addition to various foods.
There are several types of liquid sugar that have been used in the food industry. Actually liquid sugar is a solution of white sugar and can be used wherever crystalline.
Sugar with the addition of molasses is an amber-colored liquid. It can be used to give products a specific flavor.
Finally, invert syrup. Inversion or chemical breakdown of sucrose gives a mixture of glucose and fructose. Such sugar is used only for industrial purposes.
Requirements for the quality of sugar
Granulated sugar is a free-flowing product consisting of crystals ranging in size from 0.2 to 2.5 mm, with clearly defined edges. It should be non-sticky and dry to the touch, white with a luster, sweet taste, without foreign tastes and odors.
Solubility in water is complete, the solution should be transparent. Moisture content of granulated sugar should be no more than 0.14%, sucrose content - no less than 99.75, reducing substances - no more than 0.05 (per dry matter), ash - no more than 0.03%, color in Stammer units - no more than 0.8.
In sugar used for industrial processing, the content of sucrose (on dry matter) is not less than 99.55%, reducing substances - not more than 0.065, ash - not more than 0.05, humidity - not more than 0.15%.
According to organoleptic indicators, refined sugar must meet the following requirements: the color is white, without spots, a slightly bluish tint is allowed, the taste of dry sugar and an aqueous solution is sweet, without foreign tastes and odors, the solubility is complete, the solution is transparent, a subtle bluish tint is allowed.
Physico-chemical indicators, depending on the type of sugar, are normalized as follows: moisture content (0.1-0.4%), sucrose (not less than 99.9%), reducing substances (not more than 0.03%), crumbs (not more than 1.0-2.5%), complete solubility (not earlier than 1-8 minutes), strength (at least 15-40 in kgf / cm2).
Packaging and storage of sugar
Sugar retains its original properties only when it is reliably protected from external conditions during storage, transportation and sales, which should be ensured primarily by its packaging. This issue is most reliably resolved only for refined sugar, packaged at the factory in consumer packaging. 50 kg (net) sugar-deco is packed in clean new and used fabric bags of categories I and II; in fabric bags with polyethylene and paper liners; bags made of material with viacose base, polypropylene. Granulated sugar intended for transportation by road is allowed to be packed in 40 kg packs in five- or six-layer paper bags with one or two laminated layers. Fabric bags are still the main container for bulk granulated sugar. The bags should be tight so that sugar crystals do not wake up. However, the burlap does not protect the sugar from dust and other contaminants. Fire and pile get into the sugar from the material of the bag. Burlap has a characteristic smell associated with its processing. Bags are the most significant focus of sugar infection. In addition, the fabric gets wet easily. Increasing requirements for product quality leads to the need for a rational solution to the issue of sugar packaging.
Refined granulated sugar industry produces in large packaging in bags and in consumer containers. Unrefined granulated sugar is mainly sold in bulk form. It is packaged in consumer packaging at trade enterprises in places of consumption. In large cities and industrial centers, specialized enterprises have been created where granulated sugar is packed mechanically in 0.5-1.0 kg bags in paper (two- and single-layer) or polyethylene.
Lump refined sugar is produced mainly in consumer packaging and partly packed in 40 kg fabric bags. For refined sugar in bags, higher standards for the content of fines are established than in packs (GOST 22-78 with change No. 2). In bags, refined sugar gets dirty, the edges of the pieces are chipped, fines and powder are formed. Rafinade, packaged in packs and paper boxes with a net weight of 0.5 and 1 kg, is placed in an outer container - in plank and plywood boxes weighing up to 30-35 kg or wrapped in wrapping paper in the form of bags of 20 kg. There is experience in packing packs of lump sugar into packs of 20 pieces on automatic machines. using shrink film. Bulk refined sugar is also packed in boxes lined with paper. The net weight of packages of each shipped individual batch of sugar must be the same, the container must be homogeneous. The method for determining the net weight - according to GOST 26521-85. Packaged sugar is marked with non-staining paint in accordance with the requirements of the current standard.
The properties of sugar during storage depend on its composition. Sucrose is resistant to normal air and temperature conditions in the range of 0-30 ° C, in its pure form it is not moistened at a relative humidity of up to 90% or more. However, sucrose must be reliably protected from contact with free moisture, since it is not able to bind moisture and has a high solubility. Due to the higher content of impurities, granulated sugar is more hygroscopic than refined sugar. At the same temperature (20 °C), the curve of water sorption by sand sugar has an inflection at a relative air humidity of about 70%, and by refined sugar - 85%. At higher relative humidity, sugar absorbs moisture, and at lower relative humidity it dries out. In a room where the relative humidity is 80-90%, granulated sugar becomes noticeably moist.
