Brazilian Cane Sugar
Cane sugar is sugar which is made by extracting the sucrose rich juice from sugar cane and processing it into raw or 
refined sugars. Sugar cane is often the most popular type of sugar source especially in countries which have warm tropical or sub tropical climates, such as in the case of sugar producing giants Brazil and India, for example. Sugar cane also grows well in Australia, and the southern states of mainland USA. In Brazil, all sugar is produced from cane sugar, as Brazil has both the soil type, flat terrain, and nurturing climate to grow vast amounts of high sucrose sugar cane. In 2008 alone, Brazil is expected to produce over 35 million tons of raw cane sugar, much of which will be sold and refined into ICUMSA 45 sugar.
Growing Sugar Cane
Growing sugar cane involves a process of first preparing the field, which is normally left fallow and bare for a few weeks to allow the soil to regenerate from the last planting.
Sugar cane then is planted by cutting up pieces of young mature sugar cane into small lengths called ’setts’. These setts are then placed in farrows in the ground and covered with fertilizer and soil. In commercial operations there is a machine which has been automated to carry out all these tasks in one go. Sugar cane does not require large amounts of fertilizer, or indeed pest control as it is a naturally hardy species. This adds to its ease of growth considerably. However it does require large amounts of water to flourish, so it is essential that the fields are well irrigated.
Sugar cane sprouts take at least three weeks to appear after planting, and subsequently grow for around twelve to sixteen months, through until the winter months when it is harvested by cutting the cane down low to the ground and then dealing with the remaining waste cane by either burning it or ploughing it under the soil. Very little sugar is lost here because the lowest part of the sugar cane contains the least sugar.
Cane Sugar Processing
Cane sugar is processed by stripping the cane of its sharp leaves and cutting it into lengths. This is also generally a task carried out by machine. The lengths are taken to the sugar mill where they may be further chopped up and shredded in preparation for their journey through the mills. The cane is milled and crushed, leaving sucrose rich juice which will be refined into sugar, and bagasse, which is the fibrous material left over from the sugar cane. Bagasse is now considered to be a worthy product in its own right and is finding applications as a fuel source, amongst other things.
The raw sugar juice is carried away for processing. At this stage it contains quite a lot of contaminants, and is a brown color. Processing methods vary from mill to mill, but generally speaking will follow the outline listed here.
The sugar juice is boiled, or sometimes simply left in evaporation tanks. Once most of the liquid has been removed, dark brown raw sugar is left behind. This sugar is heavily contaminated, and must undergo further processing to make it suitable for human consumption.
In the first stage of refining, called ‘affination’, raw sugar is mixed with a high syrup juice to protect the sugar crystals. The mixture of sugar juice and raw sugar is known as ‘magma’. The magma is sent into a centrifugal chamber and spun at high speed to remove the liquid and separate out the sugar crystals. The result of this stage of processing is a batch of lighter brown sugar crystals. After the centrifuging, the crystals are then washed and dissolved in water, ready to move on to the next stage.
If a refinery is working with VHP raw sugar, which has already undergone some processing, it will often skip the affination stage and proceed directly to carbonization.
The next stage is to remove the impurities that cannot be seen – the colorants and other chemical compounds that are lurking in the sugar solution. In order to purify the sugar solution, milk of lime is often added to it. This forms small chalk deposits as it travels through the sugar solution. Chalk (calcium carbonate) is used because as it forms in the liquid, it also draws to it many impurities and locks them away from the sugar. Eventually the chalk deposits sediment at the bottom of the sugar tank, along with the impurities from the sugar, and what remains is pure sucrose in liquid solution. Occasionally phosphorous may be used instead of milk of lime to achieve the same result.
This solution is then taken away and boiled to reduce the water content and to encourage the growth of sugar crystals. The sugar crystal growing process may be further aided by the addition of sugar dust to the sucrose rich solution. When the crystals have formed, they are once more centrifuged to drive off any excess water. The remaining product is white refined sugar.
Cane Sugar ICUMSA Ratings
ICUMSA ratings are ratings set out by the International Commission For Uniform Methods Of Sugar Analysis. These ratings give numerical values to sugar that reflects its level of purity. For example, highly refined sparkling white sugar is known as ICUMSA 45, whereas brown raw cane sugar may be ICUMSA 1500 or more. It is not unknown for some raw sugars to reach over ICUMSA 3000. The lowest ICUMSA rating which is regarded as being safe for human consumption is ICUMSA 800.
Cane sugar is ICUMSA tested according to a type of colormetric analysis. For these tests an instrument called a colorimeter is used. This instrument is specially designed to be able to give precise numerical feedback on the exact color qualities of a sugar sample. Testing is always carried out by an independent professional, and when purchasing sugar, it is the seller’s responsibility to arrange for this testing to be carried out at the port of departure.
Is Cane Sugar Better Than Beet Sugar?
Sugar generally comes from two sources, sugar beet or sugar cane. Aside from the fact that sugar cane is easier to grow in tropical and subtropical climates, whereas sugar beets are the source of sugar for countries with less clement climates, such as Russia, there is really no difference in the end product. ICUMSA 45 Cane Sugar is of the same standard and quality as ICUMSA 45 Beet Sugar. There are some minor chemical differences between the two, but in order to determine which is which after refining has taken place, one would need a laboratory and a scientist to make the distinction. For all practical intents and purposes, they are the same thing.
Cane Sugar Export Price
We export Cane Sugar directly from Brazil. We work with five Brazilian sugar manufacturers and can thus always offer the best price and vast quantities. Please contact us with your specific requirements and we will get back to you with current sugar availability and price quotation.