About the beneficial qualities and possible dangers of cane sugar. Cane versus beet sugar: which sugar is better

08.08.2019 Healthy eating

Cane sugar: the history of the conquest of the world, composition, calorie content, varieties, useful properties, culinary advantages. How to distinguish a quality product from a fake.

Delicately uneven cubes of granulated sugar of a delicate caramel color ... They are firmly established on the shelves of health food stores, gourmet kitchens and expensive coffee shops.

Some consider cane sugar to be a useful and low-calorie product, while others accuse it of the same "sins" for which they called white refined sugar "sweet poison", or consider it another marketing ploy. But what exactly are these miniature brown cubes?

All about cane sugar

A bit of history

Cane sugar is one of the oldest sweets. Back in the 3rd century BC. it was known in ancient India, where they learned to get sweet grains from a plant similar to bamboo. From the Ganges Valley, sugar cane was brought to China. Some time later, the peoples of the Middle East began to cultivate it. The Arabs introduced sugarcane to the Mediterranean countries, and the New World learned about it from the enterprising Spaniards and Portuguese. In Russia, this amazing overseas additive appeared at the beginning of the 18th century, during the time of Peter I. However, only those close to the royal family could pamper themselves with "white gold" - this delicacy was so expensive in those days.

Cane sugar properties

Unrefined cane sugar (also called brown and coffee for its characteristic color) consists of crystals covered with molasses - cane molasses. Has a natural golden brown hue, caramel taste and pleasant aroma. It is made from sugarcane syrup by boiling using a special technology.

The main types of cane sugar

Cane sugar is divided into three main categories: white refined (fully refined), unrefined (gently refined), and brown (unrefined).

Brown cane sugar comes in several varieties. They differ from each other in appearance and amount of molasses, and, accordingly, in taste.

Specialty Brown Sugar:

1. Demerara sugar

It grows on the island of Mauritius and South America. It has large, hard and sticky crystals of golden brown color. Ideal for sprinkling on pies, muffins, grilled fruits and meat dishes. It goes well with coffee.

2. Muscavado or Barbados sugar (Muscavado sugar, Barbados sugar)

Produced on the island of Mauritius. The crystals are finer than Demerar, sticky and very aromatic. It has a warm honey color. Due to the high content of molasses, it gives a zest to sweet and salty dishes: savory sauces and marinades, spicy muffins, gingerbreads, toffee and fondants.

3. Turbinado sugar

Manufactured in Hawaii. The product is partially refined, the shades range from light tones to brown. The crystals are large, dry and free flowing. Much of the molasses is removed from its surface during "turbine treatment", hence the name.

4. Black Barbados sugar, Soft molasses sugar

Soft and moist molasses product. It has the darkest color and the brightest, viscous aroma. Turns ordinary desserts into gourmet treats. Suitable for gingerbreads, fruit muffins, marinades and exotic dishes. Often used in Asian cuisine.

The composition and useful properties of cane sugar

Zinc regulates fat metabolism, potassium normalizes blood pressure and cleanses the intestines, copper is needed for the normal functioning of the immune system, calcium - for teeth and bones.

Cane sugar also contains vitamins and plant fibers for better absorption. Another advantage of this product is that it has a lower glycemic index (55 units) than its white counterpart (70 units).

Consuming brown sugar, a person feels a surge of energy, since it turns not into fat, but into energy useful for life.

The culinary benefits of cane sugar

Cane sugar is appreciated by culinary experts because it caramelizes well and gives baked goods a crispy texture. Experienced housewives put it in gingerbread, pies, muffins, oatmeal cookies and gingerbread, add it to compotes, creams, puddings and icing. Cane sugar adds crispiness to shortbread cookies, and creamy desserts provide a pleasant contrast between the delicate chilled cream and crispy caramel crust.

Cane sugar is truly unique: it is able to transform, brighten and rich the taste of soups, sweet and sour sauces, pickles, salads and vegetable stews. For example, in Sweden, cane sugar is added to pickled herring and liver pate. It is also used in winemaking and brewing.

Cane sugar improves the taste of cocoa, coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit and berry juices. Jams, marmalades, preserves, candied berries - all these canned foods are delicious thanks to its presence.

