ICUMSA Ratings For Very Raw Sugar

ICUMSA ratings are internationally accepted ratings used to describe the purity of sugar. Regulated by the International Commission For Uniform Methods Of Sugar Analysis, ICUMSA ratings offer a standardized system by which sugars can be classified. These ratings are standardized across the globe, so that buyers and sellers seeking to trade sugar have an easy reference system which makes sense and is accurate no matter where the buyer or seller may hail from.

ICUMSA ratings are colormetric values, determined by analysis with a device called a colorimeter. In order to determine the ICUMSA rating of a sugar, a sample of the sugar is inserted into the colorimeter, and various wavelengths of light are fired at it. A colorimeter works by detecting the amount of light absorbed by a material, and generating a reading based on that.

ICUMSA ratings are an effective means of measuring the quality of sugar because the level of purity of sugar is directly proportional to its color. For example, highly refined sugar is a sparkling white color. This type of sugar absorbs very little light, instead it reflects back most of the light fired at it, resulting in a low rating of ICUMSA 45. Very raw sugar, on the other hand, is full of contaminants and colorants, and is generally a very dark color, which is why it can return readings of anywhere between ICUMSA 1600 to ICUMSA 4600.

Extracting Very Raw Sugar

Very raw sugar can be extracted from sugar cane or sugar beet. The most plentiful sugar source, and therefore the most common, is sugar cane, which is grown extensively in Brazil, India, Thailand, and Australia. Sugar cane is a crop that requires a nice topical or sub tropical climate to grow well, and these countries all boast such climates. Once planted,sugar cane takes around twelve to eighteen months to mature enough to be harvested. It is when harvesting begins that the process of sugar extraction also starts, because the way that cane is harvested, and how quickly it is processed after harvesting are both significant factors in the quality and quantity of the resulting sugar. It is important that cane be harvested low to the ground in order that the maximum amount of sucrose can be extracted from it, and also that harvested cane be processed within two days at the longest if sucrose content within the cane is not to be lost.

Sugar cane is usually harvested by hand. In some cases the leaves may have been burned off prior to harvesting, and in other cases they must be removed at the mill before the cane is processed. Once the cane has been harvested, it is taken to the sugar mill, where it is washed to remove any dirt, before being chopped up and shredded thoroughly.

The chopped and shredded cane is fed through rollers and mills, and is crushed heavily. The crushing causes the sugar juice inside the cane to leak out, and this juice is collected for processing into raw sugar.

Sugar from sugar beets is collected in an entirely different fashion. Sugar beets grow underground, so when harvested they have a great deal of dirt clinging to them. This dirt must be thoroughly washed away, and the top leaves removed before any sugar extracting processes can begin. Unlike sugar cane, sugar beets are not suitable for crushing, so instead the washed beets are sliced very finely to maximize their surface area. Maximizing surface area makes the sugar extraction process much more efficient.

Once the beets are sliced, they are then put in a hot water diffuser, a device which forces hot water around the sugar beets. The hot water flows over them and breaks down the sugar, dissolving it into the liquid. The bulk of the sugar content of the beet is extracted this way, but before the beets are discarded for processing into animal feed, they are normally pressed and squeezed in order to remove the last of the juice.

Processing Very Raw Sugar

Very raw sugar undergoes very little processing, however some steps do need to be taken in order to turn raw sugar juice into very raw sugar. The actual procedures can vary greatly from mill to mill, but generally speaking, the juice will first be steam evaporated, and sometimes slaked lime is added to the mixture to remove excess contaminants. This step is not always taken however. Once the juice has been steam evaporated, it is then boiled to concentrate the sugar in the mix. The boiled juice is then allowed to cool, and as it does, it slowly crystallizes into very raw sugar.

Very raw sugar is a dark brown color, has a high moisture content and is quite sticky. This sugar is not recommended for human consumption, as it quite often contains bacteria and contaminants which give it an unpleasant taste. In some areas of the world, this sugar is consumed however, and it does have one advantage over refined sugar, that being the fact that it has not been separated from the liquid molasses, and therefore contains significant amounts of magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron.

