By Aamarpali and Sneh Lata

Abstract:

Using Near Infrared Spectrophotometer of Elico (India) in the spectral range of 600-2500nm, online method of estimation of various impurities (polysaccharides, inorganic compounds and amino acids) in cane juice has been developed. Standard error of calibration and standard error of prediction was evaluated for each impurity using Partial Least Square Regression Analysis and Multi Linear Regression Analysis. Multi Linear Regression Analysis was also done and the wavelengths were identified at which the absorbance correlated well with the concentrations of particular impurity. Brookfield (HBDV-III) programmable Rheometer with small sample adapter that was double walled system of sample volume 8ml was used to study the effect of these impurities (polysaccharides, inorganic compounds and amino acids) at different temperatures (313, 318, 323, 328 and 333 K) on the rheology of final cane molasses.

Key words: near infrared spectrophotometer, rheometer, calibration, transmittance, molasses

Introduction:

The scientists are able to give their best research and that to in time is due to the usage of electronic equipment in their research laboratories. An electronic laboratory is always first choice of any researcher because the results are derived in shortest time span, there is no doubt about the result if instrument is properly calibrated, wastage of chemicals is less and apart from this the samples which can’t be kept for long time are analyzed best. Physical properties of substances are exactly measured by electronic equipment rather then glass made objects.

In the present manuscript the use of various electronic equipment is given for research work done in sugar technology. The research given here was impossible without electronic equipment In sugar industry the testing of sugarcane for pol, brix, sucrose content, invert and other common constituents have traditionally been done by a series of ICUMSA (International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis) and AOAC (Association of Official Agricultural Chemists) test methods. As many of these methods are time consuming, operator dependent and involve the use of hazardous reagents so Near-Infrared analysis has gained rapid acceptance as an alternative method. The various applications (Edye and Clarke, 1996) of NIR in sugar industry are analysis of raw sugar, refinery liquors, run-off syrups, remelt streams, molasses and low purity streams. Near Infrared analysis of shredded (Schaffler and Meyer, 1996) cane is being used as potential replacement for direct analysis of cane. The increased demand for quality sugar at low cost is the main objective behind doing research in this field. Sugar cane juice, which is main source of sugar, can’t be kept for long time. It gets decayed with time and temperature. It develops various microorganisms if preserved at high or low temperatures. To move forward and to get some important clues, the decision was taken to study sugarcane impurities (polysaccharides, inorganic compounds and amino acids). These impurities are natural constituent of cane juice. Starch gets gelatinized by heating during juice clarification and is removed to an extent of 30-35 % but the rest gets concentrated in the process stream due to evaporation of the clear juice. The resulting harmful effects of it are the increase in viscosity and poor juice filterability. Mechanical harvesting has resulted in an increase in the quantity of bacterial polysaccharides like soluble dextran in the juice (Cuddihy and Donal, 1999). Dextran that enters the juice remains with it until crystallization of the sugar. Dextran formation causes sugar loss (Donal, 1994), processing problems (James and Cameron, 1971) and increases the viscosity manifold (Sikdar and Ore, 1979). Presence of phosphate in optimum concentration in cane juice is essential for good clarification and has beneficial effect on sugar crystallization. The (Mathur, 1986a) optimum requirement of P2O5 is 300-500mg per liter of juice in the form of soluble phosphate. When the phosphate content in the clear juice is less, the deficiency should be made up by the addition of P2O5 the form of soluble phosphate before clarification. Silica, during crystallization creates problem by forming calcium silicate scales in the inner surface of the boilers, which are too hard to be removed. So the removal of these deposits by mechanical and chemical means is a time consuming and costly experience. The main amino acids found in cane juice are alanine and glycine. Cane juice (Mathur, 1986b) contains nitrogenous bodies such as albuminoids, ammonia, amino acids (alanine and glycine) and amides varying from 0.5 to 1.0%. Amino acids are of importance as they along with other nitrogenous bodies react with reducing sugars and form colored compounds. So therein lays the need to study these impurities in sugarcane individually. In present study impurities are estimated in cane juice with the help of Near-Infrared (NIR) spectrophotometer. NIR spectroscopic technique is environment friendly as it avoids the usage of lead sub-acetate for clarification of cane juice. The individual effect of these impurities on the rheology of final molasses is also studied. Equipment by equipment role in sugar research is given below.