The change in the moisture content of sugar during storage is the cause of its various defects. In the presence of free moisture, granulated sugar becomes sticky, loses its flowability, crumple, and lumpy refined sugar loses strength. Humidification stimulates the development of microbiological processes, as a result of which decomposition products of sugars accumulate, pH decreases, and sucrose inversion occurs. This increases the hygroscopicity of sugar, it becomes unsuitable for further storage. When moisture evaporates from damp sugar, the crystals coalesce and form a dense colored mass, which is difficult to separate from burlap or other container material.
When sugar is stored, moisture may condense on the surface of the container due to changes in ambient temperature. This most often happens when warmer, moister air enters a low-temperature warehouse. The moisture capacity of air upon contact with cold sugar decreases, and excess moisture is released in the form of dew. Sugar stored in containers made of vapor-tight film materials can also be moistened during temperature fluctuations due to moisture evaporating from the surface of the crystals and condensing in the most rapidly cooling surface layers of sugar.
There are certain rules for the ventilation of warehouses, taking into account temperature and humidity conditions. Maintaining an even temperature is one of the most important requirements when storing sugar.
Lumpy refined sugar should not be stored below 0°C. Rapid cooling causes moisture to move in the pores of the refined sugar from the inner layers to the outer ones, in which it condenses and dissolves sugar. After the evaporation of moisture, outgrowths of small crystals form on the surface of the pieces, which worsen their presentation.
Store sugar in dry, clean, well-ventilated warehouses. When storing sugar, commodity proximity must be observed. Storage together with sharp-smelling products is not allowed.
In warehouses, sugar in bags and boxes is stacked on wooden racks, pallets or floors covered with tarpaulin, paper, etc. The height of a stack of lump refined sugar, depending on the type of packaging and sugar strength, is 2-5 m, and powdered sugar capable of caking - 1.8 m. In the most unfavorable conditions, sugar is located in the lower rows of the stack. The relative humidity of the air at the level of the lower row should not exceed 70% for granulated sugar, and 80% for refined sugar.
In the bulk method, granulated sugar is stored in reinforced concrete or metal vertical cylindrical containers (silos). Sugar in silos should not lose flowability and be cemented. Therefore, sugar of high purity, low color, with a moisture content of 0.02-0.06% is poured into long-term bulk storage, its crystals must be uniform and not contain fractions with crystals less than 0.2-0.3 mm. It should not develop microbiological processes. During storage, maintain a constant temperature of 20-22 ° C and relative humidity of 60-65%.
Since 1987, GOST 26907-86 has been put into effect, which establishes long-term storage periods (in years): granulated sugar in heated warehouses - up to 8, in unheated warehouses - 1.5-4; refined sugar - up to 8 and 5, respectively; granulated sugar in silos - no more than 2. The air temperature in heated warehouses for long-term storage of packaged sugar should not be below 12 °C.
Excessive sugar intake
For a long time, sugar consumption and intravenous administration of concentrated glucose solutions were considered effective in various diseases of the cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems.
In recent years, researchers have been leaning toward the need to limit the use of this product. It has been established that in old age, excessive consumption of sugar contributes to the disruption of fat metabolism, leads to an increase in the concentration of cholesterol and sugar in the blood, and introduces disorganization into cell functions.
The increase in blood cholesterol is influenced by the nature of microcarbohydrates taken with food: lactose is the most active in this respect, compared to sucrose, which in turn contributes more to hypercholesterolemia than glucose. An increase in the concentration of sugar in the blood, changing the permeability of the arterial wall, creates favorable conditions for the deposition of lipids in it and increases the adhesion of platelets.
It is no coincidence that nutritionists insist that in the diet of older people, especially those with a tendency to obesity, the amount of sugar should not exceed 15% of the total daily amount of carbohydrates.
Cardiologists argue that as a result of increasing the caloric intake due to sugar in people who are not engaged in physical labor, conditions are created for overweight and the rapid development of atherosclerosis.
The thing is that the easily digestible, but undigested carbohydrates consumed in excess, enter the bloodstream from the intestines and irritate (and if this is repeated often, they can disable) the insular apparatus of the pancreas.
Under normal conditions, the hormone of the pancreas - insulin performs the functions of a regulator of carbohydrate metabolism in the body. Thanks to insulin, sugar is distributed in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen, and part of the sugar is converted into fat. The body's need for carbohydrates in middle age is 400-500 grams, and in the elderly it is 100 grams less, that is, 300-400 grams.
