Internal Report 170413/Bottlers

Simple Syrup Production using Poor Quality Sugar

Technical and Cost Effective Solution
Abstract
Sugar quality is the most important ingredient determining the quality of soft drinks. The
quality, price and availability of sugar vary at different locations. In some areas, plantation
white sugar or beet sugar with high colour and turbidity is freely available, while EEC2
specification sugar may be in short supply and at high prices. To overcome these variables and
utilize lower sugar price and lower quality of sugar, a polishing step is recommended at the
bottlers site. This report advises the details on how high performance adsorbents may be
employed to remove impurities from sugar to ensure low colour, low turbidity and floc free
sugar. Projected cost savings with CarboUA technology are U$ 0.8-1.2/Ton Sugar for the
treatment of regular sugar and ~U$ 12 - 16/Ton Sugar for high color sugars
Introduction
Sugar quality is one of the most important ingredients determining the quality of carbonated
beverages. In some parts of the world, bottlers have used medium quality sugar (<150 IU) for
beverage production at a high cost. The increase of demand of this sugar has caused shortages
in the market leading to the demand for a process that could utilize poor quality cheaper sugar
for conversion to high quality simple syrup. In this document CarboUA presents a technical
alternative to produce high quality simple syrups from high color plantation white and beet
sugars (between 200 500 IU) employing a simplified process, requiring the use of high
performance adsorbents and filters.
The economic savings due to the difference in price between the types of sugar is about U$ 2030 cost savings per Ton sugar. It also offers the flexibility to buy different qualities of sugars
from the market without affecting the final beverage quality. This represents significant
benefits for bottling industry in general.
Treatment with CarboUA in the Basic Process
CarboUA High Performance Adsorbents offers considerable cost and process benefits in the
process with standard color sugar (<150IU). The required process follows basic operations of
dissolving sugar, treatment with carbon, and syrup filtration to deliver simple syrup to the
storage tank.
Process Flow Diagram

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Here CarboUA high performance adsorbents present process and cost benefits that can be
summarized in the table below:
Table 1. Process comparison and cost saving for treatment of sugar with color < 150IU

These are the typical dosages and cost typically observed in process with this type of sugar
The main benefits obtained are:

Carbon Cost savings: At least U$ 0.8-1.2/Ton Sugar due the carbon dosage reduction

Filter Aid Cost savings: 25-50% cost reduction (Filter aid is typically added in a ratio of
1:1 with carbon)

Productivity increase: having less solids in the system (Due to the carbon dosage
reduction) the filter will operate for longer cycles. In batch process plants it will
represent more batches produced per day! And in continuous plant, higher throughput
as the filter will operate for longer periods without interruptions!

Logistic and Disposal cost savings: with the reduction of the required amount of carbon
and filter aid, there will be a reduction of the shipments needed to have enough
carbon, therefore reducing the logistic cost. Also the reduction in the solid wastage
from the filters will generate a respective cost reduction in the cost associated to the
disposal of the filter cake

CarboUA patent pending high performance adsorbents can be used in higher color sugar
without affecting the quality of the final treated syrup and because the dosages are lower than
regular carbons, it makes the process technically viable for this application.
CarboUA process for Treatment of High Color Sugar
The process consist of four basic steps: melting raw sugar, CarboUA treatment, Pressure
Filtration and Polishing Filtration with bag filters.
Dissolving Low Quality Sugar
It can be done with hot water 50-60C for dissolving and then raising the temperature to 7080C for easier filtration. Here the raw syrup is prepared under the existing procedures with
the same specifications (60-65Brix)
CarboUA Treatment
CarboUA adsorbents are added in the dissolving tank where the adsorption of impurities takes
place. The normal reaction time will be 20-35 minutes. This tank needs to have good agitation

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(mixing action). Filter Aid is added to the tank in the same ratio that the carbon (Ratio Carbon :
Filter Aid is 1:1)
The addition of CarboUA adsorbent can be made in a continuous process (As body-feed) or per
batches
Cake Filtration
Simple pressure filtration is necessary. Firstly, the filters are pre-coated with filter aid and then
the sugar syrup with carbon and filter aid is filtered off. This results in very clear and low color
syrup that meets all major bottlers quality requirements
Polishing Filtration
As a measure of quality control it is recommended to have bag filters (or cartridge filters) at
the end of the process just to make a final polishing.
Process Flow Diagram and Dosage Chart

Table 2.Typical Dosages for the different type of color sugars

Economic Justification
The economic savings is calculated by taking in consideration the type and amount of sugar
processed per year and the price difference between the different types of sugar. In spite of
prices of sugar constantly fluctuating, we can safely assume that the price difference will
average around U$ 20-35 per Ton (In many cases, the difference is higher). The economic
model may vary slightly in areas where the sugar pricing regimes are different.
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Table 3 shows the projected consumptions, costs and process conditions that are expected for
the different type of sugar:

Table 3.Typical Dosages for the different type of color sugars

Table 4.Projected Process Parameters

Table 5. Pricing used for the economics

The different process cost (Due the difference in carbon and filter aid dosages) and the
different premiums from the different type of sugars will represent a series of economic
benefits that can be summarized as follows:
Table 6.Projected cost savings for different types of sugar

Note: process cost includes carbon + filter aid. For detailed cost information please refer to table 3

If we take as a basis of sugar consumption 100.000 Ton Sugar treated per year it is possible to
observe that the process with CarboUA adsorbents for treatment of high color sugar may
represent cost savings of ~U$ 1.200.000 to 1.300.000 per year!!(In a year with 355 operation
days)
All this cost saving are generated without compromising on the quality of the final sugar syrup
they syrup quality is maintained (or improved) within bottlers quality standards
It is possible to both achieve cost savings and improved process parameters due to the
properties of CarboUA High Performance Adsorbents. These properties make CarboUA process
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solutions the best technical alternative to successfully remove a wide variety of impurities
(including organoleptic impurities) in a simplified process.
Besides the color, carbon removes successfully a wide variety of impurities such as odor,
flavonoid, polysaccharides, residual of surfactant and acrylamides, etc. These impurities are
well known to cause acid beverage floc.
If the level of ashes in the initial sugar is very high, it may be recommended to have a small Ion
Exchange Resin (IER) stage for ash removal only

Conclusions
The utilization of specially formulated carbon based adsorbent is now a well-established
purification method for manufacturing of premium quality sugar syrups.
This technology for purification is highly efficient, and the application is very simple and robust
using conventional filters.
CarboUA high performance adsorbent provides economic and operational benefits irrespective
of the type of sugar processed BUT additionally gives the opportunity to successfully process
high color beet or plantation white sugar.
The benefits provide the purchasing department more flexibility of buying different grades of
sugar in the market and obtain better prices.
Projected cost savings with CarboUA technology are U$ 0.8-1.2/Ton Sugar for the treatment of
regular sugar and ~U$ 12 - 16/Ton Sugar for high color sugars
Note: CarboUA adsorbents are already approved by major bottlers.

Respectfully submitted,

Carlos Andrs Donado

Techical Manager/Gerente Tcnico
Carbo-UA Ltd.

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