Near Infrared Spectrophotmeter:

Near-Infrared spectrophotometer of Elico (India): Spectral range 600-2500 nm, bandwidth 10 nm, accuracy +0.5 nm, repeatability + 0.2 nm and with advanced state of the art MS Windows® based software for data acquisition was used. In NIR spectroscopy, a spectrum is run over the Near-Infrared wavelength range (800-2500 nm), in a manner analogous to the spectrum run in the visible range in UV- visible spectrophotometers. In this NIR spectrophotometer processing, storage, retrieval and interpretation of complex spectra can be done. This spectrophotometer helps in quantitative estimation of impurities in cane juice using regression analysis. The instrumental set up is shown in the Fig.1. It is PC based user friendly and menu driven. It is having high performance concave grating monochromator and two color detector.

The basic principle of this instrument is, that Near-Infrared radiation when incident on a sample gets transmitted. In transmission mode, the incident radiations get transmitted through the sample with diminished energy. The amount of transmitted energy from the sample is a measure of concentration of the constituent molecules in the sample. A series of standards of known concentration is used to develop concentration absorption correlation, using regression technique. The concentration of the constituent molecule in the sample is determined based on the correlation.

In contrast to conventional methods it require no hazardous chemicals. The striking features of the Near-Infrared technology are as follows:

-Designed for all cane and beet juice, syrups and molasses;

-It is environment friendly since no chemical reagents are used for the tests.

– Easy to use, thus permitting analysis of clear to turbid liquids without clarification or filtration;

-Frequency of response is online and continuous;

-Single and multiple-constituents analysis possible.

One more advantage of using NIR technology is that it has no consumables and operational costs are low, after purchasing the information technology equipment and the package there are no other costs involved. However, in case of conventional laboratories costly consumables are used and thus the operational costs are high. In this method firstly initial concentration of particular impurity is determined in cane juice. As the accuracy of NIR analysis is wholly dependent on the quality of calibration set so utmost care was taken in gathering, selecting and preparing samples to be used for calibration. While collecting samples it was taken into consideration that the samples should cover wide range of constituent’s concentration. The cane juice samples undergo chemical and biological (microbial) degradation with time. So the samples were analyzed on the same day without any delay. Calibration models were prepared for impurities. using PLSR. Separate prediction files were also prepared. In NIR estimation the prediction value is obtained from software, which gives required value by comparing with the calibration file chosen. The SEC is found to be negligible for all impurities thus indicating the correctness of models set up for them.

Brookfield Rheometer:

The rheology of final molasses was studied using Brookfield (HBDV-III) programmable Rheometer with small sample adapter, which was double walled system of sample volume 8ml. The spindle of spindle code SC4-21/13R was used. Brookfield refrigerated temperature bath model TC 500 was used to maintain uniform and constant temperature. The water at a given temperature was circulated in water jacket.

The final molasses samples of local mill were firstly defoamed. In the final molasses sample the initial concentration of different impurities were determined. The brix and purity of final molasses samples were also noted. For each sample rheological characteristics (shear stress, shear rate and apparent viscosity) were recorded directly from the instrument at the temperatures 313, 318, 323, 328 and 333 K. The measurement was carried out at these five temperatures in the increasing order of concentration of impurity for all samples. The rpm was so selected that the torque maintained within 10-90 %. The shear stress and shear rate data obtained during experimentation was fitted to the Power law model (Heldman and Singh, 1981). This revealed the flow behaviour of molasses in the presence of various impurities. The consistency of final molasses increased with the increase in phosphate concentration but decreased with increase in alanine and glycine concentrations. With the increase in concentration of silica in final molasses up to 20 ppm the consistency increased prominently but as the concentration of silica was further increased steep fall in the consistency of final molasses was observed. However with increase in temperature the consistency decreased with increase in concentration of phosphate, silica, alanine and glycine in final molasses. The final molasses behavior was found to be non-Newtonian at low temperature in all the five samples analyzed for phosphate however pure molasses sample at high temperature showed Newtonian behavior.

