How sugar is refined.

HOW SUGAR IS REFINED^[a]

(Describing a Process Essay)

By Estela Aguirre ☺  

We all love sweet things, and love adding sugar to most of our beverages, but are you aware of how complex the process of refining sugar is?  The purpose of this essay is to describe how sugar is refined, explaining in detail the three most important steps of the process:  Growing and harvesting the cane; extraction, evaporation and boiling, and storage and power.

The first step of the process is to grow and harvest the sugar cane. In El Salvador, sugar cane is planted in many areas of the country annually.  When the sugar cane reaches its maturity, it is harvested.  This is done by chopping it down and then collecting it in bundles. These bundles are then transported to the sugar refinery where the real process of extracting the sugar begins.

The second step, which is the process of extracting the sugar, is actually very complex and takes three basic stages: extraction, evaporation and boiling. During the extraction process, the cane is crushed to squeeze the liquid out of the cane. Since the liquid obtained is pretty dirty, it is necessary to clean it through evaporation.  During this stage, slaked lime, which is a relative of chalk, is added to the sweet juice.  By doing this, all the dirt settles out and the liquid becomes thicker. According to the article How sugar cane is made – the short story, “The evaporation is undertaken in order to improve the energy efficiency of the factory.”1

The final step in the process of refining sugar is…   Storage and power (drafting paragraph 3) The final step in the process of refining sugar is…   Storage and power (drafting paragraph 3) The final step in the process of refining sugar is…   Storage and power (drafting paragraph 3) The final step in the process of refining sugar is…   Storage and power (drafting paragraph 3) The final step in the process of refining sugar is…   Storage and power (drafting paragraph 3)

From now on,  each time you use, just a little of sugar in your food or drinks, remember that the process of refining sugar is very complex indeed, and it involves main steps:  Growing and harvesting the cane; extraction, evaporation and boiling, and storage and power.

...