How to learn to distinguish real cane sugar from fake? It's very simple - you just need to know a few key points. Which ones? FeelGood will tell you!

Test it directly in a drink

It seems to many that sugar in any form has absolutely the same taste. In fact, one of the main differences between cane sugar and beet sugar is that it manifests itself completely differently in drinks and dishes. That is why real cane sugar can be distinguished by taste and smell. White beet sugar has virtually no odor and only one taste. As for brown - cane - sugar, it has a lot of nuances, including a characteristic taste and aroma.

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Add a little cane sugar to a cup of coffee or tea, stir it and taste the drink - real cane sugar will highlight the taste of the drink without distorting it, and will add an exquisite piquant note to tea or coffee.

Carefully read the description on the packaging

Still, the main source of information for a buyer who does not have a laboratory nearby for analysis is, first of all, packaging. Carefully study all notes and inscriptions on the label. Very important factor is a cane sugar producing country. Authentic and, more importantly, high-quality cane sugar comes to us mainly from the islands of Mauritius, Argentina, Colombia, Malawi, Brazil, Paraguay, and South Africa.

Also pay attention to the calorie content of the product - cane sugar is more dietary than regular sugar (about 375 kcal per 100 g).

We advise you to give preference to trusted sugar producers, such as TM “Sladov” unrefined cane sugar.

The products of TM “Sladov” are noticeably different from their average market analogues. Firstly, this is, of course, a wide range of goods, which cannot but please. Secondly, only selected varieties of sugar beets and sugar cane are used for TM “Sladov” sugar, and the design of the product pleases with ergonomic packaging.

Moreover, it was at the sugar production of TM “Sladov” that the Food Safety Management System was developed, implemented and certified according to the Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000) scheme. This is an audit and certification scheme for food safety management systems in the food supply chain, based on ISO standards and recognized internationally.

An effective food safety management system, which operates at the sugar production of TM “Sladov”, guarantees the quality and safety of the food products produced.

TM "Sladov" takes care of your health, offering only high-quality products that have all supporting documents.

Myths about how to recognize real sugar

There are two most common myths about how to test the authenticity of cane sugar: using iodine and using warm water.

According to the first belief, you need to drop iodine into sugar syrup, and if the sugar acquires a bluish tint, then it means it is real. Accordingly, if there is no reaction, this is a fake.

This myth arose due to the fact that saccharides (in particular, starch/bread) interact with iodine, turning bluish (and previously, using a similar experiment, the presence of bread in cutlets was determined). However, this only applies to polysaccharides like starch (the main component of bread).

Cane sugar is predominantly a monosaccharide, which by its nature does not behave this way when in contact with iodine. Simply put, sugar - real or not - will not turn blue in any case.

Jiri Hera_shutterstock

The second myth, which involves the use of warm water, is due to the fact that sometimes beet sugar is simply colored with caramel, passing it off as cane sugar. Caramel in water tends to wash off and turn the liquid brown. At first glance, everything seems simple: if the water changes color, then the sugar is not real.

However, in fact, cane sugar can also color water. The fact is that it is produced by crystallizing molasses obtained from sugar cane juice. To start the growth of crystals, small slices of sucrose are added to the molasses. They have a dense crystalline structure, and therefore most of the cane molasses cannot be fixed inside the crystal, but only in its microcracks, the vast majority of which are on the outer part of the crystal. When dissolved in warm water, unrefined cane sugar crystals lose their molasses and become discolored, and the solution, accordingly, becomes colored. From which we summarize that it is simply impossible to verify the authenticity of sugar using warm water.

FeelGood wishes you to always be vigilant and consume only the highest quality products!

A few years ago, cane sugar served with tea or coffee was considered truly exotic, which could only be appreciated by visitors to expensive coffee shops and restaurants. Then the beautiful, brown lumps appeared on the shelves of many grocery stores. The people, believing nutritionists on screens broadcasting about the dangers of ordinary refined sugar and the benefits of unrefined sugar, introduced it into their regular diet.