For final molasses samples containing added silica the behavior was non-Newtonian in sample having 0 and 10 ppm silica (at all the five temperatures), Newtonian in molasses sample having 20 ppm silica (at 328 and 333 K) and again non Newtonian in final molasses sample having 30 and 40 ppm silica (at 313, 328 and 333 K).

For final molasses samples having added alanine the molasses was found to be non-Newtonian at low temperatures but with increase in concentration of alanine in molasses samples, at higher temperature the flow behavior was shifted to Newtonian. Also for final molasses samples containing glycine the behavior was found to be non-Newtonian at low temperature but shifted to Newtonian with rise in glycine concentration in final molasses at higher temperatures.

The Arrhenius equation is used to describe the influence of temperature on consistency index (µ). The energy of activation was calculated for pure final molasses samples and for samples having added impurities. The energy of activation was found to decrease with increase in concentration of phosphate in final molasses and increase with increase in concentrations of silica, alanine and glycine in final molasses.

With this I limit my manuscript that relates electronics and sugar technology research.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Author Dr. Aamarpali Ratna Puri is very thankful to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar for providing necessary instruments and infrastructure for the present research.

REFERENCES:

Cuddihy, J. A. and Donal, F.D., 1999. Process and financial impact of Dextran on a sugar factory. Sugar Journal 3: 27-50.

Donal, F.D., 1994. Dextran induced sugar loss to molasses. J of ASSCT 1: 53-57.

Edye, L.A and Clarke, M.A. (1996). “Near Infrared Spectroscopy in sugar refining: Five years down the road”. Proc. Annual. Meeting. Sug. Ind. Tech., 55, 1-8.

Heldman, D.R and Singh, R.P. (1981). “ Food Process Engineering, the AVI Publishing Co

Inc, West Port.

James, G. P. and Cameron, J .M., 1971. The influence of deteriorated cane on raw sugar filterabilityProceedings of the Queensland Soc. Of Sugarcane Technologists 38th Conf Wattson Ferguson & Co., Bribane, Queensland, Australia 247-250.

Mathur, R.L. (1986a). “Handbook of cane sugar technology”. IInd Edition, Oxford and IBH Publishing Co., India, 98.

Mathur, R.L. (1986b). “Handbook of cane sugar technology IInd Edition”. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co., India, 26.

Schaffler, K.J and Meyer, J.H. (1996). “Near Infrared analysis of shredded cane: A potential replacement for direct analysis of cane”, Proc. Sth. Afr. Sug. Tech. Assoc., 70 (5), 131-139.

Sikdar, S. K., and Ore, F., 1979. Viscosity measurement of non-Newtonian slurry suspension using rotating viscometer, I and EC Process Design and Dev. 18, 772.

By: Anamitra Roy

“Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”

Seth Godin

Trust me; there was a point of time in my life when I used to hate the word “Sales”. I was a student of finance. I had done my post graduation in finance and accounting. I was working in the operations department of an institute where I was mainly looking after the financial operations. But there are certain things that are destined to happen. A career in sales and marketing was perhaps something like this for me. I was pursuing a 2 year management program in TASMAC B- School. At the beginning of the program I was sure, in fact, I knew that I will opt for finance specialization. There was nothing else in this world for which I would have opted. But I was convinced by the course coordinator and one of the best persons whom I have ever met in my life, Professor Subhajit Chatterjee, to go for marketing. Professor Chatterjee always had more faith in my abilities than I ever had. He always believed that I was born to take up marketing and sales as an integral part of my life. I was stubborn and rigid enough to not listen to anyone or get convinced by anyone. But certain things as I told you are destined to happen. I just took up marketing as my area of specialization. There was a complete change that I begun to experience since then. But still, I was not comfortable with the word “Sales”, as if it was something bad.