It should be borne in mind that carbohydrates are not only sugar, but also honey, fruits, flour products, cereals. The so-called simple sugars (cane, beet, grape) are easily soluble in water and quickly absorbed into the blood. To slow down the transfer of sugar from the blood to the tissues, it is recommended to replace refined carbohydrates (sweets, confectionery, etc.) with starch.
Sugar substitutes
Instead of sugar, you can use honey or fruits that contain both fructose and glucose. In liver cells, fructose is phosphorylated and then broken down into trioses, which are either used for fatty acid synthesis, which can lead to obesity, as well as elevated triglyceride levels (which in turn increases the risk of atherosclerosis), or used for glycogen synthesis ( also partly converted to glucose during gluconeogenesis). Fruits and berries are especially useful for the body due to the content of vitamins, organic acids and mineral salts in them. Bee honey also contains vitamins, organic acids, salts, enzymes, proteins and has a beneficial effect on the body to the same extent, but the sucrose content (up to 2%) and high calorie content also require limiting its consumption to 50-60 grams per day. It should also be noted that honey is an allergen.
Sugar substitutes (xylitol, sorbitol, aspartame), which are similar in sweetness and appearance to food sugar, can be used in the treatment of obesity. To meet a person's need for sweets, 40 grams of xylitol per day is enough. However, there is evidence that continuous use of xylitol in the elderly may accelerate the course of the atherosclerotic process.
Thus, the value of sugar as a food product leaves no doubt. It is only necessary to remember the old proverb: "Too much food is a disease and trouble."
And here is how J. La Bruyère wrote: “Intemperance turns into a deadly poison the food prescribed for the preservation of life.”
In the bottom antiamphibious mine, installed in coastal water near its bank of the river (reservoir) at a depth of up to two meters, a cork made of pressed sugar is used as a fuse. Having installed such a mine, they open the lid, which closed the water access to the cork. In a maximum of two hours (the time strongly depends on the temperature of the water), the sugar cork will dissolve, which will cause the mine to cock. Such a device allows you to set a minefield of such mines, without the danger of being blown up by mines that have just been installed.
Refined sugar in the form of cubes was invented in 1843 in the Czech Republic. Inventor - Swiss Jacob Christoph Rad was the manager of the sugar factory in Dacice. At the place where the sugar factory was located, a monument is now erected - a snow-white cube, symbolizing refined sugar.
Experiments on rats have shown that the use of sugar is addictive, while "the changes produced by sugar in the brain are very similar to those that occur under the influence of cocaine, morphine or nicotine."
It will be possible to set fire to a piece of sugar if a little ash is poured into the place of ignition, for example, tobacco, since the latter contains lithium salts that catalyze the combustion of sucrose.
Refined sugar (cube 1cm) completely dissolves in a glass of 60 °C water within 11-24 seconds without stirring the water. (when testing GOST 12577-67)
Granulated sugar is packaged in bags weighing 900 g, 1 kg, bags 2.5; five; 10; 50 kg
The chemical formula of sugar is C12H22O11.
Raw sugar - a product of cane or beet processing in the form of individual crystals, consisting mainly of sucrose of a lower purity than granulated sugar, and not intended for direct consumption. The content of sucrose is from 95 to 99.55%, color: from yellowish to yellow-brown, the crystal is dull, covered with a treacle film.
But before you panic, you should figure out what is known about sugar, is this product really so harmful that it should be completely excluded from your diet.
Is it true that sugar is bad for health?
Based on the imaginary harmfulness of sugar, it turns out that you need to completely abandon its use. In particular, nutritionists are alarmed by the so-called hidden form of sugar, which is hidden in ready-made foods. In fact, a person has to consume sugar invisible to the eye, therefore, there is much more of it in the diet than the body needs.
When a person has to drink carbonated sweet water often, consume a lot of sweets, while ignoring healthy foods, it is not surprising that in a few years he will be overcome by problems of the gastrointestinal tract and, probably, extra pounds. So, we can confidently say that if you eat right, do not overeat, your main diet is healthy foods, then sometimes you need to treat yourself to a sweet dessert, it improves your mood.
Is it true that the body receives the bulk of sugar from sweets and other sweets?
Some people believe that sweets are the main source of sugar and refuse to eat them. In fact, sugar enters the body not only from sweets, but also from all kinds of drinks, from sauces. For example, one tablespoon of tomato sauce contains a teaspoon of sugar.
Is it true that sugar from sweets is significantly different from the sugar found in fruits?
