What is the difference between refined sugar and unrefined sugar?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 00:18

When sugar first appeared on people's tables, it was brown. They produced such a valuable product by the standards of ancient times from sugar cane. Then they learned how to refine and extract it from other plant materials. Sugar was imported to Russia as early as the 11th century, but the price of the product allowed only nobles to purchase it. And only at the beginning of the 19th century began to establish the production of sugar from a special variety of beets.

On the shelves today you can find both white refined sugar or granulated sugar, and a brown version. Whether refined brown sugar is more harmful or there is no difference between them, we will analyze the “flights” and determine what is true and what is not. We will also talk about how to distinguish fake from real brown sugar.

What types of sugar are there

In industry, sugar is distinguished by the source of raw materials. For the production of confectionery products, the following types are used: cane,beet, palm, maple.

Any of these types of sugar are refined (refined from impurities), but only cane sugar can be used in an unrefined form for food, because the rest have unpleasant flavors in an unrefined state.

But raw materials are refined not only because of the taste, because sugar is also refined in order to get pure sucrose. The original product, in addition to the main substance, contains mineral s alts, gum, molasses. Based on the purification method, all types of sugar can be divided into two classes:

• refined (white, refined sugar);
• unrefined (brown, with impurities).

Can brown sugar be refined?

Thanks to sophisticated manufacturers, you can also find an unclassified type of sugar on store shelves - brown, but refined. This, roughly speaking, is a fake for the purpose of profit, since initially cane raw materials are more expensive than beetroot, and therefore sugar, even in its unrefined form, is more expensive from cane. Therefore, you can always find manufacturers who pass off white dyed sugar as brown.

To understand the difference between refined sugar and unrefined sugar, you need to look at the composition. Only cane sugar, due to its pleasant aroma, can be used in unrefined form for food, therefore, on the packaging in the “composition” column there should be only such a name - “cane sugarunrefined . If the product is made from other raw materials and has additives, then this is a marketing product, and you should not buy such a more expensive option.

Chemical composition and calorie content of white and brown sugar

The chemical composition of refined sugar (white) and unrefined cane sugar (brown) differs in the content of various trace elements in them. The calorie content of the two species is almost the same. Therefore, for those who are going to introduce cane sugar into the diet program, such an indicator will be disappointing.

Content per 100g	Refined sugar(any raw material)	Caneunrefined sugar
Calories	387 kcal	376-380 kcal
Carbohydrates	99, 8g	96-99, 6g
Proteins	0	0-0, 68g
Fats	0	0-1, 3g
Calcium	3mg	15-62mg
Phosphorus	0	3-22mg
Magnesium	0	4-117mg
Zinc	0	0.6mg
Potassium	3mg	40-300mg
Iron	0	1-2mg

Depending on the quality of the raw material, brown sugar contains more beneficial micronutrients. But it is worth noting that their content is insignificant to replenish even part of the daily requirement, to cover it you will need to eat 2 kgSahara. In order to enrich the body with microelements, you can also drink a glass of water, it also contains calcium and magnesium. In sugar, whatever one may say, there is more harm than good, caloric content and sucrose are to blame.

Is brown cane sugar as bad as white sugar?

He althy eaters will certainly begin to argue that cane sugar will be more useful in any case, and there is some truth in this, because judging by the chemical composition, albeit in small doses, there are useful elements. But in practice, people, buying a product with a deliberately false prefix "useful", allow themselves to eat it in larger quantities. At the same time, sugar crystals are an excellent adsorbent and absorb various microelements. Therefore, according to experts, goods brought from exotic countries may contain harmful impurities.

Consequently, we can conclude that the brown version, subject to quality manufacturing and transportation, will be safer for he alth than refined sugar. Although excessive consumption of both will be harmful.

How sugar is refined

If you fully understand how refined sugar differs from unrefined sugar, and whether white is more harmful than brown, then you should pay attention to the refining process itself.

White sand is obtained using phosphates (used in detergents, unsafe for human he alth). Further, by evaporation, refined refined cane sugar is obtained, whichtreated with sulfur dioxide as a preservative. And although standardization prescribes acceptable norms for the use of this additive, problems have recently become more frequent because of it in children with asthma and allergies, so the harm of refined sugar is obvious in this part.

How to distinguish an unrefined product from a fake

It is believed that pure cane sugar should be dark brown, and the darker, the more natural the product. In fact, the color of raw sugar depends on the amount of molasses (a molasses-like, caramel-flavored product found in raw sugar).

The main thing you should pay attention to when buying is the packaging, where the following data must be indicated: raw materials (in the case of brown - sugar cane), country of origin (cane is exported from Latin America, Thailand, Asian countries), type of sugar (there may be differences in color).

There are also such indirect signs as:

• brown less free flowing than refined sugar;
• crystals in different shapes;
• has a caramel smell.

Taste and smell of white and brown sugar

Refined granulated sugar has crystals with clear edges, it is shiny, white, maybe with a yellowish tinge. Dissolves in water completely, without impurities. The taste is pure sweet, without third-party aftertastes. Coarse-grained and fine-grained have the same sweetness, although often consumersconsider fine sugar to be sweeter. This is due to the complete dissolution process, because larger crystals take longer to dissolve.

Brown sugar has a mild caramel flavor. It is believed that if you put a spoonful of brown sugar in a glass of warm water, then the fake product will tint the liquid caramel color. In fact, molasses, like caramel, turns a light golden color to the liquid upon contact. But here you should be careful: the natural reed version will retain its color inside the crystals, but the tinted one will turn white.