It was during one of those long and absorbing classes during specialization that something happened. It was a “Brand Management and Promotion Strategies” class. I was asked a question by Professor Monalisa Dey. She asked me about the institute where I was working. I was describing to her about our span of operations and sales strategies. But during this conversation I fumbled. I apologized to the professor for using the word “Sales” while talking about the way we used to get the students admitted to various IT courses being conducted in the institute. The professor smiled and got me rectified. She said, I still remember, that as a student who has opted for marketing major, I should feel proud to use the word “Sales”. She said, “After all it is not wrong to sell.” The world changed in front of me. A fraction of a second later I was not the same person that I used to be. I was proud to be a student of marketing. I was happy and comfortable to utter the word “Sales” as many times as was required. And sometimes quite unnecessarily, just to prove in front of others that I was proud to be a student of marketing, actually marketing and sales management.

Since then I went ahead with a career in marketing. I met a lot of people, attended seminars and other management programs on marketing. I learnt a few fundamental facts about sales which I am sharing with you all. My intentions are simple. I took five years to learn these. When you go through this article and learn these fundamental facts within the next half an hour, I will consider my job done. I will consider that I have been able to contribute towards the progress of education and the civilization.

On that note, those fundamental facts about sales are as follows:

1. Gather Information about the Prospective Buyer:

Bryant McGill

Psychology varies from man to man. There may be two men doing the same thing but not with the same intentions. This idea can also be used to understand the buying patterns of buyers. Let us take the example of computers. A man may be buying a computer so that his son can play games in it. Again, another man may be buying a computer from the same shop at the same point of time for his new office. The actions are the same in these two cases but the intentions are different.

Analyzing the needs of the customers is extremely important. This is because on the nature of the needs you can highlight the features which will attract the customers towards the commodity that you are trying to sell him/ her.

“Needs can never be replaced; wants get replaced.”

Umair Naeem

3. Get into the mind without letting the customer know that:

When you try to get in to the minds of a person, by a natural process the mind shuts down. As if, it starts to challenge you. It won’t allow you to enter. This is an experience that every sales person has to encounter at some point of life. You have depicted how fantastic the gadget is, you have told how it can be used to reap maximum benefits and then you did that mistake. You started talking about the sale price and discount offers. The mind of the customer developed a repulsive force. It told itself let me check out how smart this guy is. I will not allow an entry inside me. Let me see if this guy is intelligent enough to still get into me and sell this gadget to me. There is a repulsive force that starts to work in the mind of the customer.

This is the point in the sales process when you begin to face the stiffest challenge as a salesperson. To tell you the truth if you can win this challenge, then you are near to being perhaps the best salesman in the world.

There is actually no science that can tell you how to win this battle. But of course there is a way to get rid of this problem.

Try to get into the mind of the prospective customer without letting him know. Let me give you a simple example. Suppose you are running a boutique. There is a wide range of men’s top at your boutique. A customer walks in and tells you that he wants to buy a men’s top. What would be your approach to him? Just talk to him. Begin by saying hello and then carry on talking to him. You can carry on talking to him about everything in this world. But let there be no silence. Whoever said that silence is golden must not have been a salesman. Talk to him. In between your conversation manage to tell him how fantastic he looks in what he is wearing … probably blue denim and a red shirt. He is probably feeling shy, probably starting to open up to you. This is the time for which you worked for so long. This is the time for which you went on to speak so many non sense things for the last five/ ten minutes. Pitch your product. Tell that man that you a have a yellow men’s top in which he will look even more gorgeous. Stop there. You have done your job. You have got into the mind of your customer. You are making an effort to sell him what you intended to but he does not know that. You have got into the mind of that man without letting him know.

The best and the only way to sell something are to get into the minds of your prospective customer without letting him know that. You have inspired the mind of your prospective customer.

“Education means inspiring someone’s mind, not just filling their head.”