Indeed, brown (unrefined, unrefined) sugar, which is essentially condensed and evaporated sugar cane juice, has a bright aroma, unique taste and unusual color. It contains a number of useful microelements - calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc. The darker the cane sugar, the more residual molasses (cane molasses) it contains, and therefore valuable nutrients.

Name one useful product the tongue does not turn with sweet poison. Therefore, brown sugar has become a constant companion in the diet of people who care about their health. Such popularity of unrefined sugar, the price of which is several times higher than the cost of white sugar, may benefit unscrupulous manufacturers. After all, regular refined sugar, tinted brown, can be passed off as natural unrefined cane sugar.

Consumers are increasingly questioning the authenticity of brown sugar, claiming that sugar is being counterfeited on a massive scale. Buying a real cane product is almost impossible even in expensive supermarkets.

To find out how things really are, experts consumer magazine Kachestvo.RU purchased five samples of cane sugar and sent them to the laboratory for testing. There, chromatographic analysis of the dye and assessment of the organoleptic characteristics of the samples were carried out. As a result, experts confirmed consumers’ guesses. The packages contained regular refined sugar coated with a film of cane molasses.

Experts did not determine what this refined sugar is made from - cane or beets. By and large, this doesn't matter. Refined cane and beet sugar differ little from each other. They contain one solid sucrose - an easily digestible carbohydrate. True, there is a slight difference in its level. Cane sugar contains slightly less sucrose. This is why many people notice that cane sugar is not as sweet. Both contain virtually no useful microelements.

That is, only a thin film of molasses is responsible for the promised microelements and dietary properties in these samples. But even on this, as they say, thank you. After all, there was an assumption that manufacturers even replace molasses with a regular caramel (sugar) color, reducing the value of the product to zero.

Expert opinion:
The quality of three samples does not correspond to the information on the label: “MISTRAL”, Brown&White “Golden Demerara”, BILLINGTON’S “Natural Demerara”. The samples do not correspond to the declared category of “unrefined cane sugar”, but are white crystalline sugar with the addition of cane molasses (molasses). The same can be said about the other two samples: “MILFORD” and “DANSUKKER” from the Nordic Suggar company. True, there the manufacturers delicately wrote “brown” and “dark” cane sugar, which in its essence is also unrefined.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to hold people accountable for such tricks with sugar in Russia. There are no special regulations that would prohibit the passing off of refined sugar coated in a molasses shell as cane sugar. The technical regulations for sugar have not been adopted and are under consideration in the form of a draft. And in the end, that document will probably leave a loophole for manufacturers, without defining clear terms and definitions that can be used to identify products.

Why, when producing dark sugar, go to such complex technological tricks, subjecting the sugar to several treatments (first purified and refined, and then added molasses), it’s actually not difficult to guess. Another thing is not clear: how long will the driving by the nose of consumers, confident that they buy natural unrefined sugar for crazy money, continue? After all, in the end they get a hand-cooked analogue. Benefit ( nutritional value) which, due to the content of cane molasses, can be negated by by-products of the processing of refined sugar, from which it is made.

Interesting Facts
Sugar cane, brought by the Arabs from India, began to be cultivated in the Middle East already in the 3rd century BC, and, most likely, it was the Persians who, by repeatedly digesting the raw material, were the first to produce a kind of refined sugar. The Arabs, who captured the Persian state of the Sassanids, quickly became addicted to sweets and in their campaigns of conquest in the 7th-8th centuries. brought sugar to the Mediterranean countries.
The enterprising Spaniards and Portuguese, who became acquainted with this sweet plant, eventually founded its plantations in the Canaries, Madeira and Cape Verde.
In the 15th century, sugar cane made its main journey to the New World, and cane sugar plantations were created in America.
In Russia, “our own” cane sugar appeared in 1719, when, by order of Peter the Great, merchant Pavel Vestov built the first sugar factory in St. Petersburg.

Cane sugar is sold in refined, unrefined and unrefined forms (and this is its difference from beet sugar, which is edible only in refined form).

