Food For Thought: Sugar

Founded in 1912, the Aarberg sugar factory in canton Bern is the largest sugar production plant in Switzerland. During the beet harvest season, almost 10,000 tonnes of this root vegetable are transported there daily from all over the country. Take a guided tour.(Photo essay)

The inner workings of the sugar industry are discussed on a regular basis, from milling to pricing to marketing and beyond, but how often does it go back to basics and explain how sugar is actually made?

Used in everything from coffee to curry, sugar is a key ingredient in many people's lives, but how much do you know about where it comes from?

Globally, 80% of sugar is produced from sugar cane. Sugar cane is not grown in the EU. Main sugar cane producers include Brazil, India, China, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, Pakistan, and the United States.

The EU is the world’s leading producer of beet sugar. Globally, 20% of sugar is produced from sugar beet; the other 80% is produced from sugar cane.

In this clip from Dr Karl’s How Things Work, Dr Karl visits a sugar cane farm and mill to explore the extraction process from harvest to sugar crystals.