Extracted Cane Juice [split from Chains]

[AmyH]

(Note: this thread was split from the Chains board at: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8717... -- The Chowhound Team)

But at least it's organic sugar (or extracted cane juice as it's euphemistically called these days).

[NuMystic]

That's no euphemism. The two names signify entirely different things. One is about processing technique and the other about whether the cane was sprayed with pesticides.

Organic sugar is just regular sugar that has come from certified organic sugar cane.

Evaporated cane juice is less processed, has a light tan color, and retains some of the nutrients which are lost in regular sugar processing.

Unless the evaporated cane juice is labelled organic then it was made with commercial pesticide sprayed sugar cane crops.

[paulj]

FDA draft view on 'evaporated cane juice' - "FDA considers such representations to be false and misleading "
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceCompl...

[NuMystic]

context is always helpful…

Did you even read the guidance draft?

"Over the past few years the term “evaporated cane juice” has started to appear as an ingredient on food labels, most commonly to declare the presence of sweeteners derived from sugar cane syrup. However, FDA’s current policy is that sweeteners derived from sugar cane syrup should not be declared as “evaporated cane juice” because that term falsely suggests that the sweeteners are juice (Refs. 1, 2, 3)."

Their primary issue is the use of the term "juice" because evaporated cane juice is a dry ingredient and not a liquid. They are also voicing concern about people being unaware that evaporated cane juice is in fact a sweetener.

In no way are they suggesting that evaporated cane juice is the same thing as white sugar, or organic sugar.

Furthermore the draft you linked to is neither a complaint nor a regulation but merely an official suggestion:

"guidances describe the Agency’s current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of the word should in Agency guidances means that something is suggested or recommended, but not required."

Personally I have never known anyone to confuse evaporated cane juice for a liquid, or something other than a sweetener. Regardless, their only concern is what this product is called. By any other name everything I said about it above will still apply.

[paulj]

What does 'evaporated cane juice' convey that 'unrefined sugar' or 'brown sugar' does not?

I like various forms of minimally processed sugar, such as the hard cones or slabs (piloncillo/raspadura) and palm sugar, as well as molasses. But I don't think those are what these food manufacturers have in mind when they use ECJ.

[NuMystic]

It conveys the specific process used to achieve the final product. In this case evaporation (boiling).

Some may be further processed by spinning in a turbine to remove some of the molasses content (where the name Turbinado sugar comes from)

While most unrefined (or minimally refined) sugars will have a brown color of one shade or another depending on the molasses content, "Brown Sugar" as bought on supermarket shelves is actually just regular refined white sugar (and all the chemicals and bone char associated in it's processing) with molasses added back in.

Another "unrefined" sugar process is dehydration like in the case of Sucanat using aeration and hand paddling until the cane juice crystallizes removing nothing but the moisture content from the whole cane syrup, retaining 100% of the natural molasses.

Amongst various unrefined sugar cane based sugars which includes the piloncillo/raspadura you mentioned the only major differences in most cases are the texture and total molasses content.

[paulj]

I found some online listings of 'evaporated cane juice', such as Bobs Red Mill. Those look pretty white to me, just a slight tan. I have some Mexican 'azucar morena' that has similar color. Hardly what I'd call a healthier product. 'evaporated cane juice' still sounds like a euphemism, just a way of avoiding saying 'sugar'. All sugar is made by evaporating most of the water out of cane (or beet) juice.

Sucanat looks like piloncillo, but handled at the end in way that forms granules rather than a solid block.

[NuMystic]

I hear you, but it's no more a euphemism than whole wheat is for white flour.

There is a clear qualitative difference both in processing, chemicals and byproducts used which some find objectionable, and the actual chemistry of the end result.

How much healthier is a matter of debate and degrees.

It's lower on the Glycemic Index than white sugar, corn syrup and brown sugar, being roughly equal to molasses and maple syrup in how fast it is metabolized.

From a caloric and carb standpoint though there is no difference to speak of so it's certainly not likely to help anyone lose weight.

"I have some Mexican 'azucar morena' that has similar color. Hardly what I'd call a healthier product. "

it's not the color difference but the processing and the end result that separates them. As you know Azucar Morena is just the mexican name for brown sugar, as such it is metabolized just as fast as white sugar and corn syrup, unlike the evaporated cane juice you looked up from Bob's which is lower on the GI scale.

"all sugar is made by evaporating most of the water out of cane (or beet) juice."

True enough, and all cooked food is made by applying heat but that doesn't mean baking, frying, sautéing, and boiling always result in identical end products.

All of this may be irrelevant to you personally, but such distinctions are still real nonetheless and meaningful to others for a variety of reasons.

[paulj]

I see that TJ has 'organic sugar' that is labeled in smaller print as 'evaporated cane juice'. It's that slightly dirty white. That packaging makes a big deal about it being sustainably grown in Paraguay and harvested by hand ...

There was a time when sugar like this, or even darker was the ordinary household stuff, and the really white, fine stuff, was reserved for fancy tea with special guests (in parlor).

[NuMystic]

Yep, so that is evap cane juice harvested from certified organic cane, and TJ's has opted to market it as "Organic Sugar" (which is in line with the FDA suggestion posted earlier).

Most companies selling 100% evaporated cane juice directly to consumers relabel it in similar ways. Florida Crystals Natural Cane Sugar, Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Sugar and what manufacturers are using when you see "organic evaporated cane juice" in an ingredient list is all identical to the TJ's product you saw.

On the other hand if the ingredients portion of a label states "organic sugar" rather than "evaporated cane juice" then it is white sugar processed the same as any other that simply starts with certified organic cane.

Organic white sugar will not ever have "evaporated cane juice" on the ingredients portion of the label, as that specific designation as approved by the FDA cannot go through the final processing step which removes the remaining molasses to achieve the white color.

As for your historical note, that's absolutely true, and not unlike how white rice and white flour were both only available to royalty and the wealthy at one time.

Did you delete your last post which contained the confusion about Azucar Moreno and Evaporated Cane Juice? Seems that took my reply with it outlining the metabolic distinctions as well.

Whatever the case, it's probably best to start a separate thread if you'd like to further explore these nuances in such detail as I'm guessing we've long moved far beyond the interests of most who are subscribed to this thread with TJ product recommendations in mind.

[paulj]

The mods must have dropped it, presumably as too far off topic, or something else.