Buying Very Raw Sugar

We export Very Raw Sugar directly from Brazilian sugar mills. Very raw sugar is traded on the global sugar market quite extensively. Be aware that a great deal of sugar, especially Brazilian cane sugar, which dominates global sugar exports, is often sold ahead of time, sometimes even years ahead of time. Unsold surpluses are often available however, and 2008 is an excellent year for purchasing surplus sugar, as the global surplus looks set to be in excess of ten million tons.

Please contact us and let us know your detailed requirements. We will get back to you with a price quotation shortly

VHP Sugar

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Raw sugar is the product from which refined sugars are made. It is also consumed in some parts of the world as a foodstuff in its own right. The bulk of the world’s sugar exports are made up of raw sugar, the most notable exporter of raw sugar being Brazil, which exports VHP raw sugar in massive amounts, often exceeding twenty million tons, every year.

Extracting Raw Sugar

Raw sugar is extracted from sugar cane or sugar beet. Sugar cane is the primary source of raw sugar, as it is the most commonly grown sugar source in the world. Sugar cane grows well in tropical and subtropical climates, such as those in Brazil, India, and Thailand. Brazil and India are the world’s top two sugar producing nations in the world, and Thailand is the world’s second largest sugar exporting nation. Sugar beet is grown as a sugar source in countries which have less clement weather, such as Russia, which refines all its domestic sugar from sugar beet.

The ways in which sugar is extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet are quite different. Sugar cane is harvested in the field, then taken to the mill, where the leaves are stripped (if they have not already been burned off before harvesting), and the cane is washed. The cane is then shredded and chopped before being fed through mills which crush it, squeezing the sucrose rich juice out of the cells of the cane.

The sugar cane juice is then fed into a tank, where excess pieces of cane which slipped through with the juice are skimmed off the top of the juice. What happens next depends on whether or not the sugar is to be processed into VHP sugar (very high pol sugar), or if it is simply to be raw sugar. Some mills simply boil the juice to concentrate the sugar, then allow it to cool. The sucrose in the sugar crystallizes, along with glucose, fructose, minerals, and a fair amount of biological contaminants, and is then sold to refineries which refine it further.

Sugar beets are harvested from the fields, washed, and then sliced very thinly. Unlike sugar cane, they are not crushed, but are fed into a machine called a hot water diffuser. The hot water diffuser streams hot water past the slices of sugar beet, dissolving the sucrose in the beet flesh, and carrying it away for processing.

Extracting sugar crystals from sugar beet is done in the same way as with sugar cane, the juice is boiled and allowed to crystallize into raw brown sugar.

VHP Raw Sugar

VHP raw sugar is processed more than normal raw sugar. As with normal raw sugar, the raw sugar juice is boiled and allowed to crystallize, but it is then sent into a centrifugal chamber, which drives off the liquid content, or molasses, and leaves light brown sugar crystals behind. These sugar crystals have far less contamination in them than normal raw sugar, and overall the sugar produced by this process has a nice high sucrose content. VHP sugar is defined as being sugar with sucrose content of 99.4 % or more.

The molasses from this first cycle of processing is called first molasses, and it retains a relatively high sucrose content. This first molasses can be sold as is, or in many cases it will be processed once more, producing more sugar, known as ‘B’ sugar, and second molasses, which is much more bitter in flavor due to the reduced sugar content.

The process is repeated one more time, yielding ‘C’ sugar, and final, or ‘blackstrap’ molasses. Blackstrap molasses is popular amongst health food aficionados, vegetarians, and pregnant women, as it contains concentrated amounts of iron, not to mention magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

The ‘B’ and ‘C’ sugar is then dissolved into solution and processed one more time in order to produce more VHP sugar.

VHP sugar was invented in 1993 by Brazilian sugar scientists, and is now the most popular raw sugar export in the world. This is because buyers get more sugar per shipment when they purchase VHP, due to the fact that it has such a high sucrose content. It is also easier and quicker to refine than other sugars, and the bulk of ICUMSA 45 refined sparkling white sugar is made from VHP raw sugar for this reason.

Consumable Raw Sugar

Most raw sugar is not consumable, however there are certain types of raw sugars which are consumed in various regions throughout the world, and sometimes even in developed countries. The raw consumable sugars which are approved for sale in developed countries are purified before being sold to the consumer, so they are safe to eat even though they have not been refined.