Cane sugar is especially appreciated by coffee and tea gourmets: when added to favorite drinks, it does not change their taste, unlike beet sugar, nicknamed "White Death", but on the contrary, gives coffee and tea a special, caramel aftertaste.

And also cane sugar is an indispensable component of Hemingway's favorite cocktail - a refreshing lime and mint mojito. It gives this drink a signature, subtle caramel flavor.

Calorie content and consumption rate of cane sugar

Eating any sweetness, including cane sugar, must be approached wisely, not forgetting the sense of proportion. Without harm to health, you can consume up to 60 g of this delicacy per day.

The calorie content of cane sugar is about 380 kcal. But the beauty is that you can add less of this sweetener to your favorite drinks: brown sugar has a richer flavor than its white counterpart.

Sweets are rarely healthy. This is especially worrisome for those who have children. On the other hand, brown cane sugar is an environmentally friendly, natural and healthy product with excellent taste. Dishes prepared with its use will not only delight loved ones, but also take care of their health.

How to distinguish cane sugar from counterfeit

1. First of all, you can check the authenticity of a product by its peculiar taste: a person who once tasted real cane sugar will never confuse its taste with something else.
But regarding the color, it must be said that the brown color of cane sugar is not always an indicator of the naturalness of the product. With the help of dyes, ordinary, cheap sugar can be transformed and passed off as more expensive cane sugar.

2. If, when added to warm water, sugar turns it brown, in front of you is a fake. But there is also a surer way to test the naturalness of a product. In the same glass of warm water in which you dissolved a couple of spoons of brown grains, drop a couple of drops of iodine. If the sweet water turns bluish, you have real cane sugar in front of you.

3. When buying, always pay attention to the country of origin, this information should be indicated on the package. The USA, Cuba, Mauritius, Costa Rica, Brazil, Guatemala are credible. And do not be confused by the price: real brown sugar has an order of magnitude higher than that of ordinary refined sugar.

Today, cane sugar is becoming more and more popular. Undeservedly forgotten, it is confidently gaining its place among healthy and tasty sweets. Indeed, for those who take care of their health, this is a most valuable find. Choose the best for yourself and your loved ones and be happy!

Until I tasted real cane sugar, I thought with complete confidence that I was buying healthy sugar in the supermarket under the guise of cane sugar and only recently learned that all the “cane” sugar in the store is just ordinary refined sugar, covered with a thin film of cane molasses but real sugar must be found elsewhere.

At first I was very indignant, because on the packaging of very well-known and popular manufacturers such as Mistral - Demerara cane sugar, Brown & White "Golden Demerara", BILLINGTON'S "Natural Demerara" of this supposedly real cane sugar, it is clearly written: unrefined cane sugar and then a list of trace elements ...

Aren't the manufacturers responsible for the discrepancy between the product and what they write on the packaging?

It turns out that in Europe it is allowed to write unrefined sugar on the packaging if it was covered with cane molasses. That is, we get such artificially produced unrefined sugar that has nothing to do with real sugar obtained from one stripped off cane juice.

In Russia, unfortunately, there are no regulations at all that would prohibit the sale of refined sugar covered with cane molasses under the guise of unrefined sugar.

Test purchase results!

Googling on the Internet, I found several forums where fake cane sugar is actively discussed, of the above-named companies, but the most interesting thing that I managed to find on this topic is, of course, the published results of a test purchase of cane sugar from these companies. The study found that all the samples presented were nothing more than regular refined sugar coated with cane molasses.

From what exactly the refined sugar was - from sugar beets or from cane, they did not begin to determine, since this no longer matters, because refined cane sugar does not represent any benefit as well as beet sugar. All the benefits of sugar in molasses! Raw sugar is used for proper nutrition

Who Makes Real Cane Sugar?

Fortunately, not everything is so bad, and I found the only company I know that produces the same real and wholesome unrefined cane sugar - the Indian company Akshaya Invite LLC, which produces its Gur sugar under the Saharaja brand. What is interesting The homeland of cane sugar is India and where, if not there, you can find real cane sugar!

