People throughout the world enjoy the taste of sugar. Its sweetness makes things like candy and soda pleasant to eat and drink. Because sugar is a carbohydrate, it can give the body a quick energy boost. The common sugar people spoon into their coffee or measure for their cookie recipes is called sucrose. Sucrose is found in almost all plants. It is a product of the process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is when a plant makes its own food using carbon dioxide, water, and energy from the sun. Plants that produce sugarMost plants do not produce enough sucrose to be valuable to the sugar industry. Sugarcane (scientific name Saccharum officinarum) and sugar beets (Beta vulgaris) are better producers than other plants, so most of the world's sugar comes from them. Sugarcane is a giant, thick grass. It grows in clumps of solid stalks in the tropics and neighboring areas. Stalks can be white, yellow, green, purple, red, or violet. Mature canes may be 10 to 26 feet (3 to 8 meters) tall and 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) across. Sugarcane is very important to the economies of Cuba and Brazil. India is a major producer as well. In the United States, sugarcane is grown in some Southern states and in Hawaii. The sugar beet is a type of beet. It is a root crop that can grow in mild or cold climates. Sugar is stored in the white roots of the beet. France and Germany both grow much of this crop. Northwestern states and some others in the United States also grow sugar beets. Processing sugarGrowing and picking sugarcane and sugar beets are just the beginning of the process of making the sugar used in food products. Sugar must be taken out of the plants and then refined. Machines are used to press sugarcane stalks. The juice that comes out during this pressing is boiled until it starts to thicken and sugar crystals begin to form. Another machine removes the raw crystals. What is left is a syrup called molasses. Molasses is often used in animal feed; it also is used in making rum and other alcoholic drinks. The raw sugar goes on to a place called a refinery for washing, filtering out of any nonsugar ingredients, and packaging. Sugarcane must be processed quickly once picked or the sucrose will begin to decompose. Sugar beets do not have this problem. Thus, sugar beets do not need to go through a raw sugar stage. The sugary juice removed from the sugar beet goes through treatment much like the raw sugar of sugarcane. The whole process is usually done in one place. In the end, one cannot tell if sugar came from a sugar beet or from a cane. Slight differences in the sugar-making process can produce other kinds of sugar. A bit of the molasses is left on sugar to create brown sugar. Fine crystals known as fruit sugar are used in jello, pudding, and other dry mixes. Ground granulated sugar that is sifted and mixed with a bit of cornstarch is known as powdered sugar. Sugar and healthDoctors often tell people to watch how much sugar they eat. Kids who eat too much sugar may become hyperactive, a condition in which they have trouble settling down. Sugar also can play a role in weight gain, tooth decay, and high blood pressure. Some people use corn syrup or honey instead of sugar to sweeten foods. People trying to lose weight often turn to artificial sweeteners—such as saccharin and aspartame—instead of sugar. The safety of using several such sweeteners has been questioned, however. |