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| The Journey of Sugar Canada's sugar industry is an important part of Canadian history. The journey of sugar explores the history of beet and cane sugar, as well as the conditions required for optimal growth and processing of sugar. By examining the history, geography, and technology of sugar, you will understand the journey of sugar from field to table.
World Around 20,000 BC, people in the islands of the South Pacific were the first to discover sugar in giant grass (which we call sugar cane) that grew naturally in their area. However, India was the first country to extract natural cane juice to make the first crude sugar, which they called "gur" (loosely translated as "tasting sweet") in 500 BC. From India, the knowledge of making sugar spread westward into the Middle East, and then to Europe. Sugar was imported as both a luxury product and a medicine. For hundreds of years, sugar was a highly prized and expensive "spice" that was used only in the homes of nobility and royalty. In 1493, the explorer Christopher Columbus took sugar cane to plant in the Caribbean where the crop grew well in the hot climate, heavy rainfall, and fertile soil. In the mid-1700's, a German scientist developed an alternative to sugar cane through the use of sugar beets. Since then, the sugar beet has become a main source of sugar in Europe and North America. Sugar beets are grown and processed to produce sugar in western Canada. Canada Canada’s first refinery was established in 1818, half a century before confederation in Halifax. Until then, Canada had been dependent on imports of poor-quality raw sugar or expensive refined sugar. As the population increased, so did the demand for a steady supply of low cost refined sugar for both consumers and the emerging industries that needed sugar to make their food products. While attempts to sustain refining operations in Nova Scotia proved unsuccessful, the demand for a home industry continued to grow. In 1854, a refinery was established in Montreal, taking advantage of the city's deep port to receive raw cane sugar shipments from the Caribbean. A second refinery was built in Montreal in 1879.  The arrival of the Canadian Pacific railroad on the west coast opened new opportunities for the industry. In 1890, a refinery was established in Vancouver, ideally located to receive shipments of raw cane sugar from Pacific regions and to access Canada's rapidly developing western markets. Around the same time, the first attempts were made to establish a sugar beet industry in Canada. Sugar beets were later grown successfully in Ontario and Quebec for many years, however, the Prairie Provinces proved to be most ideally situated, inland from cane refineries, providing the economic stimulus for a viable beet sugar industry. In 1912, a group of Montreal businessmen built a cane refinery
on Canada's east coast in Saint John, New Brunswick. Later, the
opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway led to the establishment of a
cane refinery in Toronto, the doorstep to a rapidly growing consumer
and industrial market. From its earliest roots, the Canadian sugar
industry has honoured its commitment to quality and low prices -
a commitment that continues to benefit all Canadians today. Canada’s Sugar Companies Currently, there are three cane sugar refineries and one sugar beet factory in Canada. The cane refineries are located in Vancouver (Rogers Sugar), Toronto (Redpath Sugar) and Montréal (Lantic Sugar). The sugar beet factory is located in Taber, Alberta. For company contact information and locations, click here. Lantic Sugar - has its roots with the Acadia Sugar Refining Co., a Scottish incorporation, originally formed from a consolidation of three refinery operations in Nova Scotia. In 1912, Atlantic Sugar Refineries built a cane sugar refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick. In 1981, the company began a program of diversification and rationalization that concluded with the purchase of St. Lawrence Sugar in Montreal in 1984. In 1998, Lantic announced the expansion  Redpath Sugar - began as The Canada Sugar Refining Co. Ltd. in Montreal, in 1854. The company was the brainchild of John Redpath, an enterprising Scotsman who had seen an opportunity for Canada to produce its own refined sugar. In 1930, the company merged with The Dominion Sugar Company of Chatham, Ontario with plants in Wallaceburg and Chatham, concentrating on the production of beet sugar. Then, in 1959, the renamed Redpath Sugar Ltd. opened its landmark refinery on the Toronto waterfront, which is still in operation today. By 1980, all production of sugar had been consolidated to the Toronto refinery. In 1998, Redpath completed a major expansion and modernization of this operation. Rogers Sugar - was established in 1890 by the entrepreneurial B. T. Rogers. Recognizing  Rogers' involvement in the beet sugar industry dates back to the 1930's with factories at Raymond and Picture Butte in Alberta. Rogers' Winnipeg plant operated from 1940, but was closed in 1997 as a result of severely restricted access to the US market. Today's remaining operation is in Taber, Alberta, built in 1950. The plant expansion program was completed in 1999, increasing its capacity by 50%. When ancient populations first began to grow their own food, they relied on a limited selection of crops that were able to grow in the local climate and soil conditions. Today, the local climate still influences the types of plants and animals that will grow best in different areas throughout the world. Sugar cane and sugar beet, the two most practical sources of sugar, are examples of plants that require different climatic conditions. Sugar is produced in over 120 countries and global production is approximately 145 million tonnes a year. Approximately 75% of sugar is produced from sugar cane, and the remaining from sugar beet.  