5 Signs of Real Cane Sugar!

  • Unformed appearance. Sugar brand "Saharaja" is a solid, loose mass of brown color with a very bright saturated aroma of molasses. Previously, they generally sold such a sticky, dark brown mass that was very inconvenient to use, it could be chewed like candy, but it was impossible to add it to baked goods. Now they began to evaporate the water from sugar to the end and release a completely dry mass, which can already completely replace the sugar we are used to, but it does not have clearly shaped sugar crystals, as we are used to!

    These pebbles are often formed when cane sugar hardens.

  • The property of hardening in air. None of the molasses-coated refined sugar will harden with you. Saharaja sugar hardens very quickly, in just a few days after opening the package, and then it has to be broken into pieces. I solve this problem very simply, I grind the sugar in a coffee grinder in small batches, so that it lasts for several days, because even the cane sugar that is ground into powdered sugar hardens again and has to be actively kneaded with a spoon, or thrown back into the grinder. But these are all small things compared to the benefits and taste that you get from real unrefined cane sugar.

    Water on the left, sugar "Saharaja" added to the water on the right

  • Cloudy water. The addition of Saharaja sugar to water, tea, coffee or fruit drink causes active turbidity of the liquid, this is the property of molasses, while the sugar itself remains brown. Refined sugar artificially coated with molasses can also cause a slight cloudy water, but you will see that the sugar turns white.

    Left transparent tea without sugar, right cloudy tea with sugar "Saharaja"

  • Less sweet and incredibly rich in flavor. If you taste the sugar "Saharaja", you will understand that previously you only tasted refined sugar. It is often compared to the taste of honey because it is so rich in flavor.
  • You can't make lollipops out of it. Simple sugar makes excellent cockerels on a stick at home, but you cannot make such candies from Saharaja sugar. Probably due to the large amount of sticky molasses, the lollipops stick tightly to our Soviet cast iron lollipop mold, no matter how well I lubricate it with vegetable oil, and if you make the lollipops in a silicone mold, they turn out to be very sticky and, as it were, melt when lying on a platter or wooden board, leaving sticky marks. In general, my attempt to make healthy candy for a child was unsuccessful and had to be made from fructose.
  • There is also a 6th sign, but you cannot check it at home - it is a rich vitamin and mineral composition.

    Sugar "Saharaja" contains 100 gr. product: iron -2.05 mg, phosphorus -22.3 mg, magnesium-117.4 mg, zinc -0.594 mg, potassium - 331.4 mg, calcium - 62.17 mg, vit. PP - 0.01 mg, Vit C - 0.057 mg, Vit B2 - 0.004 mg, Vit B1 - 0.012 mg.

    The question is where to buy unrefined cane sugar?

    I used to buy it in online grocery stores, but now I go to my store to get sugar, and you can also buy Saharaja cane sugar in our store!

    Sugar is a special product that can be obtained from sugar beets or sugar cane, and the first option is significantly inferior to the second in terms of useful properties. The benefits and harms of cane sugar are actively discussed in the circles of doctors and nutritionists, but the popularity of the substance does not fall at all from this.

    Composition

    The delicious cane-derived treat is much healthier than its white counterpart. This fact is determined by the unique composition of the product, which includes the following components.

    • Cane sugar is practically pure sucrose, which in the human body breaks down into glucose and fructose.
    • The potassium content helps to improve heart function and strengthen blood vessels. Thanks to this microelement, proteins and fats are absorbed better, the intestines are cleared more intensively and toxins are removed from the body.
    • Calcium strengthens bones and tooth enamel. Also, this component improves blood clotting and has a positive effect on the functioning of the brain.
    • - preserves youth, makes hair thick and shiny.
    • Copper strengthens the human immune system.
    • Phosphorus has a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and heart.
    • Iron strengthens the walls of blood vessels.

    A sweet product obtained from cane is very useful for the body, therefore, in the absence of contraindications, it is recommended to include it in the diet.

    Why is cane sugar useful?

    Brown sugar is less processed than white sugar. Therefore, much more valuable substances, useful trace elements and vitamins are stored in it. The product acquires a specific dark color due to the fact that after processing the molasses, covering the sugar crystals, is preserved. It is in the molasses that contains the maximum amount of useful components that are transferred to the entire product as a whole. This explains the higher cost of raw cane.