Katie Lusk

4. Don’t sell features, sell advantages/ benefits:

Suppose you are running a showroom that deals in electronics products. A man walks in. He wants to purchase a computer so that his son can play games in it. As a salesperson you can tell him that the computer that you will show him will not cause any harm to the eyes of his little son. The screen of that computer has an anti reflector in it. His son can go on for hours playing games in it.On that same day suppose, a man walks in who wants to purchase a computer for his new office. You can tell him that the computer you will show him has a large memory. So he can store all the data of his office in that. Moreover, the process of taking a back up of the data in that computer is really simple. So he doesn’t need to worry about the loss of his data.Now if you are doing the reverse, then my friend, you may have a great life but that cannot be achieved through a career in sales … perhaps through something else.

So it is extremely important to understand your customers and their needs as stated in the earlier portion of this writing. It is then that you can pitch your product accordingly.The football in the question which is the best in the world in terms of quality has no advantage/ benefit for a person with polio. Even if it is the best in the world that man will not purchase it.

Initially I asked you that can you sell a football to a man who has polio. Now I am modifying the question. Think about selling the world’s best quality football to a man who has polio. Still your answer has to be a big no. Do you know why? It is because you cannot sell features. Only advantages/ benefits can be sold. Well, when you say no to this question you indirectly highlight on a fundamental fact about sales. Let me expand on what I am trying to say.

Have you ever given a thought to selling a football to a man who has polio or selling an audio CD to a man who is deaf? I know the answer is obviously a big no. How can you do that?

“Write injuries in dust, your benefits in marble.”

Benjamin Franklin

5. Focus on after – sales services:

“Take pride in how far you have come. Have faith in how far you can go.”

Unknown

I have personally seen in my life that there is a tremendous joy that you can feel when you have sold the product to a customer and reached a step closer to your sales target. Tell yourself that this joy exists and it is your right to feel it, enjoy it after every sales deal that you close. It is this joy that you need to feel in order to be a successful sales person. I had seen the excitements in sales people around me when they have been able to close a deal. Why don’t you try to do it? Get a deal closed. Advance towards your magic figure … I mean the target. Feel safe and then the enjoyment is all yours. You are in the oldest and best profession of the world. You are a miracle. The whole world is watching you. When you close a sales deal you do not do everything for yourself. You also contribute towards the art and science of sales. You know why? Because you are a miracle. That’s why; the world of sales has embraced you.

“Best way to sell something: don’t sell anything. Earn the awareness, respect and trust of those who might buy.”

Rand Fishkin

By Shaifali Rachna Puri

INDIA

• ACADEMIC RECORD (Marks in qualifying degrees)
• ACADEMIC RECORD (Marks in Higher Degrees )
• ACADEMIC RECORD (Marks in entrance examination)

• Qualifications for entry into a teacher education program vary considerably, and most countries have multiple entry points into the field of teaching. Entry varies by type of preparing institution and by the school level for which candidates plan to teach–elementary (primary) or secondary.
• Examinations are common to determine candidates’ readiness and capacity for teacher education programs. In Germany, candidates must take both oral and written exams. In the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, all secondary graduates must take a national exam
• In countries where there are no national exams, teacher preparation institutions set their own criteria for admission, such as in France, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan.
• Candidates’ academic achievement is most often assessed through grades and test scores. Also assessment of language and communication skills through conduct of interviews is done and consideration is given to the aptitude for the profession  .

CANADA

Academics Applicants must present an average of 70%, based on the last 10 credits or equivalent (10 full year courses or 20 semester courses equivalent to 60 credit hours) in an undergraduate degree program

Profile of Experience Applicants are asked to list all teaching-related experiences, and critically reflect upon three of those experiences.

References Referees must respond to the question; “In your opinion, why do you believe the applicant would be an effective educator?”

Curriculum-related (Primary-Junior) and Teaching Subject (Intermediate-Senior) Intermediate-Senior applicants are required to provide evidence of expertise in two teaching subject areas. In order to be eligible for entry, applicants must have 5 full credits in their first teaching subject and 3 full credits in their second teaching subject.

Proficiency in English an applicant whose primary language is not English, or whose previous education has been conducted in another language, must demonstrate a command of English sufficient to meet the demands of classroom instruction, written assignments, and participation in tutorials and discussions.

