Sugar Test

How sugar quality is tested
26 July 2022
Sugar has been part of the human diet for as long as we’ve
wandered the earth. Every culture, both modern and ancient has
foods that contain natural sugars and in more recent years, added
sugars are enjoyed and consumed across a wide variety of dishes.
Australia is in the top ten producers of sugarcane in the world and
the quality of the sugar we grow, mill and refine is some of the
highest in the world. We adhere to the CODEX and the ANZ Food
Standards Code to produce high quality and safe food, but what is
the process to test the sugar we produce for quality?
What are the technical parameters for

establishing sugar quality?
Like any other product, sugar has a range of quality assurance and
technical processes it must undertake during the refining process to
ensure consistency of quality. The CODEX Alimentarius standard for
sugars and the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Code
provide the food regulations, to which all sugar producers must
legally adhere.
Certain industries and manufacturers that use sugar also have
different quality indicators they want or need for the specific product
they are making. For example, a food or beverage manufacturer
may use manufacturer’s sugar, a product that has a broad crystal
size spectrum and contains both fine sugar and larger crystals. The
variation in size may not affect the final product's overall quality
whereas a baker or confectionery producer using extra coarse sugar
as a decorative agent may require a higher consistency of crystal
size.
Let’s explore some of the more technical quality indicators used for
the different types of sugars that are available. Some of these
quality indicators will be set during the milling process, whilst others
will be tested in the final product.
Polarisation also known as (pol)

Pol is the measurable percentage of sucrose in raw sugar and are a
major component in setting benchmarks for exportability of raw
sugar. Pol level is managed at the mill during the refining process
and is primarily influenced by the quantity of molasses that remains
on the surface of the raw sugar crystals during the centrifugal
process called Affination.
Note: if you would like to know more about the sugar refining
process and Affination, read our article Refining sugar cane.
Refining sugar to reach a certain pol can be a complex process with
many variables influencing the overall quality of the sugar that’s
produced. Pol is measured by preparing a standard sugar solution
and measuring the optical rotation of polarised light passing
through. This can be impacted by ash, dextran and starch, which are
impurities from the refining process. Also, by dextran and other
particles present in small amounts that can modify the crystal
shape. Sugar of 98 degrees pol contains about 98% sucrose.
Colour
Colour of the sugar is vitally important for food manufacturers as it
can affects the look of their overall end product that uses sugar.
Several processes result in different colours of both raw sugars and
refined sugars.
Cane that is harvested green for example, will typically have a lower
colour than cane sugar that is burnt before harvesting. Heat
produced by flames close to the outside of the stalk impacts on juice
contained within the plant, changing the colour during the milling
and refining process.
Mill equipment, nitrogen rich fertilisers and levels of polymers,
flavonoids and phenolic acids all change the colour of sugars
produced for export or the table. Millers will use a range of quality
testing methods to minimise colour formation including the process
of decolourisation where liquid sugar is passed over bone char,
granular carbon or ion exchange resin which absorbs any remaining
colour.
Moisture
The moisture levels in sugar will influence how raw sugars can be
handled. Sugar with a high moisture content is difficult to handle
and may impact the machinery and equipment used to transport
sugar or used in the food manufacturing process. Sugar that is too
wet can start to deteriorate to the point where it is unsuitable for
use by food manufacturers.
At the other end of the spectrum, sugar that is too dry can create a
dust hazard when being handled or transported. As sugar dust is
flammable under certain temperature and humidity conditions along
with the introduction of an ignition source, levels of moisture is one
of the most important quality factors when establishing safe work
practices for the transportation, handling and storage of sugar.
Management of these risks is very high priority for the sugar
industry, both for quality and for health and safety reasons.
Ash
When people think of ash (as it relates to sugar), often they think of
cane fields burning and the ash from this process making it into the
refining process, however, in the case of quality analysis, ash is the
measure of the total amount or minerals (or inorganic residue)
present in sugar once water and organic matter has been removed.
Minerals that are tested for that impact the quality of sugar include
chlorides, phosphates, sulphates, potassium, aluminium,
magnesium along with traces of clay and sand. Too much ash will
increase the solubility of sucrose in water which in turn reduces the
quantity of pure sugar that can be produced at the mill or in a
refinery.
Filterability
Filterability is a measurable rate at which a raw sugar solution can
flow through a filter that often replicates a carbonation-based
refinery environment. This type of quality test helps to determine
the throughput rate at which sugar can flow through a refinery.
Filterability testing can help determine if insoluble impurities are
present in the sugar solution which impacts on thermal efficiency
throughout the clarification process and can lead to increased costs
for refineries.
Fine Grain
Fine grain refers to the size of sugar crystals when compared to
optimal screening sizes. A large variation in sugar crystal size can
lead to poor separation during the affination process which causes
an excess of impurities to be retained by the molasses layer on the
outside of the sugar crystal. This inevitably leads to an increase in
production cost for refineries as they will need to deal with these
impurities.
Note: if you would like to know more about Affination, read our
article Refining sugar cane.
Dextran
Dextran is a naturally occurring polysaccharide that is produced by
bacteria that can infect sugar cane stalks when cut or damaged.
Higher levels of dextran can increase sugar solution viscosity which
in turn affects centrifugal separation and the shape of crystals
during refining. To alleviate this refineries need to conduct longer
fugal cycles and increase wash water usage which negatively affects
throughput and overall sugar yield.
As you can see there are several different areas of tight quality
control and rigorous testing when inspecting the quality of sugar.
Australian sugar producers have some of the most thorough testing
methods in the world implemented at all three levels of sugar
production (growing, milling and refining). These stringent testing
requirements ensure we meet the legal and food standards
requirements but also ensure Australia consistently produces some
of the highest quality sugar in the world.
References
https://elibrary.sugarresearch.com.au/bitstream/handle/
11079/15541/Chapter%2018%20Sugar%20Quality%20and%20What
%20Affects%20it.pdf?sequence=38&isAllowed=y
https://www.isosugar.org/sugarsector/sugar
https://www.sugaraustralia.com.au/sugar-australia/products/
industrial-products/liquid-sugars/
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How sugar quality is tested

What are the technical parameters for

Polarisation also known as (pol)

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