Sugar

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Swiss sugar – a wonder of nature

Swiss sugar is manufactured from sugar beets. Around a quarter of sugar worldwide originates from beets; three-quarters comes from tropical sugarcane plants. The two sugar mills in Aarberg and Frauenfeld process Swiss beets. The sugar content of a beet fluctuates between 15% and 20%, depending on weather conditions. It takes around eight sugar beets to manufacture one kilogram of sugar.

In the sugar mill, the beets first get washed, sliced and immersed in hot water. The soaking produces a raw juice, which is once more cleansed of impurities. Water is then removed from the raw juice, which yields a thick juice and ultimately the sugar crystals. Centrifuges separate the crystals from the residual syrup, resulting in the familiar sugar we commonly use.

Sugar types: Brown sugar is not the same as cane sugar

Unrefined brown sugar is often confused with cane sugar. Brown sugar, though, can originate from both sugar cane and sugar beets. Unlike white sugar, brown sugar undergoes less refinement, allowing it to retain some of its syrup content, which gives it its typical color. Swiss sugar mills also manufacture brown sugar.

Image: Jonas Ingold

Byproducts of sugar production

Sugar manufacturing generates additional byproducts. Sugar mills use the soil stuck to beets to produce potting soil. Beet cossettes and molasses can be used as livestock feed. Moreover, farmers utilize the lime used to purify the thick juice as fertilizer.

A rich cultural history

Sweet seduction has a long history. The oldest finds reveal that people were already cultivating sugar cane in Melanesia and Polynesia in 8000 BC. From here, sugar went on to conquer the world. In late antiquity, sugar was a luxury good in Rome that came from Asia. Even from the 16th century onwards when sugar was cultivated worldwide, it remained reserved for the rich. To sweeten their food, the normal population would at most use honey.

The fact that beet contains sugar was discovered by a German chemist in 1747. Growers succeeded in increasing the sugar content to a level that saw the creation of the sugar beet of today. Over the course of time and thanks to improvements in cultivation techniques, sugar has become affordable for everyone.

Why is there sugar in so many foods?

Whether in sweets, ketchup or iced tea. Sugar is a constant – and sometimes criticised – companion. It is an outstanding flavour carrier, which makes it a popular ingredient in many foods. Sugar also has a preservative effect.

Various alternatives

There are various alternatives to sugar, including honey, maple syrup, agave syrup and stevia. Stevia, in particular, was predicted to have a great future a few years ago. However, due to its slightly bitter taste, among other things, it has as yet failed to become widely accepted within the food industry.

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