Three of the most popular forms of consumable raw sugar in the developed world are Demerara sugar, Muscovado sugar, and Turbinado sugar. These are all unique sugars which differing tastes, textures, and applications.

Demerara sugar is a sugar hailing from Guyana. It has lovely large golden crystals and a toffee like taste that has made it exceedingly popular for use in hot drinks such as tea and coffee. Demerara sugar is produced from the freshly crushed juice of sugar cane, and is not separated from the molasses, which is what causes it to be full of flavor, not to mention healthy minerals.

Muscovado sugar is a very dark brown crumbly sugar with a high moisture content. Muscovado sugar is a product of Barbados, and is hugely popular in baking for both the rich flavor it imparts, and the extra moistness it brings to baked goods. Muscovado sugar is produced by baking cane juice, then purifying it with coconut milk or lime juice.

Turbinado sugar is a large grain raw sugar similar to Demerara sugar, but with a darker color and higher moisture content. Turbinado sugar is also a very popular condiment in coffee and tea because of its unique flavor and aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Other types of raw sugars include traditional raw sugars, such as Jaggery, or Gur as it is known in India. Jaggery is probably the most popular traditional raw sugar, and is often sold in Indian specialty stores. Jaggery is pressed boiled sugar cane juice, and comes in the form of distinct looking conical blocks. The actual texture and color of Jaggery can vary greatly from supplier to supplier, as Jaggery is not normally made on a commercial basis, and so does not conform to any set standards. Jaggery is said to be good for complaints of the throat and lungs, and is often used in Indian villages as both a foodstuff, a good luck charm, and a cure all for coughs, sore throats, and even some diseases of the lungs.

Raw Sugar Export, World Sugar Consumption

Raw sugar exports make up a multi billion dollar industry involving a great many countries in the world. In the 2006/2007 period, over 38 million tons of raw sugar was exported around the globe.

In order to understand just how big the sugar industry really is however, we can look at global consumption figures. Naturally the bulk of global consumption figures refer to refined sugar, but this is sugar which has been previously refined from raw sugar and is therefore highly indicative of the demand for raw sugar, not to mention the real level of consumption. Relatively little sugar is actually exported, it is estimated that around 60% of all sugar produced is actually consumed in the country in which it was made.

The average person in the United States consumes almost thirty kilograms of sugar every year, which may sound like a lot, but compared with the average Brazilian, who consumes over 55 kilograms of sugar per year, citizens of the United States seem positively restrained. Given that the population of the USA is around 301,139,947, that means that in the United States alone, over 9,034,198,410 kilograms of sugar are consumed every year. The bulk of Brazil’s raw sugar exports are to the United States, and it has been estimated that contracts with the United States alone earn Brazil over two billion dollars every year.

Brazil has a population of around 186,757,608, which means that Brazilians consume around 10,271,668,440 kilograms of sugar every year. In 2006, total global sugar consumption was up around the 150 million ton mark, and this is a figure which is estimated to be increasing by around 2% every year.

Raw Sugar Prices

Raw sugar prices are currently steadily declining in a trend that pundits are predicting could last for some time. Like all commodity prices, global sugar prices are subject to supply and demand, and with production in the major sugar producing / exporting countries of Brazil, India, and Thailand increasing across the board, there is a definite surplus predicted for the 2007/2008 trading period of around 11 million tons of sugar.

At time of writing, sugar prices are sitting around 12.5 US cents per pound, and may fall lower if Brazil and India hit their production and export targets in 2008.

Raw sugar may be taking a price hit at the present time, but that does not mean that sugar is going to fall by the wayside. Sugar will probably always be an essential commodity, but increased production and therefore competition between exporting nations is likely to keep prices low for some time, at least until one or more of these countries suffers a bad drought or other disaster that strikes sugar cane crops. One must also remember that sugar ethanol is a highly sought after product of sugar cane, and should the global price start to drop below acceptable profitability levels, many mills and refineries may simply turn production over to sugar ethanol, leaving a vacuum in the sugar market, and driving prices up once more.

How to get started?

We export Brazilian Raw Sugar directly from the sugar mills. Please contact us with your specific requirements and we will get back to you with instructions and price quotation shortly

VHP Sugar

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