Sugar is an important component of a variety of dishes, drinks, bakery and confectionery. It is used in canning meat, leather dressing and in the tobacco industry. In addition, this product is successfully used as the main preservative for jam, jelly and much more.
In the chemical industry, granulated sugar allows you to get a huge number of derivatives that are used in various fields. An example is the production of plastics, pharmaceuticals, effervescent drinks.
Sugar (GOST)
What is this standard? In order for the quality of granulated sugar to be constantly at the proper level, special criteria were developed for the manufacture and storage of finished products, which were combined in GOST 21-94. According to it , sugar production should be carried out in compliance with not only technological instructions, but also sanitary standards.
Ideal sugar crystals should not exceed 2.5 mm. However, it is worth considering that GOST provides for some permissible deviations within ± 5%. Packing for the most part occurs by a mechanized method. As packaging, paper and polyethylene bags are used. In this case, the permissible deviations in weight should be no more than ± 2%.
Sugar production
In nature, granulated sugar is found in more than a few hundred different types of crops. This is directly related to the fact that each plant from which people learned to produce this product is involved in the process. Under the influence of sunlight, glucose begins to be produced, which subsequently undergoes special processing and becomes a certain type of raw material.
In different parts of the world, granulated sugar is produced from different products, as a result of which it can be:
- reed or beetroot;
- sorghum;
- palm;
- malt.
The taste of refined cane and beet sugar , the photo of which is located below, is practically no different. Things are completely different with raw, which, in fact, is an intermediate product of production. It is noteworthy that it contains a significant proportion of impurities of vegetable juice. Here the difference is very noticeable, and its taste is directly dependent on the type of vegetation from which the manufacture is made.
So, for example, raw sugar obtained from cane can be consumed even in such an intermediate form, while beetroot tastes rather unpleasant. Taste differences also exist in molasses, which continues to be an important by-product of sugar production. In the event that it is created from reed, it can be eaten without problems, while beet molasses is absolutely not suitable for this.
If we consider the stalks of bread sorghum, from which syrup is successfully produced, the sugar obtained as a result of its processing undergoes a minimum degree of purification, as a result of which it cannot compete with beet or cane products.
As for palm sugar, the juice of certain varieties of palm trees containing about 16-20% sucrose is used for its production.
The main types
To date, the following types of granulated sugar exist:
- powder;
- powder;
- sand;
- refined;
- lump sugar;
- refined sand;
- refined powder;
- raw sugar.
Sugar Composition
Glucose is the main component of granulated sugar of a vegetable nature. Once in the intestines, it quickly decomposes into fructose and sucrose, which allows it to be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, often leading to diabetes.
At the same time, granulated sugar, which contains up to 99.8% carbohydrates, plays a huge role in the human diet. In addition, it is quite useful also due to the presence of elements such as calcium, sodium, iron and potassium.
Visual inspection
When checking granulated sugar for quality, they primarily pay attention to visual (organoleptic) data. Thanks to them, you can determine the quality of the product, based solely on the perception of their senses.
Optimal performance |
Name | Basic properties |
Taste and smell | Sugar should in any form remain sweet and have no extraneous taste and smell. |
Flowability | Sugar should never be taken in lumps. |
Color | If the sugar has been processed at the proper level, its color will be white. |
Dissolution in water | In the sugar solution should be completely no precipitate, as well as any kind of impurities. |
Color
The color of granulated sugar is primarily affected by the degree of its purification. It is generally accepted that if it is of poor quality, certain elements contained in the product can have an adverse effect on the body. Moreover, the darker the color of sugar, the more vegetable juice in it. Therefore, it contains particles of the so-called black molasses, in which there are many different trace elements.
If sugar is white, its proportion will be minimal. Despite the fact that a refined product is less beneficial for the body, it also has a number of individual advantages. Although it also contains a list of trace elements, this information is not indicated on the label. In addition, sugar has black molasses in its waste, which contains many useful ingredients.
Like any other product created by people, granulated sugar contains toxic particles and pesticides, the proportion of which should not exceed sanitary standards.
Bagging
If necessary, granulated sugar can be packaged in 5-20 gram sachets. They are made of a special material, which is paper with a special polyethylene or micro-wax coating. Please note that standard plastic bags require thermal soldering.
Packaging in boxes and bags
Packed sugar is packed in boxes made of corrugated cardboard, trying to ensure that the total weight in the end does not exceed 20 kg. Before you start packing, the lower part of the torus must be glued with paper or adhesive tape. When sugar is laid, the top flaps are also glued or covered with steel packing tape.
If the weight of the packaged product should be ± 50 kg, you can use:
- new or returnable odorless fabric bags;
- bags with polyethylene liners, the neck of which is heat-sealed or machine-sewn using linen or synthetic yarns.
At the same time, pay attention to the fact that sugar should not spill out through the fabric and seams of the packaging.
If necessary, granulated sugar with a net weight of up to 1 ton can be packed in special containers designed for transportation and storage of bulk products, with special liners made of cling film.
Marking
Sugar bags must be labeled with special non-soiling paint. The information must be printed in such a way that the product name stands out well from the rest of the data. In addition, the paint should not pass through the packaging, otherwise the sugar will acquire an unusual color for it. If the particles of paint are still absorbed in granulated sugar, it may acquire an unusual aroma.
Rules for long-term storage
Places where you will store sugar must comply with sanitary standards. Before the product must go to the warehouse, where it will remain for a long time, it is necessary to carefully ventilate and dry the room. Please note that sugar must not be stored in the same place with other materials.
Particular attention should be paid to temperature conditions. If the warehouse has asphalt or cement floors, sugar must be placed on pallets. It is necessary to carefully monitor the relative humidity, for this the pallets should be covered with a clean tarpaulin, burlap or paper in one layer.
Following these simple rules, you can easily choose high-quality granulated sugar for yourself and your family, which will not only delight you with unsurpassed taste, but also have a noticeable effect on the body. Its moderate consumption will significantly strengthen the nervous system and increase the susceptibility of individual sensory organs (vision and hearing).