Sugar is the most common ingredient in our kitchen shelves. Lately, this ingredient has been accused of being “not vegan”. But science says otherwise. The real story is more surprising than you think. Let’s dive deep into the science behind it’s making and bust a common myth.
The unusual claim
As mentioned by a well-known animal welfare organisation,
“Bone char—often referred to as natural carbon—is widely used by the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which allows the sugar cane to achieve its desirable white color.”
What exactly is the myth?
The fact that all white sugar available in the market has animal bone material in it and is therefore not vegan!
Let’s understand the reality behind it’s manufacturing and the unusual claim.
Journey of a sugarcane from farm to table
Primary source of sucrose/ Raw material- sugarcane or sugar beets
Once harvested, they are transported to processing facilities.
- Purification- the juice is passed through several filters to remove impurities
- Clarification- Juice is evaporated and concentrated into a thick syrup
- Crystallization- Fine seed crystals are added to the syrup to encourage crystal formation.
- Centrifugation- The mixture is centrifuged to separate the clear liquid (molasses) from the crystals.
- The crystals are washed, dried, and cooled to prevent the formation of clumps. At this stage, it is known as raw sugar. It is brownish in appearance.
- Refining- The final stage, involving washing, crystallization, centrifugation, and filtration, following which we get pure white sugar crystals.
Where does bone char come in?
It is typically used in the refining stage as a filter. It is an excellent decolorizing agent, removing all impurities and coloring agents, giving it pure white sugar crystals. However, it should be noted that it is not a part of the final product. It is merely used as a filter.
Busting the myth
While it may be true that animal bone chars are used in these industries during refining, not all white sugar we get in the market may be refined using them. A lot of countries have adopted vegan-based options for refining sugar. Alternatives include granular activated carbon or ion-exchange resins, which are entirely plant-based or mineral-based.
Finally, is white sugar vegan-friendly?
Bone char is merely used as a filter and not as an ingredient. The final sugar is chemically pure sucrose with no animal-derived component.
For ethically strict vegans, it is more about the process than the product. In that case, you can enjoy sugar produced from beets instead of sugarcane or use sugar that was refined using ion-exchange resins.
It is always worth knowing the journey of your food from farm to table because awareness is the key to staying informed and staying healthy.
Happy eating, Happy reading!
Great read, thanks!