    The benefits of cane sugar are determined by the following features:

    • high in fiber, B vitamins, potassium, iron;
    • the product provides the body with glucose, which is necessary for the brain to function;
    • the use of the product has a beneficial effect on the functioning of many organs.

    Regular consumption of sugar crystals obtained from cane can help cure liver and spleen diseases.

    The harm of cane sugar

    Despite its many beneficial properties, cane sugar can harm our body.

    Those with a sweet tooth should remember that this delicacy becomes harmful if consumed in considerable quantities.

    Sugar abuse can lead to the development of pathologies such as:

    • diabetes;
    • overweight;
    • atherosclerosis;
    • allergic reaction.

    With diabetes, sugar consumption should be completely eliminated or reduced to a minimum. Limiting the sugar content in the diet should also be used for diseases such as pancreatitis, bronchial asthma, and oncology.

    A cane treat, like regular sugar, can trigger the development of tooth decay.

    An excess of sugar in the body can lead not only to an increase in excess fat folds, but also to disruption of metabolic processes. And this only reduces immunity.

    According to the magazine "Polzateevo" and leading nutritionists, it is recommended to consume no more than 60 g of this product per day.

    Cane sugar is as good for children as it is for adults, but only in moderation.

    How to tell real cane sugar from fake

    To purchase a natural product, you need to have an idea of \u200b\u200bthe difference between a real cane treat and a fake one.

    There are three ways to determine the authenticity of a product.

    1. The product cube must be thrown into plain warm water. If the liquid begins to turn golden, it means that we had to deal with ordinary colored refined sugar. Real cane sugar doesn't color the water!
    2. You can make a syrup from cubes and add a drop of iodine to it. If the liquid has acquired a bluish tint, the product is natural. This is due to the presence of a small amount of starch in the natural substance, which enters into a chemical reaction with iodine.
    3. In order to distinguish a fake from a real product, sometimes it is enough to look at the manufacturer. Real cane sugar is produced in the USA, South America and Mauritius. If Russia, Moldova, etc. are indicated on the packaging as a manufacturer, then you can be sure that this product is a fake.

    When purchasing a delicacy, you need to pay attention to the label, which indicates not only the color of the product (brown, black or brown), but also its one more characteristic - unrefined.

    Having tried the original reed cubes only once, it will no longer be possible to confuse them with anything, and subsequently it will be easy to distinguish from a fake by taste.

    Thus, sugar of any kind is essential for the normal functioning of the human body. And in order to avoid negative consequences from the use of this product, it is enough to adhere to the dosages recommended by experts.

    Cane sugar - a sweet crystalline product obtained from the juice of a sun- and thermophilic plant called sugar cane, which looks like bamboo and has been known to mankind since ancient times. In fact, the production of cane sugar is much older than that of beet sugar. India is considered its homeland, from where it gradually came and was cultivated in other countries of the Middle East and the Mediterranean with the help of travelers and merchants, who always delighted residents with overseas delicacies. And later, thanks to the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, it spread to the New World, the Caribbean islands, Madeira and Cape Verde. Until now, cane sugar has an extraordinary distribution across the globe.

    Nowadays, in almost every supermarket or grocery store you can find this wonderful product. Photos of cane sugar are often adorned with various articles and publications on the topic of healthy nutrition, and the popularity of this sweetener is gaining more and more momentum, urging fans of a healthy lifestyle to closely monitor the foods they eat and get rid of harmful and useless ingredients in their own diet.

    Beneficial features

    Useful properties of cane sugar, or rather, a large number of them, explains the popularity that this type of product has gained in our time. And indeed, if we compare the usual beet sugar with cane sugar, then the results of laboratory studies, as a rule, are passed on to the overseas counterpart. Consider the benefits of cane sugar:

    Which cane sugar is best?

    In order to decide for yourself which cane sugar is best, you must first understand the process of making this product, as well as with what different types of cane sweets differ from each other.

    The main two types that are found on store shelves are:

    • Refined cane white sugar - such a product goes through all the stages of refining: from turning into a syrup with subsequent filtration to evaporating and drying the resulting white mass.
    • Unrefined brown cane sugar - this has a different saturation of brown hue and is subject to very little refining.

