sugar

Sucrose: a disaccharide of glucose (left) and fructose (right), important molecules in the body.

Raw MaterialsSugar is mainly made from sugar cane. The main areas of sugar-cane production from Sindh to Punjab are widely spread. As sugar cane is a tropical crop, it can’t tolerate frost. General output of sugar cane is 37.5 tonnes per hectare.

Sugarcane crop

Sugar mills have to be located

near the sugarcane fields

because:

• sugarcane starts losing its sugar

content as soon as it is

harvested. It needs to be

crushed immediately.

• sugarcane is bulky and heavy.

Therefore, its transportation cost

is high.

Products and By-products

• Sugarcane is used primarily in the making of sugar, ghur and other sweet products.

• By-products are:

1. Bagasses: Used to make paper, chipboard, animal feed and also used as a fuel to produce electricity to run machinery in sugar mills.

1. Molasses: Are used to produce various types of acid and ethylene, which can be turned to packaging plastics.

A sugar product

Making Ghur (Jaggery)

Jaggery (Gur

By product:Bagasse Packed Sugar

Uses of processed sugar

Sugar has many uses:

•As a sweetener: Sugar is added to foods or drinks to make them taste more pleasant. For example, it balances the bitterness of coffee and reduces the tartness of sour fruit.

•As a preservative: Sugar is a natural preservative that binds water to prevent the growth of micro-organisms, thereby reducing food spoilage, as in jams and preservatives.

•As a bulking agent: Sugars gives texture to a variety of foods, from jams to frozen products.

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