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ICUMSA 45 and ICUMSA 100 are the two most widely used refined sugar varieties all over the world. These find countless culinary uses both in homes and large food and beverage industries. But what is the real difference between ICUMSA 45 and ICUMSA 100? This is what most people don’t know and seem to ask often.
Here is what the founder of Geohoney and the CEO of B A Barry Group, Mr. Basem Barry has to say
“What sets these types of sugars apart is their extent of processing, purity and color.”
However, there is a lot more going on and in this blog, we will look at the real differences between these two sugars in detail so keep on reading till the end.
A Little About the ICUMSA Scale or Rating
What is ICUMSA 45 Sugar?
What is ICUMSA 100 Sugar?
ICUMSA 45 vs ICUMSA 100: Key Differences
Color
Purity
Refining
Ash and Moisture Contents
Applications
The ICUMSA or the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis refers to an international organization that is responsible for standardizing the testing, grading and classification of sugar around the world.
The ICUMSA scale or rating is a system developed by the ICUMSA that measures the purity or whiteness of the sugar. If the ICUMSA rating of the sugar is lower as in the case of ICUMSA 45 sugar, it is more refined, pure and white.
On the other hand, if the ICUMSA rating is greater as in the case of ICUMSA 100 sugar or the brown organic sugar with ICUMSA 1000 to 1200, the sugar is less white, less refined and somewhat impure.
ICUMSA 45 is the most consumed sugar around the world for its sparkling white color and pure sucrose taste. This sugar undergoes intense refining which removes most harmful bacteria and contaminants giving you a snow-white appearance along with a purity level of 99.8%.
The refining of this sugar involves several rigorous steps like carbon filtration, ion exchange resins and sometimes bone char filtration. This results in uniform, odorless, fine and sparkling white sugar crystals that meet every international health standard.
The ICUMSA 100 sugar is known for its high purity (99.6% to 99.7%), slightly off-white or creamy color and a refining process that involves fewer processing steps. Despite having sufficiently high purity, this sugar is still not as chemically pure and uniform as the ICUMSA 45 sugar.
This sugar undergoes less processing which involves fewer filtration and decolorization steps. This gives you a sugar that is clean and safe for regular use. The minimal processing of this sugar makes its production more economical and that leads to lower prices compared to other sugars.
Following are a few key differences between ICUMSA 45 and ICUMSA 100 sugars that you should know
One major difference between these two sugars is their color. The ICUMSA 45 sugar contains fewer impurities due to a high level of processing. This gives the sugar a sparkling white appearance.
On the other hand, the presence of trace impurities gives the ICUMSA 100 sugar a slightly off-white, faint yellow or beige color. This color difference is what determines their industry and domestic culinary applications.
The purity levels of these sugars are also slightly different. With ICUMSA 100 sugar, you get a purity level of 99.8%. The ICUMSA 45 sugar gives a 99.8% to 99.9% purity which is a result of its rigorous processing. This makes ICUMSA 45 sugar more aesthetically perfect as well.
The refining processes of these two sugars are what lead to their different colors, textures, and purity.
For ICUMSA 45
The refining of the ICUMSA 45 sugar involves the extraction of raw juice from sugarcane followed by purification by phosphatation or carbonation. The juice then passes through an activated carbon or bone char filter which further removes the color.
After this, the juice is evaporated to make the syrup which is then boiled to form sugar crystals. The crystals are centrifuged to remove molasses and then dried in hot air dryers. After drying, the sugar is refiltered and packed. These multiple filtration and drying steps lead to a very white and high-purity sugar.
For ICUMSA 100
In the case of ICUMSA 100 sugar, after juice extraction from sugarcanes, less intense filtration is performed without using strong chemicals. After that, mild decolorization is done using light carbon filtration.
Then, evaporation, crystallization and centrifugation are done. There is no refiltering in this case after drying which gives you less white refined sugar.
Ash content means the presence of inorganic and non-combustible substances in sugar after heating it at high temperatures. The moisture content deals with the presence of water in sugar which can promote mold or bacteria growth.
Low ash and water contents are ideal for sugars as they indicate a higher purity, less spoilage risks and a longer shelf life.
The ash and moisture contents of the ICUMSA 45 sugar are both 0.04%. On the other hand, the ICUMSA 100 sugar has an ash content of 0.15% and a moisture content of 0.10% which are comparatively higher than ICUMSA 45.
The ICUMS 45 sugar is used extensively in soft drinks and beverages industries, high-end food production, the pharmaceutical industry and the baked goods industry. It is also used for household applications and cosmetic industries.
The ICUMSA 100 sugar is used mostly for baking and confectionery, ethanol and biofuel, fermentation, and animal feed purposes.
ICUMSA 45 and ICUMSA 100 sugar differ in the way they are processed. They also possess slightly different colors, purity levels and moisture content. These factors significantly influence their culinary applications.
The ICUMSA 45 sugar is used in high-end food and beverages industries for its greater purity, grain uniformity and sparkling white color. The ICUMSA 100 is used mostly for industrial processing and domestic applications where very high purity or textural consistency is not required.
Both of these sugars have several unique features and you need to know these before you go ahead and make a purchase. This can save you some money while ensuring you get the best results for your specific applications at the same time.
Visit us at B A Barry Group to get the highest quality ICUMSA 45 sugar sourced from leading Brazilian producers that guarantee exceptional purity every time.