UNITED KINGDOM

Entry to the course leading to a Teaching Qualification (Secondary Education), which is awarded in a named subject or subjects, requires:

• A degree of a United Kingdom University in which the candidate has sufficient breadth and depth of study for teaching the subject in secondary schools.
• A pass in English at Higher level or an equivalent qualification, is also necessary.
• Those intending to teach a modern foreign language must also satisfy the training institutions of their oral proficiency in the language: they are required to have spent a period of residence in a country in which the language is spoken.

CHINA

Candidates for teacher-training programs must complete the equivalent of at least three full semesters of college-level liberal arts courses with a B average before enrolling in a teacher-training program

The prospective teacher must maintain at least a B average in the subject area he or she intends to teach.

Education students will acquire classroom experience at the very beginning of their training. This will give them a sense of whether they have the commitment and temperament for teaching and they’ll continue accordingly in the field of education

SOUTH AFRICA

The Bachelor’s degree with a program of study in  Education is primarily aimed at preparing professionals with relevant experience in educational field settings.

Candidates should show evidence of commitment to creative and innovative activities such as independent study, research projects, educational materials development

Ability to interact with cultures or groups other than one’s own.

Ability to do quality graduate work.

Strong English ability; fluency in a language other than English.

CONCLUSION

• In most of the countries cited above, the admission criteria does not rely only on the academic qualifications of the candidate.
• The admission to the teacher training course is done with a view point of preparing teachers psychologically fit into the profession
• There is scope for all round development of the teacher

• Consideration of the personality on the whole
• Emphasis on Quality instead of quantity
• Development of a teacher, psychologically fit for profession
• Subjective answer type questions.
• Interview to judge the attitude and aptitude of the candidate

By: Aamarpali Puri

Sugarcane (Saccharum) is a genus of between 6-37species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old world. They have stout, jointed fibrous stalks 2-6m tall and sap rich in sugar. All the species interbreed, and give the major commercial cultivars hybrids. Given below is the scientific classification and some species of sugarcane plant.

            Scientific classification

            Kingdom: Plantae

            Division: Magnoliophyta

            Class: Liliopsida

            Order: Cypserales

            Family: Poaceae

            Genus: Saccharum

Sugar cane is mainly composed of water, as well as a solid part, which is composed of fiber and soluble solids. The hard rind of the cane protects a softer fibrous center. The fibrous center serves as a reservoir for sugar as the cane ripens. Saccharose, fructose, glucose and other minor components such as: minerals, proteins, wax, fat and acids are among soluble solids present in sugarcane. The most important inorganic compounds within sugar cane juice are silica, potassium, sodium, lime, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, sodium acid and chlorine. The proportion of each component depends on the variety, soil type, agricultural management, age and weather factors etc. All of these factors may be altered during the growth process and makes it difficult to obtain a homogeneous product. Cane sugar, cane syrup, molasses, wax and alcohol are products of sugarcane.

Sugarcane cultivation requires a tropical or subtropical climate, with a minimum of 60cm (24in) of annual rain. Sugarcane is propagated from cuttings, rather than from seed. Once planted, a stand of cane can be harvested several times; after each harvest, the new stalks come up, called rations. Usually, each successive harvest gives a lesser yield, and eventually the declining yields justify replanting. Sugarcane is harvested either by hand or mechanically.

By careful selection and breeding, sugar cane has become one of the most efficient converters of solar energy into food carbohydrates and fiber. It is able to convert as much as 2% of incident solar energy into biomass. The largest producers of sugar cane are Brazil, India, and China. Brazil is a major grower of sugar cane where it is used to produce sugar as well as to provide the alcohol used in making gasohol and biodiesel fuels. In India the maximum yield of sugarcane is obtained in Coimbattore. It is the only place in India where seed formation takes place in sugarcane.

Brief details of the manufacture of sugar from sugarcane:

Usually the sugar is obtained from the cane at mills located near centers of production. Sugar cane is the source of sugar in all tropical and subtropical countries of the world. In a sugar mill, sugarcane is washed, chopped and then shredded by revolving knives. The shredded cane is then repeatedly mixed with water and crushed between rollers: the collected juices contain 10-15%sucrose, while the remaining fibrous solids, called bagasse, are burnt for fuel. Bagasse makes a sugar mill more than self-sufficient in energy; the surplus bagasse can be used for animal feed, in paper manufacture, or burnt to generate electricity for the local power grid.

