Foodgrade Silver & Gold

[Guest guest]

> > everyone is

> > eating tons of sugar filtered through cow bones charcoal!

>

> Is that process still current?

 

>From Sugar Knowledge International:

 

We are frequently asked about the use of 'animal bones' in making sugar,

usually by people with dietary concerns such as vegetarians or vegans or

people just concerned for the animals.

 

In the past a material called 'bone char' was used extensively to remove

colour from raw cane sugar in the refining process. Modern technology has

largely replaced bone char decolourisation but it is still used in a few

refineries so one cannot be categoric about refined cane sugar being

suitable for all people's points of view. It is not used in making white

beet sugar and it is not used in making raw cane sugar.

 

Where bone char is still used, it is prepared by almost incinerating animal

bones to leave activated carbon - a bit like making wood charcoal. [The

refiners did not and ordinarily do not use wood charcoal to do the

decolourisation because it is too fragile and would break up in service.]

The bones are obtained from abattoirs and hence from animals fit for human

consumption and of course they are heated to great temperatures : there is

no risk of New Variant CJD/BSE/Mad Cow disease and no risk of Foot and Mouth

disease.

 

If you are concerned about the possibility of the sugar you use having been

treated by bone char decolourisation then you have several choices. If you

want white sugar and sugar from sugar beets is available then use that. If

you are not sure if the local sugar is from beets or cane, write to the

manufacturer and ask them, adding that, if it is cane sugar, whether they

still use bone char. If you want brown sugar, do not assume that it is

inherently untreated. Many brown sugars are actually white sugar which has

been coated with molasses. Again, check with the manufacturer if you are

concerned.