- Tokyo : 07:53 |
- Singapore : 06:53 |
- Dubai : 02:53 |
- London : 23:53 |
- New York : 18:53 |
- Sydney : 08:53
Sugar comes in various forms, where each differs in quality, flavor, and nutrient concentrations. No matter whether you are a sugar producer, buyer, or distributor, you need to make sure the products you deal with are consistent in quality.
This is not possible if you are not familiar with basic parameters like Brix, Pol, and Moisture in sugar. An understanding of these key parameters allows you to accurately estimate the purity and commercial value of different types of sugar.
“Knowing the differences between Brix, Pol, and Moisture in sugar, along with their relationship with each other, can help you source the highest quality sugar every single time.”, says the founder of Geohoney and the CEO of B A Barry Group, Mr Basem Barry.
If these parameters are new to you, then don’t worry because this is what this blog is all about. This article delves into Brix, Pol, and Moisture contents of sugar in detail to clear your every confusion, so keep on reading till the end.
What is Brix in Sugar?
What is Pol in Sugar?
What is Moisture in Sugar?
The Relationship Between Brix, Pol, and Moisture
The Importance of These Parameters in The Sugar Sector
Brix (oBx) is a measurement used in the food and sugar industries to determine the exact dissolved solids content, mainly sucrose, in a given liquid. For example, the value 1 degree Brix tells you that there is one gram of solids, like sucrose, salts, acids, etc, in 100 grams of a solution.
If a solution has a higher Brix value, it indicates it has a greater sweetness. The Brix value is measured using a device called a refractometer. This device uses the principle of light refraction to determine the amount of dissolved solids in a liquid.
The Brix parameter is mainly used to measure the sucrose content in raw sugarcane solutions or molasses during sugar extraction and processing. The Brix value allows you to estimate how much sugar you can extract from raw material. The higher the Brix value, the richer the juice and the higher the sugar recovery.
It is also used in the food and beverages industries to determine the sugar content or sweetness in fruit juices, baked goods, and other sweet products.
Refined sugars like ICUMSA 45 sugar have a Brix value between 99.8 – 100° Bx, while organic sugars possess a Brix value of 97.5 – 99.5° Bx.
Pol stands for polarization, and this parameter is used to determine the percentage sucrose content in sugar crystals or sugarcane juice. This parameter shows you how much sucrose is in a given sugar sample in terms of its percentage by weight.
If a sugar sample has 98% Pol, it means about 98% of the weight of the sample is made up of sucrose.
This parameter is determined using a polarimeter in which a polarized light is made to pass through a sugar solution. The sucrose in the sugar rotates the light, and the degree of rotation gives you the measure of pol.
Unlike Brix, which also includes other soluble solids like salts, acids in measurements, Pol only gives you the amount of sucrose in sugar. Pol tells you about sugar’s purity, crystallization suitability, and the required refining processes. This parameter is essential when it comes to the pricing and quality evaluation of any sugar.
Refined sugars have a Pol value between 99.8 – 100% while organic brown sugar has a Pol value of 97.0 – 99.2%.
Moisture is a measure of the percentage of water in a given sample of sugar. This parameter is a key to determining the shelf life, product quality, and risks of microbial growth in sugar.
A sugar with 0.1% moisture content means there is about 0.1 gram of water in about 100 grams of the sugar. The moisture content of sugar can be found using the oven-drying method or with the help of a moisture analyzer.
Sugars with low moisture give you better storability and fewer risks of spoilage or clumping. Commercial sugars typically have a moisture content of <0.05% to 0.1%.
Refined sugars like ICUMSA 45 sugar have a moisture content of 0.02 – 0.05% while organic sugar possesses a moisture content of 0.10 – 0.20%.
Now that we’ve discussed Brix, Pol, and Moisture individually, let’s go a little further and see how these are related to each other.
Sugars with Low Moisture, High Pol, and High Brix
A sugar with this composition is considered to be of high purity and the best quality. Usually, refined sugars used in food & beverages, pharmaceutical, convenience foods, and confectionery industries have this makeup.
Sugars with Pol Less Than Brix
If a sugar’s pol content is less than Brix, it shows there might be a presence of non-sucrose impurities such as molasses or invert sugars. Typically, less refined, organic sugar is low in pol and high in Brix.
Sugars with High Moisture Content
These are sugars that are prone to clumping and spoilage. High moisture sugars have a low shelf life, and you need to package these with special care.
The importance of knowing everything there is about Brix, Pol, and Moisture parameters of sugar cannot be overstated, and the following are a few points that show you why.
By knowing the Brix, Pol, and Moisture during the sugar processing, you can better monitor and control its quality, consistency, and sweetness. This ensures you only produce premium quality sugar and nothing less.
These parameters can help you determine the potential yield from a certain sugarcane crop. High-quality crops possess greater Brix and pol contents with low moisture values. These parameters can thus help you estimate yield and profitability, which can in turn help you make informed decisions when it comes to sugar processing.
A consistent Brix level allows you to create sugar with specific sweetness, texture, and shelf life. Thus, by monitoring these parameters, you can ensure the sugar you buy or sell has a consistent quality.
By knowing the Pol, Moisture, and Brix contents, you can easily determine whether the product should be charged at a premium price or not. Sugars that are lower in moisture and high in Pol command higher prices both in local and international trade.
Brix and Pol values during sugar processing can help you optimize the extraction and crystallization stages, which leads to cost savings, higher yields, and greater overall operational productivity.
Proper storage of refined or raw organic sugar can increase its shelf life significantly. An understanding of Brix, Pol, and Moisture can help you not only predict the shelf life of a sugar but also enhance it by allowing you to take the best storage measures.
For anyone working in the sugar industry, an understanding of Brix, Pol, and Moisture parameters is quite important. Without it, there is no way you can ensure you are dealing with sugar that has a high quality or greater economic value.
Sugars with higher Brix and pol concentrations and lower moisture are considered to be very pure. This type of sugar gives you a greater shelf life, and it can be used in countless applications in foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and several other industries.
Apart from that, an understanding of these parameters also gives you an idea about the processing efficiency, storage, and handling requirements of any given sugar, which leads to better quality control and a much higher ROI for businesses that are involved in sugar trade in any way.
You can visit us at B A Barry Group to source high Brix, high Pol, and low moisture content sugar for all industrial, commercial, and domestic applications.
