How to learn to distinguish real cane sugar from fake? It's very simple - you just need to know a few key points. Which ones? FeelGood will tell you!

Test it directly in a drink

It seems to many that sugar in any form has absolutely the same taste. In fact, one of the main differences between cane sugar and beet sugar is that it manifests itself completely differently in drinks and dishes. That is why real cane sugar can be distinguished by taste and smell. White beet sugar has virtually no odor and only one taste. As for brown - cane - sugar, it has a lot of nuances, including a characteristic taste and aroma.

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Add a little cane sugar to a cup of coffee or tea, stir it and taste the drink - real cane sugar will highlight the taste of the drink without distorting it, and will add an exquisite piquant note to tea or coffee.

Carefully read the description on the packaging

Still, the main source of information for a buyer who does not have a laboratory nearby for analysis is, first of all, packaging. Carefully study all notes and inscriptions on the label. A very important factor is the country of origin of cane sugar. Authentic and, more importantly, high-quality cane sugar comes to us mainly from the islands of Mauritius, Argentina, Colombia, Malawi, Brazil, Paraguay, and South Africa.

Also pay attention to the calorie content of the product - cane sugar is more dietary than regular sugar (about 375 kcal per 100 g).

We advise you to give preference to trusted sugar producers, such as TM “Sladov” unrefined cane sugar.

The products of TM “Sladov” are noticeably different from their average market analogues. Firstly, this is, of course, a wide range of goods, which cannot but please. Secondly, only selected varieties of sugar beets and sugar cane are used for TM “Sladov” sugar, and the design of the product pleases with ergonomic packaging.

Moreover, it was at the sugar production of TM “Sladov” that the Food Safety Management System was developed, implemented and certified according to the Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000) scheme. This is an audit and certification scheme for food safety management systems in the food supply chain, based on ISO standards and recognized internationally.

An effective food safety management system, which operates at the sugar production of TM “Sladov”, guarantees the quality and safety of the food products produced.

TM "Sladov" takes care of your health, offering only high-quality products that have all supporting documents.

Myths about how to recognize real sugar

There are two most common myths about how to test the authenticity of cane sugar: using iodine and using warm water.

According to the first belief, you need to drop iodine into sugar syrup, and if the sugar acquires a bluish tint, then it means it is real. Accordingly, if there is no reaction, this is a fake.

This myth arose due to the fact that saccharides (in particular, starch/bread) interact with iodine, turning bluish (and previously, using a similar experiment, the presence of bread in cutlets was determined). However, this only applies to polysaccharides like starch (the main component of bread).

Cane sugar is predominantly a monosaccharide, which by its nature does not behave this way when in contact with iodine. Simply put, sugar - real or not - will not turn blue in any case.

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The second myth, which involves the use of warm water, is due to the fact that sometimes beet sugar is simply colored with caramel, passing it off as cane sugar. Caramel in water tends to wash off and turn the liquid brown. At first glance, everything seems simple: if the water changes color, then the sugar is not real.

However, in fact, cane sugar can also color water. The fact is that it is produced by crystallizing molasses obtained from sugar cane juice. To start the growth of crystals, small slices of sucrose are added to the molasses. They have a dense crystalline structure, and therefore most of the cane molasses cannot be fixed inside the crystal, but only in its microcracks, the vast majority of which are on the outer part of the crystal. When dissolved in warm water, unrefined cane sugar crystals lose their molasses and become discolored, and the solution, accordingly, becomes colored. From which we summarize that it is simply impossible to verify the authenticity of sugar using warm water.

FeelGood wishes you to always be vigilant and consume only the highest quality products!

Reality: this is wrong!

Cane sugar, or brown sugar as it is often called, is sugar made from sugar cane. In the production of cane sugar, sugar cane is subject to minimal industrial processing, as a result of which cane sugar retains sugarcane molasses and, accordingly, a number of valuable microelements such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc. The darker the sugar, the higher the concentration of molasses in it.

However, you should know that white cane sugar is also available on the market! It will not retain the sugarcane molasses, but has a mild flavor and a delicate tropical aroma.

Myth: In order to determine the authenticity of cane sugar, you need to dissolve it in water.

It is believed that fake sugar can be detected by dissolving it in warm water. If the liquid turns the color of sugar, then most likely this is a useless fake.

Reality: it's a lie!

All cane sugar tends to color water. The molasses, which envelops the sugar crystals, dissolves first, coloring the water. This is due to the peculiarities of cane sugar production!

Cane sugar is produced by crystallizing molasses obtained from sugar cane juice. To start the growth of crystals, small slices of sucrose are added to the molasses. A sucrose crystal begins to form around these particles. Since sucrose has a dense crystalline structure, most of the cane molasses cannot be fixed inside the crystal, but only in its microcracks.

Since the outer part of the crystals has more microcracks, the overwhelming amount of cane molasses is fixed there. And, accordingly, when dissolved, unrefined cane sugar crystals, first of all, lose molasses and become discolored, and the solution becomes colored.

