Is there a difference between sugar produced from sugar beets or sugar cane?
No, there is no difference in the pure sugar produced from either cane or beet. Sugar from both sources is produced by nature in the same way as all green plants produce sugar – as a means of storing the sun’s energy. The same sugar (sucrose) is also found in almost all fruit and vegetables. Most of Canada’s refined sugar is produced from imported raw cane sugar. This is because the short growing season and cold temperatures in Canada prevent the growth of sugar cane. Sugar cane is a giant grass that thrives in a warm, moist climate and stores sugar in its stalk. It is partially processed into raw sugar then shipped in bulk to countries like Canada for refining. Canada does produce refined sugar from sugar beets, grown in the prairies. The sugar beet grows best in a temperate climate and stores sugar in its white root. While imported raw cane sugar and domestic sugar beets are two distinct sources of sugar in Canada, pure sugar (sucrose) is the same as it occurs in sugar cane and sugar
