Types of Sugar

What is Sugar?
Sugar is made from 2 types of plants either Sugar beet or Sugar cane.
Sugar cane is grown in tropical counties where as Sugar beet is grown in the UK.

Sugar Cane

Sugar Beet
















Sugar in the Diet
Sugars are an important source of energy. They are quickly digested and absorbed by the body. Sugar is sometimes called and ‘empty’ food as it only provides us with energy and nothing else.

Types of Sugar
Sugar is added to many types of food and drinks for flavour, texture, colour and safety.

Sugars added to foods and found naturally in foods are:

Sucrose
Dextrose
Fructose
Glucose
Maltose

Sugars you can buy and add to food are:

Honey
Molasses
Syrup
Treacle
Brown sugar
Demerara sugar
White sugar
Caster sugar
Icing sugar
Lump sugar

Sugar Manufacturing
Picture showing how Sugar beet is turned into white sugar:

Sugar cane is turned into raw brown sugar in a similar way although where the beet is chopped into cossettes, the cane is crushed between heavy rollers until a brown liquid is produced. This is then crystallised and becomes brown sugar.