Refined sugar, unlike simple granulated sugar, has a greater degree of purification. In trade, manufacturers supply sugar in various forms: powder, sand or pressed. The technology by which refined sugar is obtained is uncomplicated; beet or cane material is used as a raw material. Finished products from both varieties of the starting substance to taste almost the same, but the cost is different. The production of refined sugar from cane raw materials is more expensive and takes longer.
The essence of the process of obtaining a purified product is to prepare a saturated solution, which is then transferred to a syrup for further adsorption and thorough filtration. After the resulting mass is placed in a vacuum device, where it is brought to a state of complete condensation. In order for it to become pure white, it is treated with a suspension of ultramarine (food coloring).
At the next stage, refined sugar can be produced in two ways, depending on the method of obtaining the final product - cast or pressed. The first option is more expensive and complicated. With it, refined sugar is obtained by pouring the mass (massecuite) into specialized forms, where it gradually hardens. To remove molasses, a solution of refined sugar is poured from above, this procedure is repeated three to four times. As a result of processing, the finished product is removed from the molds and divided into cubes of the required size. It is much simpler and cheaper to obtain refined sugar by the pressed method, when the bleaching of the syrup occurs in a special centrifuge. The resulting substance is pressed and dried, then dividing the solid mass into parallelepipeds.
As a rule, the quality of a product is evaluated by organoleptic methods by which taste, smell, color, and transparency of a solution are determined. The color of the refined substance should be white, without spots and pure, it may be a bluish tint. The taste is sweet, without extraneous flavors, the same applies to the smell. The solution should not have impurities, sediment and be transparent or slightly opalescent. Among the physical and chemical properties, the most important are:
- mass fractions of sucrose, moisture, reducing substances;
- content of ferroimpurities;
- color;
- a fortress.
Various microbiological characteristics are also important: yeast, pathogenic microorganisms, mold fungi, MAFAM, BGKP3. The content of pesticides (fostoxin, hexachloran) and toxic substances (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, copper, zinc) is monitored. They pack the product in the form of sand and powder in bags, and lump sugar in boxes or individual bags (2 pieces per parchment and art wrapper).
Transportation and storage of refined products is carried out in containers or in covered vehicles. Wagons, holds, containers should not have cracks and be dry, the roof should not let moisture in, doors and hatches should be tightly closed. The product should be stored at a humidity of not more than 70% and a temperature of no higher than 40 ° C, always separately from other substances and materials.