Myth: real cane sugar should “prove itself” when in contact with iodine.

There is an opinion that there is one effective way to figure out counterfeit sugar. You need to take iodine and drop it into sugar syrup. If the sugar has acquired a bluish tint, then this is natural cane sugar; otherwise, it is fake.

Reality: it is a myth!

This myth appeared due to the fact that saccharides (in particular, starch/bread) interact with iodine, turning bluish (previously, the presence of bread in cutlets was determined by dripping iodine onto their cracks). However, this only applies to polysaccharides such as starch (the main constituent of bread).

Cane sugar is predominantly a monosaccharide, which by its nature does not behave this way when in contact with iodine. Therefore, this method of checking the authenticity of sugar is not effective! Sugar will not turn blue - and it shouldn’t!

Myth: Real cane sugar can be distinguished by taste and smell.

Reality: This is true!

White sugar has only one taste and practically no smell, but cane sugar has a lot of nuances of taste and aroma. You can distinguish a genuine product by its characteristic taste and smell. Add a few pieces of cane sugar to a cup of tea or coffee, stir it and taste the drink - real cane sugar will highlight the taste of the drink without distorting it, adding an exquisite piquant note to a cup of tea or coffee.

Myth: To determine the real sugar, you need to carefully study the product packaging.

Reality: This is true!

In the store, before purchasing cane sugar, carefully study the information on the packaging. Pay special attention to the country of origin of cane sugar. Respectable sugar comes from Mauritius, Cuba, Brazil, USA, Costa Rica or Guatemala.

In addition, give preference to trusted sugar producers, for example, TM Sladov cane sugar.

Cane sugar TM “Sladov” is produced on the island of Mauritius, and has successfully passed all tests for authenticity and safety. The quality of this sugar is confirmed by the presence of quality certificates, hygienic conclusions, as well as the results of studies on the presence of useful substances such as phosphorus, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium in unrefined cane sugar TM “Sladov”!

The right decisions in choosing quality products!

There has been a lot of controversy lately about the benefits of brown sugar among those interested in healthy eating. Some say that it does not have any special beneficial properties that would distinguish it from white sugar. But there are also people who are sure that it is a real boon for those who want to avoid the harm caused by white beet sugar. That’s why it’s even included in the diet.

The raw material for this product is sugar cane. We don't grow it here. It is imported from America and South Africa. Since raw materials have to be brought from afar, this significantly increases the final cost of the product. Its price is several times higher than that of conventional beet sugar. Therefore, you can often encounter a fake. On the shelves you can find caramelized or simply colored white sugar. In this way, manufacturers profit from our ignorance. It costs them much less to produce such a fake. Externally, this product is no different from the original

On a note! In fact, cane sugar doesn't have to be brown. It can be light brown or golden. It depends on the type of product.

Let us consider in this article in more detail what methods for determining natural cane sugar exist.

Myths about cane sugar

1. The first myth is that once immersed in warm water, fake cane sugar will turn it dark. In fact, this method cannot be used. Colored beet sugar will make the water dark, but with real cane sugar the situation is exactly the same. Cane sugar contains molasses, which dissolves in water, causing it to darken.
2. The second myth says that sugar needs to be dissolved in water and then iodine should be added. If the product is real, then the water should turn blue. This method is also not true. Although it is a good chemical idea. But the fact is that if sugar was produced according to all the rules, then there will be practically no starch in it. This means that it may not turn out blue.
3. The third myth. “When cane sugar is dissolved in hot water, it emits a characteristic caramel aroma that can be used to identify the original product.” This myth is only partially true. If a person has tasted real cane sugar many times, he will know what it should smell like. But some cunning manufacturers add flavoring to the fake, which can deceive even sophisticated gourmets.
4. Another myth says that real cane sugar has never been sold on the shelves of our stores because its price is too high. This myth is also false. This product does have a fairly high price compared to the white one. Extraction of raw materials and processing are not overly expensive processes. This product must be sourced from countries such as Mauritius, USA, Cuba and others. But this is not a reason for a significant increase in price. The only reason cane sugar will cost more than regular sugar is the cost of transporting it. While white sugar is produced from domestic sugar beets, making it a fairly affordable product. Therefore, it can be said that it will be very difficult to distinguish the authenticity of a product by looking at its price. Moreover, inflating prices is a way of profit for unscrupulous manufacturers.

How to identify real brown sugar

Since almost all known methods for identifying a natural product turned out to be just myths, we can say that natural cane sugar is extremely difficult to distinguish. Therefore, the only way to determine a natural product is a combination of several characteristics.