About twenty years ago, a group of Western nutritionists declared that it is better to prefer brown cane sugar, which has undergone minimal industrial processing, to classic refined white sugar. Such an unrefined product brings certain benefits to the human body, since thanks to molasses it contains a whole range of useful microelements.

The main types of cane sugar that can be found on our shelves today:

Demerara sugar- named after the district of Demerara in British Guiana, where it originally came from. The crystals are relatively hard, large, sticky, and golden brown in color. The main supplier of Demerara sugar is the island of Mauritius, and it is refined at enterprises in England and Canada and is very common in these countries as a coffee sweetener.

Muscovado sugar- cane sugar with a strong odor of molasses, unrefined, crystallized immediately after the first boiling of the juice. The crystals are larger than regular brown sugar, but not as large as Demerara, and are very sticky and flavorful. Dark muscovado sugar is dark brown in color. Its rich color, thanks to its high molasses content, can add zest to any culinary experiment.

Turbinado sugar- partially refined raw sugar, from the surface of which a significant part of the molasses has been removed by steam or water. The color of its dry and free-flowing large crystals ranges from light golden to brown. In principle, this is the same as washed raw sugar, and the word turbinado itself means “processed by a turbine,” that is, in a centrifuge. One of the world's famous turbinado brands, Sugar In The Raw, is produced in Hawaii.

Black Barbados sugar- soft, thin, moist raw cane sugar. Very dark color and bright taste and aroma, thanks to the high molasses content.

It is believed that good, that is, real brown cane sugar is produced in Brazil, Guatemala, the USA, Costa Rica, Cuba, and also on the island of Mauritius.

“The darker the cane sugar, the more natural it is.” “The fake is always lighter.” Is it really? How can you tell the difference between real and fake brown sugar? And what does "real" and "fake" mean? Let's figure it out together with Novaprodukt technologist Alexander Ivanov.

Fake brown sugar is white, refined sugar colored with molasses, the molasses that remains when sugar cane juice is boiled down. Molasses itself is not harmful or dangerous; it contains a number of useful trace elements, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. All this is also found in unrefined brown cane sugar. During the refining process, raw sugar is cleared of impurities, but along with them, the raw material also leaves useful material. When we buy brown sugar at the store, we hope to get all the benefits of the nutrients it contains. What's wrong with molasses? In this case - by deception. The buyer pays much more for the same inexpensive and devoid of useful components refined sugar.

It is difficult even for a professional to distinguish real brown sugar from a fake; only the smell of caramel helps. We ourselves go to the production facilities with which we want to establish cooperation, and personally see how, from what and under what conditions sugar is packaged or produced. A buyer in a store should pay attention to the packaging: it should say “unrefined cane sugar” - without any additions; Respectable manufacturers also indicate the country of origin of sugar on the packaging. Sugar can be either dark brown or light brown, so color, unfortunately, is not an indicator of the authenticity of cane sugar. The color depends on the molasses content in the sugar: the more molasses, the darker the sugar. In addition, the color of sugar depends on the region where the sugar cane is grown - this is about the same as with oranges.

There are four main types of cane sugar: demerara - has a golden-brown color, which is what can most often be found in Russian stores; muscovado, also known as Barbados, has a very dark color and a strong caramel aroma; soft molasses sugar - has a slightly moist appearance and a very dark color; Turbinado, also known as raw sugar, is lighter in color because it is partially separated from the molasses using water and steam, but is not refined.

In Russia, sugar is produced from sugar beets; after refining the raw sugar, we get the white sugar we are used to. Unrefined beet sugar has an unpleasant taste and smell. Brown sugar (we are not talking about fake sugar here) is made from sugar cane and is not refined, as it initially has a very pleasant vanilla-caramel taste and smell. In our country, it is more profitable and cost-effective to produce beet sugar, since sugar cane does not grow on our territory, hence the higher price of cane sugar on the shelf.

illustration: Olya Volk

Irina Kamshilina

Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than cooking for yourself))

Content

As an alternative to the usual white refined sugar from beets, other options are increasingly being offered: unrefined, caramel, cane product. Nutritionists continue to insist on the dangers of “sweet poison,” and the food industry quickly switches to advertising various analogues aimed at replacing regular refined sugar.

