Why are sugarcane and sugar beets processed differently after harvest?

Sugarcane and sugar beets are processed differently primarily due to their distinct physical structures and the agricultural environments in which they are grown.

Extraction Methods

• Sugarcane: As a giant grass, sugarcane stalks are first chopped and shredded to expose their tissue. The juice is then typically extracted through a series of roller mills that crush the cane, often using a countercurrent of water to maximize yield. Alternatively, some facilities use a diffusion process similar to that used for beets.12
• Sugar Beets: As root crops, sugar beets are washed to remove soil and then sliced into V-shaped strips called "cossettes." These strips are soaked in hot water within a multicell, countercurrent diffuser to extract the sugar.32

Refining Differences

While the final refined product is chemically identical sucrose, the refining processes can diverge to meet specific market or ethical standards:
* Bone Char: Sugarcane processors often use bone char to achieve a pure white color, a step not required for beet sugar.4
* Molasses: Molasses is a natural byproduct of sugarcane processing. Because beet molasses is not considered a high-grade product, brown sugar made from beets typically requires the addition of sugarcane molasses.4