Firstly, the price of the product will indeed differ significantly compared to beet sugar produced in our country. In addition, it is very useful to know in which countries sugar cane grows. If the information about the manufacturer that is indicated matches at least one of these countries, then most likely the product can be considered natural. If the box indicates a country where cane does not grow, then no matter how exotic it may be, you can be sure that the product is fake. Since the production of sugar in a country that is not the homeland of raw materials will be very expensive. Therefore, from this we can conclude that the product is most likely counterfeit. In addition, the taste of a natural product will still be slightly different. But in order to determine it, you need to be personally familiar with the taste characteristics of cane sugar.

Video: how to distinguish cane sugar from fake?

You can increasingly hear information that cane sugar is much healthier than the white sugar we are used to. In fact, both products have almost identical properties; they differ only in taste and aroma, nothing more. Cane sugar has a sweeter and more interesting aroma, which is why many people prefer it. But in our market this product is much more expensive than the option made from beets. This is explained by the fact that reed does not grow in our country and foreign products are brought to us. Although in fact, in America and many European countries, cane sugar is consumed in larger quantities than beet sugar. But often you can find fakes on the shelves of our country. Instead of the original product, regular sugar is simply colored and given the desired shade. How to avoid falling for scammers?

Cane sugar: how to spot a fake?

Today we will not talk about which product is healthier and what to choose. Cane sugar has the same composition, but still its aroma and taste differs from the beet product. But be careful, because often the most common white sugar on sale is that which has undergone a coloring procedure. The cost of the cane product is several times higher, since it is imported from other countries (America, South Africa). It is made from sugar cane using the same technology as beetroot.

Often, stores offer caramelized and regular colored sugar. These types of sweeteners have nothing to do with the cane product . And since many buyers do not understand such issues, they overpay for regular colored sugar. And it is not surprising, because visually it is difficult to distinguish it from the original.

Cane sugar - how to spot a fake? It will be quite difficult to identify a fake on your own, since it is visually no different. First of all, read the information on the packaging, it should indicate that the product is made from sugar cane. It should not contain dyes or other additives. Read the information about the manufacturer, so we advise you to find out in which countries sugar is produced before visiting the store. If the information indicated on the packaging matches the data of one of the countries producing the cane product, you can make a purchase. Most often it is brought from America, Cuba, Mauritius.

Does the color of the product matter? No, this indicator is not the main one. After all, the color depends on the type of sugar; it can have either a light or dark shade (depending on the region in which the cane is grown).

Pay attention to the cost - real cane sugar will be several times more expensive. If the price difference is small, most likely you have a dyed product.

Is it possible to recognize a fake by taste? Yes, you can, but only if you have already tried real cane sugar and know what it tastes like. As you know, beet sugar is tasteless and has virtually no aroma. But cane has a bright taste and aroma, it smells like caramel.

Testing with iodine and water: does it work or not?

On the Internet you can find information that you can check the authenticity of cane sugar using iodine or just water. In fact, these techniques do not work, so you should not waste time on useless experiments.

Actually, it's possible. First, look for the word “unrefined” on the packaging; if sugar is designated as “brown refined”, it means that it is a product containing dyes and foreign additives. Secondly, the aroma cane molasses It is quite characteristic, and it is not difficult to distinguish it from the smell of burnt sugar, which is used to tint counterfeits. Thirdly, natural cane brown sugar is always quite expensive. It is more expensive to produce (in particular, sugar cane must be processed within 24 hours after it is cut), and because it is produced abroad (in Russia it can only be packaged in bags, and large producers never hide this), and transportation also costs some money.

Buy sugar from manufacturers who have been on the market for a long time. They value their name and monitor the quality of their products.

You can determine whether the brown sugar you bought is real or fake: put a spoonful of sugar in a glass of warm water. If the water becomes colored and the crystals lose color, it means the sugar is fake.

No, that's not true. Brown sugar has its color because it contains molasses. However, it is concentrated in the upper layers of the sugar crystal, and when it gets into water, it dissolves faster than the sugar itself - and this is more noticeable on larger crystals. This is explained by the fact that each brown sugar crystal is formed separately during synthesis, and does not break off from a larger monolith. In this crystal, the sucrose molecules are arranged very tightly, leaving no room for other molecules, and as the crystal grows, the molasses is pushed into the upper layers.

The overall picture is this: a sugar crystal is transparent on the inside, but colored by molasses on the outside - and this coloring occurs naturally as the crystal grows.

Brown sugar has fewer calories than white sugar and is therefore healthier.

Yes, brown sugar is healthier than white sugar, but for a different reason. In addition to calories, it contains various minerals that are extremely beneficial for the human body. As for the calorie content of brown sugar, it is almost the same as that of white sugar.

Brown sugar can be made from any raw material, you just need to not refine the raw sugar.

No, you can't make brown sugar from everything - just from sugar cane. More precisely, it will work, but it will be very expensive. For example, raw beet sugar is practically inedible - the mass enveloping its crystals smells unpleasant and also tastes disgusting. Therefore, to make brown sugar from beets, you must first make beet sugar, then refine it completely, white, and then color it with cane molasses. Obviously, the game is not worth the candle.