Brown sugar
Practical Action
Muscovado
Also known as Barbados sugar, muscovado is the product of the third crystallisation. It is dark
brown in colour with small grains and sticky texture.
A by-product of both the OPS and VP scale of production, it tends to be produced as an
alternative to white sugar if the standard is not very high.
Large-scale brown sugar production
Large-scale sugar production is anything over 500 tonnes of cane processed per day and uses
modern VP technology. However, due to the high capital cost of the technology it is usual for
plants to be capable of processing at least 1000 tonnes of cane per day.
Refinery brown sugars
All of these sugars are produced during the refining of raw sugars and are known as “soft” sugars
because their small, free-flowing grains give the impression of a soft texture. These are produced
by boiling crystals from a dark massecuite or by coating refined sugar with a thin film of
molasses, known as painted or London brown sugars (where the system was first developed). In
some cases, caramel and invert sugars are added in small amounts to enhance the colour and
texture. These sugars tend to be produced by the large-scale white sugar manufactures and not
by the small to medium-scale producers.
References and further reading
Sugar Production from Sugar Cane, Practical Action Technical Brief
Small and Medium Scale Sugar Processing Technology, Andrew Russell, Practical Action
Bangladesh, 1998
Sugar Processing: The Development of a Third-world Technology, Raphael Kaplinsky, Practical
Action Publishing, 1984
Cane Sugar Raphael Kaplinsky, Practical Action Publishing 1989
Practical Action
The Schumacher Centre
Bourton-on-Dunsmore
Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 9QZ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1926 634400
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E-mail: inforserv@practicalaction.org.uk
Website: http://practicalaction.org/practicalanswers/
Practical Action is a development charity with a difference. We know the simplest ideas can have the
most profound, life-changing effect on poor people across the world. For over 40 years, we have been
working closely with some of the world’s poorest people - using simple technology to fight poverty and
transform their lives for the better. We currently work in 15 countries in Africa, South Asia and Latin
America.
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