Growing Sugar Cane  Sugar cane is a type of grass with a bamboo-like jointed stem that grows up to five metres in height and five centimetres in diameter. Since sugar cane is a tropical plant, it can only be cultivated in countries near the equator, or in areas where there are average temperatures of 24°C (75°F), combined with strong sunshine and heavy seasonal rainfall or plentiful supplies of water for irrigation. Major cane sugar regions include Brazil, India, China, Thailand, Australia, South Africa, Mexico and Guatemala. Sugar cane is cultivated on large farms called plantations. Like any other plant, the sugar cane originates from seeds. However, following the harvesting of the first mature crop, small sections of the cane stalk called “setts” are replanted and soon sprout, producing a new crop of sugar cane (called ‘ratoons’). New setts are not needed each year as new “ratoons” continue to grow from the old roots for several years, until the field needs to be “re-sett” and the cycle begins again. In general, sugar cane is harvested in the cooler months in each hemisphere. Unlike sugar beet, sugar cane cannot be stored after harvest, and must be transported quickly to nearby processing mills to minimize deterioration. At maturity, the outside skin of the cane stalk becomes hard and golden yellow, protecting the soft fibre of the inside vascular bundles that store the accumulating cane juice. In addition, the sharp edged leaves of the plant shrivel as the dryer harvesting season approaches, increasing the amount of the sugar within the protected stalks. On average, one hectare of ground yields roughly one hundred tonnes of sugar cane vegetation. This, in turn, will yield between five and ten tonnes of raw sugar, depending upon soil quality, seasonal climate variations and harvesting efficiencies. When cane is harvested, it has a sugar content of approximately 10% by weight, depending on variety of cane and geographical location. Sugar content also varies from season to season. Growing Beet Sugar  Sugar beets are a root crop, which are successfully grown in many areas of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America. They are grown in these moderate climates due to their ability to tolerate frost. Although sugar beets have been grown in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, the only remaining producers of sugar beets in Canada are in Alberta and Ontario.  In Canada, sugar beet seeds are typically planted at the end of April and the root is harvested in September of the same year. At planting time, a beet drill is attached to the back of a tractor, placing seeds in equal spaced rows (see picture at left). Sugar beets require approximately 50 centimetres of water over the growing season and are very sensitive to moisture levels. Irrigating crops too much can reduce the sugar content of the beets, and under irrigating can result in a smaller yield (number of beets produced). Sugar beets are grown most successfully when incorporated into a crop rotation scheme (the successive planting of different crops on the same land). Farmers rotate their crops every four years to protect them from diseases and pests such as beetles, worms and grasshoppers. While the beets are growing, effective weed management is vital to sugar beet production. Weeds can cause significant losses in sugar beet yield and crop quality as they compete for light, water, and nutrients. Strategies to control the growth of weeds include the use of herbicides, specially developed for sugar beets, which will control the weeds without affecting the beets. Over the past 10 years, the amount of herbicide being applied has been greatly reduced by applying very low rates when the beets (and weeds) are quite small. The herbicides are applied in a narrow band directly over the row, which is a more environmentally friendly practice than over the entire field. Cultivation techniques and material inputs must be adapted to the climate and soil types of the region. The land, for example, must have little stone content, and maximum yields are obtained only when spacing between rows and seeds are optimized. It is also important that the correct types of fertilizers be applied at an appropriate rate to ensure good yields. When mature, a sugar beet is an off-white colour, and looks similar to a turnip. In southern Alberta, the sucrose content is almost 19% by weight, depending on the variety. Like sugar cane, sugar content can also vary from year to year and in different geographical locations. For example, sucrose content of sugar beets in Europe is closer to 18% due to climate differences. While sugar content by weight is greater in sugar beets compared to sugar cane (10%), the yield of sugar beet per hectare is lower (on average, 50 tonnes/hectare), as is the yield of sugar (6 tonnes on average). For more information on Sugar Beets in Canada, please see That Beet is Sweet by Statistics Canada.