Cane sugar and regular sugar - what's the difference?

Sucrose is a carbohydrate, an essential nutrient that serves as a source of energy, so necessary for brain activity. White color and a product obtained not only from beets, but also from cane plants. The brown color is due to the purification process without the recrystallization method (refining of raw materials) used in the processing of sugar beets. This is the first difference between cane sugar and regular beet sugar, but, in essence, they are the same.

What is brown sugar? During the technological purification of sucrose from cane plants, molasses is released - black molasses. The result is the same granulated sugar, but with a slightly lower calorie content and a different composition of microelements. The body does not feel any special differences from the consumed sugar product, whether it is white or brown. The suggestion that molasses contains more vitamins and minerals than molasses is still being studied.

Real cane sugar

To produce this type of food sucrose, the noble sugar cane plant (Saccharum officinarum or Saccharum spontaneum) is cultivated. Real cane sugar on our shelves should be exclusively imported: the region where cane grows is Australia, India, Brazil, Cuba. Product packaging must contain information about the place where the plant grows and packaging. The color of sugar varies from light to dark brown and depends on the region of cultivation and the concentration of molasses: the more molasses, the darker the shade.

Main types of brown sugar product:

• muscovado;
• turbinado;
• Demerara.

Muscovado sugar

Muscovado sugar (it can also be called Barbados sugar) is obtained by first boiling the juice; it contains 10% molasses. Muscovado crystals are dark, sticky to the touch, and have a strong caramel scent. When they are added, the baked goods acquire a special honey color, the aroma of molasses and do not go stale for a long time. Muscovado is also suitable for adding to coffee.

Sugar Turbinado

Turbinado sugar is partially refined, processed with water steam (turbine), which is why it got its name. This is a high-quality bioproduct: no chemical elements are used for its production. Turbinado sugar crystals are dry, crumbly, golden to brown in color, depending on the processing time, and are used to sweeten tea and coffee drinks, cocktails, and for preparing salads and sauces.

Demerara Cane Sugar

This type is more often found in stores, made by the Mistral company from raw materials from the tropical island of Mauritius. These are brown-golden solid large crystals. Demerara cane sugar is ideal for tea, coffee, and cocktails. It caramelizes perfectly, revealing a rich taste and pleasant aroma in the process. This type of cane sugar does not dissolve well in dough, but will look great as a sprinkle on baked goods.

Cane sugar - calories

“Sweet poison” consists of 88% sucrose. The calorie content of cane sugar and refined sugar is not fundamentally different: 377 kcal versus 387 kcal per 100 g. This calorie content is 18% of the daily intake based on the use of 2000 kcal/day. Energy value in the proportions of BJU: 0% proteins / 0% fats / 103% carbohydrates, that is, it contains a lot of carbohydrates and calories - it will not help you lose weight!

Cane sugar - benefits

You can get a lot of healthy elements from sucrose. What is the difference between brown sugar and regular white sugar? First of all, the benefits of cane sugar are due to the presence of B vitamins necessary for metabolic processes. In the West, it is used by vegetarians to compensate for iron deficiency: it contains a lot of magnesium and iron, while refined sugar contains no magnesium at all, and several times less iron. The unprocessed sugar product retains the beneficial elements of molasses: sodium, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and is useful:

• for those who are recommended to have a “sweet diet” for liver problems;
• to regulate pressure;
• to normalize fat metabolism;
• to accelerate protein metabolism;
• to remove toxins from the body;
• For nervous system;
• for diabetics: there is no particular difference in using it instead of refined sugar for diabetes; you need to monitor the dose and kilocalories.

How to check cane sugar for authenticity

The characteristic brown color, which can range from dark brown to golden, does not guarantee authenticity. The shade depends on the concentration of molasses and the location of the plant. But molasses itself is used as a dye for refined products, so it is important to be able to distinguish a fake so as not to buy refined beetroot colored with caramel. You can check cane sugar for authenticity like this.