In fact, all sweet fruits contain a similar composition of sugar as in sweets. Another thing is that its concentration in fruits and berries is less. When it enters the body, it is able to bring with it useful vitamins, minerals and minerals. Meanwhile, the body burns sugar, which has to be obtained from rolls and sweets, more slowly. As a result, blood sugar levels rise, as does blood pressure.
Is it true that sugar consumption causes diabetes?
There is no doubt that diabetes and sugar are linked. But the most common type of diabetes is the second type, provoked, as a rule, by overeating any food, including those that contain sugar. The disease develops according to this scheme: a large amount of food that the body consumes needs to release a large amount of glucose, and, consequently, insulin.
The disease does not appear in an instant, it is a long process. Over time, the cells are unable to absorb excess insulin, resulting in a sharp increase in blood sugar levels. This is how diabetes is formed. And although diabetes is called diabetes, the consumption of sugar is not the main cause of the development of the disease.
Sugar has its pros and cons.
Sugar is a highly refined, easily digestible carbohydrate, especially refined sugar. Sugar has no biological value other than calories. Sugar has a high energy value, it provides a lot of empty calories, which would be worth getting from other foods, which, in addition to calories, would also bring vitamins, minerals, etc. Sugar is bad for your teeth because the bacteria in your mouth converts it into acids that erode tooth enamel and cause cavities.
Sugar makes people happy. During grief attacks, a person usually eats something sweet, after which the pancreas produces insulin, which in turn leads to the release of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. Sugar gives energy. When ingested, sugar is converted into glucose, which provides energy.
Sugar is the main ingredient in confectionery. Sugar is added to various drinks - tea, coffee, cocoa. Sugar serves as a preservative for various products made from fruits and berries - jams, jams, jellies.
For diseases that require a low-carbohydrate diet, various sugar substitutes are used in food.
Sources
Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia, WikiPedia
studentbank.ru - Free abstracts
ukrsugar.kiev.ua - Sugar of Ukraine
health.obozrevatel.com - Browser
Sugar is not only found in almost every kitchen, but also present in many products on store shelves. And most often it is white refined sugar, it is also called granulated sugar.
Nutritionists and some researchers argue that such a product is not only not useful, but harmful to health. We tried to figure out what types of sugar exist and whether it is possible to talk about the benefits of a sweet product at all.
According to the Union of Sugar Producers of Russia, 30% of sugar worldwide is produced from sugar beet, which is grown on an industrial scale in our country and Europe.
The remaining 70% comes from sugar cane - the leaders in the production of cane sugar are India, Mauritius, Thailand, as well as Brazil and Cuba. Beets and cane are the main raw materials for sugar production, but there are others. What exactly - we will tell further.
maple sugar
The natives of North America extracted juice from the local maple and prepared it very simply: they poured it into clay pots and left it overnight in the cold - this was a kind of ice cream, which the Europeans called sweet ice. True, later sugar was obtained from maple in the same way as from cane - by collecting and evaporating the juice.
From 40 liters of maple sap, only 1 liter of syrup is obtained. You can also make oil or honey from maple sap. In terms of nutrients, maple sugar, in addition to glucose, contains potassium, iron, zinc, manganese and calcium.
Palm sugar (jaggery)
It is obtained from sugar palm juice in the countries of Southeast Asia: Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines. The color of the jaggery is golden brown, the taste resembles viscous honey or caramel. Sold either in the form of tiles, or in the form of thick honey. Contains calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, as well as glucose, pectin and vitamins to strengthen the immune system.
grape sugar
Grape sugar is the second name for glucose. That is, it is, in fact, ordinary sugar, only without fructose. It is found in the juice of many fruits and berries, but it is obtained from grapes - hence the name.
Grape juice is thickened, passed through a centrifuge and special sorbents that remove impurities from it. The output is a thick, odorless clear liquid. Further, everything depends on the manufacturer: sugar is either left in liquid form, or dried to a fine white powder.
Grape sugar is less sweet than regular sugar by about a third, but the number of calories in it is the same - 387 kcal per 100 g. This is where the catch lies: out of habit, a person, not feeling sweetness, adds more grape sugar.
Speaking of other properties, raw glucose is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, energizing the body. Grape sugar is used as a sweetener for cereals, drinks, added to baby food, puree, compotes.
sorghum sugar
Produced from the juice of sugar sorghum - a plant common in India, Africa and China. True, its production is considered unprofitable, so it is practically impossible to find it in the form of sugar on store shelves.
