SOP: Determination of Organic Matter Other than Sugars in Sugar

GIFSQ — Global Institute for Food Safety & Quality

Principle

In raw and/or impure sugars, the percentages of sucrose, reducing sugar, ash and moisture are totalled and the total is subtracted from 100 to give the per cent of organic matter other than sugars. This difference procedure does not suit the routine analysis of refined sugars; in refined sugars there is a fairly constant relationship between the organic matter other than sugars and the ash content, and this relationship is used for routine quality-control purposes.

Apparatus required

None.

Reagents

None.

Procedure

Determine the per cent sucrose, reducing sugar, ash and moisture of the sample by their respective methods

↓

Total the four percentages

↓

Subtract the total from 100 — the value so found is the per cent of organic matter other than sugars

Calculation

Organic matter other than sugars (%) = 100 − (sucrose % + reducing sugar % + ash % + moisture %)

Where,

• Sucrose %, reducing sugar %, ash %, moisture % = the values determined by the respective SOPs

For routine quality control of refined sugars: organic matter other than sugars = 1.25 × ash content.

Note: the printed relationship reads “125 times the ash content”; rendered here as 1.25 times, the decimal point being lost in the extraction — a value of 125 times would be inconsistent with the trace levels of organic matter in refined sugar.

Precautions

• The difference procedure is suitable for raw and/or impure sugars; it is not suitable for the routine analysis of refined sugars.

References

Ranganna, S., Handbook of Analysis and Quality Control for Fruit and Vegetable Products, 2nd edition.