    It is the latter, called "raw cane sugar", that is becoming more and more popular. There are several types of unrefined sweetener:

    Cane sugar gur

    To say that gur is natural cane sugar is a little wrong. This product came to us from India along with the growing popularity of Ayurvedic lifestyle trends and is a condensed natural juice squeezed very slowly (over about 3 hours) from sugarcane trunks.

    The consistency and color of this sweetness resemble soft sorbet, which, however, does not exclude the presence of a small amount of sugar crystals in the product.

    The production of gur, which is popular mainly in India, consists of carefully pressing the raw materials, refining and thickening them by cooking. This method allows you to keep the maximum amount of nutrients in the composition of the consumed product.

    How to distinguish a fake?

    Every consumer needs to learn how to distinguish fake cane sugar from a natural product. Counterfeiters very often nowadays try to disguise ordinary refined white sugar with caramel, giving it a brown tint. This is done for the sake of profit, because cane sugar costs an order of magnitude more expensive than its refined beetroot brother. Let's look at a few ways to test cane sugar for originality:

    Cooking use

    The use of cane sugar in cooking has many diverse traditions associated with the cultural and culinary characteristics of each country. In addition, the variety of this product does not make it possible to combine all varieties in one row, because each is so unique (including compatibility with various products) that it can be considered a separate type of additive:

    Cane sugar benefits and treatments

    Many people, thinking about a healthy lifestyle, are wondering about the benefits and dangers of cane sugar, and make sure that cane sugar only causes positive reviews. That is why the question of whether to buy cane sugar is usually not worth it for them. And rightly so, because this is not only a delicious delicacy. Correct and regular use of this product can help in the prevention and treatment of many diseases.

    If you just replace any sweetener with cane sugar in your diet, then the risk of complications such as:

    • cough;
    • sore throat;
    • lung infections.

    Also, this sweet product improves blood circulation and strengthens the immune system.

    This, however, is not at all surprising! The very history of this product indicates its medicinal nature. For a long time, cane sugar was only available for purchase in pharmacies as a medicine, not a culinary product.

    The harm of cane sugar and contraindications

    The harm of cane sugar and contraindications to its use are the subject of research by many modern scientists and nutritionists.

    In fact, this wonderful product has no contraindications. Restrictions on the use of cane sugar can only be associated with its excess amount in the daily diet, which leads not only to the appearance of excess fat in the human body, but also to additional stress on the pancreas, as well as to blood glucose oversaturation. This, in turn, can lead to various other diseases. In addition, the unregulated consumption of cane sugar by people with diabetes can exacerbate this disease and worsen the general well-being of a person.

    Sugar is of different types: white, brown, palm, in the form of sand and refined sugar. Which one to prefer, so as not to harm our figure, health and wallet?

    TYPES OF SUGAR

    White sugar. Refined white sugar is purified from molasses. Along with molasses, unfortunately, almost all useful substances go out of it. White sugar is the most popular for purely aesthetic reasons, while it is the most nutritious and contains absolutely no vitamins. Therefore, experts and nutritionists do not advise to abuse white sugar.

    Brown sugar. This type of sugar is much healthier than white sugar, because it does not undergo purifications from molasses saturated with vitamins. Such sugar contains natural trace elements and various vitamins: sodium, calcium, phosphorus, iron. Use brown sugar for desserts and coffee. Minus one - the price! This product is quite expensive.

    Beet sugar. This type of sugar is yellowish in color. It tastes a bit like caramel. As with brown sugar, it retains many beneficial elements. Compared to cane sugar, unrefined beetroot sugar is significantly cheaper.

    Palm sugar. This type of sugar is mined in the south, one of the supplier countries is India. Palm sugar has a honey-like taste and a very pleasant brown color. Such sugar is healthier than white. Produced in the form of lumps or crystals. It goes well with tea and coffee. It gives a pleasant sweetish flavor to baked goods. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to find it here.

    CANE SUGAR

    The main myth about this sugar is that it is supposedly healthier than usual. This is not entirely true. If cane and beet sugar are peeled identically, they will be equally beneficial. The inflated price of cane sugar is explained not by its usefulness, but by the fact that cane does not grow in our country - all sugar is brought from abroad.