But sorghum syrup can be found, but also not as often as other types of syrups. Sorghum sugar contains useful minerals, it does not contain proteins and fats, the content of fructose and sucrose is low.
malt sugar
The Japanese have been extracting malt sugar from barley, rice and millet for more than two millennia. The product is used for the production of beer because it improves the taste and speeds up the fermentation process. In addition, malt sugar is a natural food coloring.
beet sugar
At one time, German researcher Andreas Marggraf extracted a sweet substance from root crops, proving that beets are in no way inferior to cane in terms of sucrose levels - when fully refined, refined beet sugar can contain up to 99.9% sucrose. However, there is still a difference.
At the first stage, raw sugar is obtained from a vegetable product, but if cane sugar is already usable at this stage, then beet sugar is unpleasant in taste and must be refined. Beet sugar, in addition to the food industry, is now actively used to prepare the bases of liquid medicines (cough remedies, for example).
Cane sugar
Outwardly, this plant of the cereal family resembles bamboo. Sugar is obtained from cane juice. It can be refined and unrefined. Often it is added to hot drinks: tea, cocoa, coffee, chocolate, as well as fruit and berry juices, soda - so the taste of the drink becomes more saturated.
It is cane sugar, and unrefined, that has recently enjoyed particular popularity, since many consider it a healthier alternative to regular white sugar. Let's see if this is really so, and what types of cane sugar exist.
Types of cane sugar
To obtain refined, that is, refined sugar, cane syrup is filtered, as a result of which it turns into a white mass, which is then evaporated and dried.
But culinary specialists especially appreciate unrefined cane sugar - for a brighter taste and aroma. Such properties are explained by the presence of molasses in it - a dark brown liquid with a special smell, enveloping sugar crystals. The darker the sugar, the more molasses it contains.
Special varieties of cane sugar
Demerara- the most common variety, named after the river valley and the Demerara district (Guyana, South America), where at one time it began to be produced. It is a large golden crystals with a rich molasses aroma.
In general, demerara is a natural unrefined sugar, although it happens that it is called ordinary refined sugar with the addition of molasses. The main supplier of demerara today is the island of Mauritius.
It is processed at factories in England and Canada. Demerara can be added to hot drinks and baked goods.
Turbinado- partially refined sugar from the Hawaiian Islands. Molasses is removed from it with water or steam. Turbinado crystals are dry, crumbly, and their color can vary from golden to brown.
Muscovado- the product obtained after the first boiling of the juice. It has a strong molasses aroma, unrefined, in the form of sticky crystals that are similar in size to demerara.
There is more dark muscovado (black barbados), characterized by the highest content of molasses, which is why it has an almost black color and a moist texture and has a tart taste and aroma.
Its opposite is light muscovado- sugar in the form of small crystals of warm honey color, with the taste of toffee. Both of them are used in cooking.
What sugar to choose?
Brown sugar with molasses, like any other unprocessed product, contains more nutrients (calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc.) than refined sugar.
True, you will have to eat about two kilograms of such sugar in order to get the daily allowance, which, of course, is not recommended. So it’s still not worth talking about the benefits of unrefined sugar - it’s just less harmful than processed.
1. Choose sugar from well-known manufacturers, carefully read the labels.
2. Real brown sugar can only be unrefined. When it says "brown refined" on the package, it's most likely colored beet sugar.
3. Look for the word "unrefined" on the label. Adjectives like "gold", "dark", "brown" mean nothing.
4. The manufacturer must indicate the following data: raw materials (beet, cane, etc.), nutritional value, date of manufacture and packaging.
5. If we are talking about unrefined cane sugar, the label should indicate its variety with a description: demerara, muscovado, turbinado, etc.
Sugar consumption guidelines
And remember: sugar is not only the number of spoons added to tea or coffee. It is found in many foods, including meat and fish dishes, sweet and sour sauces, pastries, cereals, and drinks.
Healthy alternatives to sugar
Honey. Much sweeter than sugar and healthier. With regular use, it strengthens the immune system, increasing the body's resistance to viruses.
Stevia. It is also called honey grass. It is 10 times sweeter than sugar. In food, you can eat dried leaves in the form of a powder or an extract of a plant that is 200 times sweeter than sugar (!).
The real one is made in Quebec, Canada and Vermont (USA). It is obtained by evaporating the juice of red, black or sugar maple.
Agave syrup. Made from agave juice, it is often recommended to diabetics as a substitute for sugar. It contains iron and calcium.
Jerusalem artichoke syrup. Jerusalem artichoke is also called an earthen pear. Known for the fact that it does not accumulate nitrates and plays the role of not only a sugar substitute, but also an energy tonic.