• Extraction of juice
• Purification or defecation of the juice
• Evaporation of the juice to syrup point
• Concentration and crystallization of the syrup
• Curing or preparation of the crystals

After crystallization raw sugar is obtained, which is later refined in the sugar mills. The resulting white sugar is utilized for local consumption. The syrup is further concentrated under vacuum until it becomes supersaturated, and then seeded with crystalline sugar. Upon cooling, sugar crystallizes out of the syrup.

The clarified juice is then concentrated in a multiple-effect evaporator to make a syrup about 60 wt% in sucrose.

The second operation is the coagulation of the albumen, and the separation of it with other impurities from the juice, which holds them in suspension or solution. The moment the juice is expelled from the cells of the canes, chemical inversion commences, and the sooner it is stopped the better it is. So the cane juice is next mixed with lime to adjust its pH at 7. This arrests sucrose’ s decay into glucose and fructose, and precipitates out some impurities. The mixture then sits, allowing the lime and other suspended solids to settle out. The juice is extracted from canes by squeezing them between rollers. Canes vary very much in respect of the quality and also as to the quantity of the juice they contain. The quantity of the juice is the test to which recourse must be had in judging the efficiency of the extraction, while the quality is the main factor, which is taken into account with regard to the results of subsequent manufacture.

Sucrose: The white stuff commonly known as sugar, is sucrose, a molecule composed of 12 atoms of carbon, 22 atoms of hydrogen, and 11 atoms of oxygen (C₁₁H₂₂O₁₁). Sugar crystal is an orderly arrangement of sucrose molecules. Sucrose is actually two simpler sugar molecules stuck together: fructose and glucose. It is carbohydrate and is found naturally in sugarcane and sugar beets in abundance. Sucrose is the main carrier of energy from one part of the plant to another, in all plant life. In this way it fulfills a role in the plant similar to that of glucose in the animal.

Medicinal value of sugar:

Refined sugar has been pulled out as something close to poison charged with diabetes, teeth decay, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, yeast infections, hypoglycemia, obesity and hyperactivity etc but numerous scientific studies have time and again confirmed that consumption of sugar does not cause chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and hyperactivity, nor does it contribute to deficiency in the diet by displacing other more valuable nutrients. According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA) all foods have a place in a balance diet and having sugar in regular diet is okay, as long as one eats a healthful diet and balances the extra calories. Sucrose (sugar) is antidote, antiseptic, bactericide, cardio tonic, demulcent, diuretic, intoxicant, laxative, pectoral, piscicide, refrigerant and stomachic. It is folk remedy for arthritis, bedsores, boils, cancer, colds, cough, diarrhea, dysentery, eyes, fever, hiccups, inflammation, laryngitis, opacity, penis sores, skin sores, sore throat, spleen, tumors and wounds (Duke and Wain, 1981). It is used as a preservative for fruits and meats.

Sugarcane as foodstuff:

In most countries where sugarcane is cultivated, there are foodstuffs and popular dishes derived from it. On account of it’s standard crystal size, color and consistency sugar is considered best sweetener. It enhances flavor of bread. In jams, jellies it inhibits the growth of yeast and molds. It inhibits browning of canned fruits. Direct consumption of raw sugarcane cylinders or cubes, which are chewed to extract the juice and the bagasse, is spit out. Freshly extracted juice (garapa, guarab, guarapa or caldo de cana) by hand or electrically operated small mills, with a touch of lemon and ice, makes a delicious and very popular drink. Cane syrup contains lots of vitamins and minerals. It is laden with vital nutrients. It is free from harmful preservatives, flocculants, surfactants, bleaching agents and viscosity reducers. Molasses is used as a sweetener and also as syrup accompanying other foods, such as cheese. Rapadura, a candy made of flavored solid brown sugar in Brazil, which can be consumed in small hard blocks, or in pulverized from (flour), as an add-on to other desserts.