    Unrefined, brown sugar actually contains more iron, copper, potassium, and various other useful substances. The darker the color of cane sugar, the more molasses it contains, giving it an extra caramel flavor and a special pleasant aroma, but the sugar is less sweet. It is not bought for baking and preservation, but served only with hot drinks, tea or coffee. Cane sugar takes the lead from beet sugar in terms of sugar content: beet sugar is 14-16%, and cane juice is 18-20%.

    Cane sugar refining. Cane sugar, in contrast to beet sugar (edible only in refined form), is of the following types:

    1. Refined or refined

    Refined sugar is prepared by washing with steam, turning into syrup and filtering, after which the sugar turns into a beautiful white mass, which is evaporated and dried.

    2. Unrefined sugar

    Unrefined cane sugar is highly valued in cooking, and its brownish color and lively aroma, unusual taste are explained by impurities of molasses. This sugar is obtained through gentle cleaning. It is widely used for making ginger and dried fruit puddings and spicy gingerbreads. When baked, the sugar caramelizes well, giving the baked goods a crispy texture.

    3. Unrefined brown sugar

    The unrefined product benefits the human body thanks to molasses and contains a whole complex of microelements, although it surpasses ordinary white in calories.

    4. Special varieties of cane sugar

    Demerara sugar - named after the district and valley of the Demerara River in British Guiana (the state of Guyana in South America), from where it was originally imported. Crystals are hard, sticky, large, golden brown. Demerara is great for fruit tarts, muffins topping, grilled fruit. Shank or ham will get an excellent taste if moistened with plenty of Demerara sugar syrup before baking.

    Muscavado sugar - unrefined sugar, has a strong molasses odor. The crystals are larger than classic brown sugar, but finer than Demerar, fragrant and very sticky. Its flavor and color can add flavor to culinary experimentation. It is suitable for baking gingerbreads and spicy muffins, sauces and savory marinades. On the market there is also a light muscavado with a weakly expressed aroma of molasses. It is honey-colored with a taste of creamy bastards, perfect for banana dishes, for making fudge and toffee.

    Turbinado sugar - raw sugar is partially refined, a significant part of the molasses from the sugar surface is removed by steam or water. Color - from light golden to burmese.

    If the packaging says that this is a first-pressing product, then you have raw sugar with the presence of non-food impurities.
    Soft molasses sugar or Black Barbados sugar is soft, moist, thin raw cane sugar. It is very dark in color, bright in taste and aroma. Used in baking dark fruit muffins, gingerbreads, marinades. One spoonful of molasses sugar turns regular yoghurt into a delicious dessert.

    TYPE OF SUGAR

    Crystalline sugar. The type of sugar most familiar to consumers around the world. This is granulated sugar, which is composed of white crystals. Depending on their size, such granulated sugar provides the unique properties of granulated sugar. Crystalline sugar comes in a variety of crystal sizes.

    Plain sugar. Mostly used in household use. It is this white sugar that is referred to in cookbook recipes. This sugar is widely used by food companies.

    Fruit sugar. Smaller and better than regular sugar. It is used in dry mixes of various desserts such as jellies, pudding mixes and dry drinks. The increased degree of crystal uniformity prevents smaller crystals from separating and settling to the bottom of the package.

    Pekarsky. This type of sugar is even finer and has been specially created for baking muffins in an industrial setting.

    Ultrafine sugar. The smallest type of sugar. This sugar is great for baking delicate textured meringues or pies. Due to its easy solubility, sugar is also used for frozen drinks and fruit sweeteners.

    Confectionery powder. It is based on granulated sugar, ground into powder. About 3% cornstarch is added to the sugar to prevent it from sticking together. Confectionery powder is available in various degrees of grinding. It is used for enrobing, whipped cream and confectionery.

    Coarse sugar. The crystals of this type of sugar are larger than usual. A special processing method makes the sugar resistant to high temperature changes. This property is especially important in the production of fondants, liqueurs and confectionery.

    Sugar dusting. This sugar contains the largest crystals. Mainly used for sprinkling products in the confectionery and bakery industries. The edges of the large crystals reflect light beautifully, giving the product an unusual sparkling look.

