Brown sugar refers to sugar produced from sugarcane that retains some of the molasses, giving it its distinctive color and flavor.

Description of raw materials used in production.

• The primary raw material is sugarcane, a tropical plant that yields a sweet juice from which sugar is extracted.

Step-by-step summary of the industrial production process.

• Canes are cut and crushed to extract the juice.
• The juice is then boiled until sugar crystals form.
• The crystals are centrifuged to remove excess molasses, but some amount remains, giving the sugar its brown color.
• The sugar is then cooled and packaged.

Brown sugar has a granulated texture and a color that ranges from light brown to dark brown, depending on the amount of molasses content.

Sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.) is an important perennial plant of the Poaceae family.

The first world producer is Brazil followed by India.

Agricultural land with sugarcane plantation

 

Sugar cane juice is the raw material for the production of refined sugar and its wax is considered a potential substitute for the expensive carnauba wax, which is of cosmetic and pharmaceutical interest.

Refined sugar is the primary product of sugar cane juice, but during its processing, other valuable products are also obtained in raw form, such as cane sugar, molasses, and sago or sago. Sugarcane juice is widely used in India for the treatment of various diseases.

It has many interesting components, such as caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, phenolic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, synapic acid, apigenin, phenols, phytosterols, flavonoids, luteolin, policosanols, superior terpenoids (1).

Recently, as previously for fat and protein, there has been negative discussion about carbohydrate, including blaming it for the rise of obesity and related metabolic conditions, even though overconsumption and sedentary lifestyles are more defined contributors. In many parts of the world, natural sugar (sucrose) from sugar cane is the main dietary source of carbohydrate. Considerable misinformation about sugar is in the public domain with the average consumer being unaware of (i) the critical need of body cells, particularly brain cells, for sugar to function, (ii) the multitude of functionalities other than sweetening that sugar imparts, and (iii) micronutrients delivered with many sugar products (2).

Sugar cane studies

References_________________________________________________________________________

(1) Singh A, Lal UR, Mukhtar HM, Singh PS, Shah G, Dhawan RK. Phytochemical profile of sugarcane and its potential health aspects.  Pharmacogn Rev. 2015 Jan-Jun;9(17):45-54. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.156340. Review. 

Abstract. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.) is an important perennial grass of Poaceae family, indigenous to tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is cultivated worldwide due to the economical and medicinal value of its high yielding products. Sugarcane juice is well known as a raw material for the production of refined sugar and its wax is considered as a potential substitute for the expensive carnauba wax, which is of cosmetic and pharmaceutical interest. Refined sugar is the primary product of sugarcane juice, but during its processing, various other valuable products are also obtained in an unrefined form, such as, brown sugar, molasses, and jaggery. Sugarcane juice is widely used in India in the treatment of jaundice, hemorrhage, dysuria, anuria, and other urinary diseases. Herein, we have summarized the different phytoconstituents and health benefits of sugarcane and its valuable products. The phytochemistry of sugarcane wax (obtained from the leaves and stalks of sugarcane), leaves, juice, and its products has revealed the presence of various fatty acid, alcohol, phytosterols, higher terpenoids, flavonoids, -O- and -C-glycosides, and phenolic acids. The future prospective of some of the sugarcane products has been discussed, which needs a phytopharmacological study and has a great potential to be a valuable medicinal product.

(2) Eggleston G  J Positive Aspects of Cane Sugar and Sugar Cane Derived Products in Food and Nutrition.   Agric Food Chem. 2018 Apr 25;66(16):4007-4012. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05734.

Abstract. Recently, as previously for fat and protein, there has been negative discussion about carbohydrate, including blaming it for the rise of obesity and related metabolic conditions, even though overconsumption and sedentary lifestyles are more defined contributors. In many parts of the world, natural sugar (sucrose) from sugar cane is the main dietary source of carbohydrate. Considerable misinformation about sugar is in the public domain with the average consumer being unaware of (i) the critical need of body cells, particularly brain cells, for sugar to function, (ii) the multitude of functionalities other than sweetening that sugar imparts, and (iii) micronutrients delivered with many sugar products.