Cane Sugar Refining Raw Sugar - In tropical regions where sugar cane is grown, sugar cane is partially refined into raw sugar at mills operated near the sugar fields. At the mills, the sugar cane is first cut up into small pieces, and then crushed to extract its juice. The juice is clarified by removing most of the impurities (plant fibre and soil, for example). This sugar-rich solution is boiled down to a thick syrup to which tiny "seed" sugar crystals are added and allowed to grow to larger crystals of raw sugar. Centrifugals (similar to a washing machine when it reaches the spin cycle) are then used to separate the raw sugar crystals from the syrup (molasses). The remaining raw sugar crystals are refined in a local refinery or more often shipped in bulk by sea, to refinery warehouses across the world. In Canada, for example, the major refineries are located in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. Shipping raw sugar - Raw sugar, transported by boat, is covered with a thin coat of molasses, residual plant matter, and particles from shipping and handling. It must undergo purification at a cane sugar refinery before it is ready for human consumption. At the refinery - The first step is to remove the thin coat of molasses and residual matter from the raw sugar crystals. This is accomplished by blending the raw sugar in a hot syrup and then spinning off the dark brown syrup (molasses) from the sugar in high speed centrifugals. The washed crystals are then dissolved in water and filtered through a mechanical ‘strainer’ to remove larger particles, and clarified to remove the remaining microscopic particles. The result is a pure, colourless syrup consisting of sugar and water.  For a closer look at the refining process, click the picture above Some of the water from the resulting syrup is evaporated and again tiny "seed" crystals are added allowing larger sugar crystals to form. Granulated sugar is obtained by extracting these crystals from the syrup in centrifugals. The crystals are washed with water, dried in a drum (much like a laundry dryer) and stored in silos. Prior to packaging, the sugar is sieved through wire mesh with various sizes of holes to separate crystals that correspond to different varieties of sugar (e.g., fine, superfine, powdered). For a more detailed description of the Sugar Beet Processing Beet Harvesting - The sugar beets processed in Canada are grown and harvested in Taber, Alberta. The beets are harvested from September until early November. The leaves and tops are removed after harvesting, and the growers transport the beet roots that are in good condition to one of the sugar beet receiving stations. The beets are stockpiled outdoors using specialized equipment, where they are held for up to 175 days awaiting processing. The beets are then transported by truck to the sugar beet processing plant.
Beet Preparation - The beets are carried into the factory in a water flume. Rocks and weeds are removed prior to the beets being washed. The roots of the washed beets are then sliced into thin noodle-like strips called cossettes, which are sent to the extraction system. Sugar Extraction and Purification - The cossettes are soaked with hot water to remove the sugar syrup. The syrup is then heated, and exposed to lime and carbon dioxide to remove remaining impurities. Much like cane sugar processing, the purified juice is filtered, concentrated through evaporation, crystallized, and dried. It is then stored in silos until packaged for shipping. For more detailed information on sugar beet harvesting and processing, please visit Lantic Inc.
Sugar By-products Many of the materials left over from the production of sugar are recycled and reused. The leaves and tops of sugar beets are removed after harvesting and used as livestock feed. Sugar beet residue, or pulp, is used to produce a highly nutritious animal feed or is further processed for use as fibre or other products. Much of the water removed through cane sugar refining and sugar beet processing still contains sugar, so it is pumped back into the system to be used again. Molasses is recycled through the sugar beet and cane sugar refining process an average of four times to remove the maximum amount of sugar. Molasses is also used by distillers, bakers and pharmaceutical companies. Types of Sugar Sugar produced from sugar beet or sugar cane is identical, and available in the following main categories: Granulated sugar - This type of sugar (pure sucrose) is naturally white. No bleaching agent is added at any time during the refining process. This is the most common form of sugar used in households and commercial food products. It is available in a number of different crystal sizes. Icing sugar - It is powdered granulated sugar, with a touch of cornstarch (gluten-free) added to prevent caking that would otherwise occur when icing's very fine particles absorb moisture from the air. Brown sugars - Often referred to as ‘soft sugars’, brown sugars are produced by crystallizing the golden coloured syrup or by mixing molasses syrups with pure white sugar crystals. Liquid sugar - Includes liquid sugar and liquid invert sugar, which are predominantly produced in industrial quantities for use by food manufacturers Speciality sugars - Includes Demrara-style, ‘Plantation Raw’, Organic, and Golden Syrup. For more information on different Types of Sugars, click
here.  In addition to providing a sweet taste and flavour, sugar performs a variety of functions in food products. Sugar is used as a preservative, where sugar inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Sugar is used in baked goods, like cakes, to hold moisture and prevent staleness that is noticed when these foods dry out. In canned fruit and vegetables, sugar enhances texture and colours. Sugar is also used to prevent large ice crystals from forming in frozen sweet mixtures, like ice cream, and to support fermentation in products containing yeast, such as bread. In these roles and others, sugar is an important and versatile food ingredient.
For more information on the functions of sugar in foods, click here. Sugar also has some surprising non-food uses:
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Canadian Sugar Institute
10 Bay Street, Suite 620 - Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2R8
Tel: 416-368-8091 - Fax: 416-368-6426 | info@sugar.ca
| www.sugar.ca |