    Liquid sugar. This is a solution of white sugar, can be used on a level with crystalline. Sugar is amber in color due to the addition of molasses. It can be used to give products an unusual aroma.

    Inverted syrup or chemical breakdown of sucrose. A mixture of glucose and fructose. It is used exclusively for industrial purposes.

    RELEASE FORMS

    The most common forms of sugar release: granulated sugar and refined sugar (even small cubes). Less well known are candy and lump sugars - they are mostly served with drinks in restaurants.

    Refined sugar dissolves faster, because it is the most refined sugar. For this reason, it should be exceptionally snow-white, any yellow blotches are a sure sign of fake or poor-quality production.

    Lump and candy sugar is made from ordinary sugar by adding water and boiling to the required consistency. Lumpy (it was also called "sugar loaf" in the USSR, sawing off small pieces from it) are uneven large crystals. Candy sugar is a smooth, translucent lump. Both are less sweet than sand or refined sugar because they use water in their production.

    SUGAR SUBSTITUTES

    There are a large number of sweeteners on the market. They are divided into 4 groups.

    Xylitol and sorbitol. Substances of natural origin. Not recommended for overweight people due to their high calorie content. Do not consume more than 30 grams per day, because xylitol and sorbitol irritate intestinal receptors.

    Fructose. A plant-derived substance obtained from fruits or berries. Like glucose, it contributes to a slight increase in blood sugar. It has no harmful effects on our body. It is not recommended for overweight people because of the calorie content. It is not recommended to consume more than 30 grams. in a day.

    Saccharin. This is the oldest sugar substitute. Has a sweet taste. Does not affect blood sugar. It has no harmful effects on the body. It has no restrictions. It can be used for cooking or baking, because resistant to heat.

    Aspartame. The most common modern sweetener. Does not increase blood sugar. Low calorie. It has no harmful effects on the body. Persons with excess weight and patients with diabetes mellitus can use it. When boiled, it breaks down, loses its sweet taste.

    HOME EXPERTISE

    Consider the packaging of the sweet treat carefully. It should only be whole, granulated sugar should not fall out of it.

    It is known that sugar perfectly absorbs water; this circumstance is often used by unscrupulous traders. Sugar is put in a damp room, it gains weight there and you can pay extra for water when buying. To avoid this, twist the plastic bag in your hands. At what speed are grains of sand poured from corner to corner? If slowly and reluctantly, sticking to each other, then the sugar is wet, and when it dries, it will lose weight and stick together into one large lump, which is problematic to break.

    Pour a couple tablespoons of sand into a glass of clean water and stir. High-quality sugar will completely dissolve, there should be no sediment in the glass. By the way, the highest quality sugar is the most harmful for our figure - 400 Kcal per 100 g of refined sugar.

    Another experiment: mix 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water, boil. If sugar disappears in a matter of minutes, turning first, as it were, into molasses, and then into caramel, then there are no impurities in it. If the water becomes cloudy or of an incomprehensible white consistency, then the sugar is of poor quality, or even with impurities.

    You can check the quality of brown cane sugar like this: dissolve it in water and add iodine there. If the sugar is good, the water should turn blue.

    PACKAGING

    The packaging must indicate:

    Product name, indication of raw materials (for example - white crystalline sugar of the II category, made from sugar beets);
    ... trademark of the manufacturer or packer
    ... name, telephone number and legal address of the manufacturer, packer;
    ... calorie content;
    ... net weight (kg);
    ... storage conditions;
    ... the composition of the product;
    ... mark of the regulatory document;
    ... date of manufacture and packaging;
    ... shelf life;
    ... barcode (consumer packaging).
    ... seat number (bag);

    And finally, we note that according to a study by the World Health Organization, a person can eat no more than 50 g of sugar per day without prejudice to his health. At first glance, this is enough: 10-12 pieces. But keep in mind that this includes not only sugar in its pure form, but also sugar in the rest of the food: soda, fruits, chocolate ....
    For example: a glass of soda is 20-30 g of sugar; 100 gram bar of regular milk chocolate - 40 grams of sugar; an apple contains about 2 g of sugar, a banana - 7 g of sugar.


    We wish you a good choice!