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Refiner’s Syrup
Refiner’s Syrup
Refiner’s Syrup
What is it:
Refiner’s syrup, also known as cane syrup or golden syrup, is a sweetening agent used in the food industry. It is a byproduct of the sugar refining process, produced when sugarcane undergoes extraction of sugar crystals. To create refiner’s syrup, sugarcane juice is initially extracted and processed to obtain raw sugar. The remaining liquid, known as molasses, undergoes further refinement to extract additional sugar, leaving behind a thick, amber-colored syrup known as refiner’s syrup. Refiner’s syrup is used as a sweetener in various confectionary items, cereals, crackers, and baked goods.
Rating:
Refiner’s syrup is processed in a way that separates the sucrose from the fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients that are present in cane juice, making a product that is far from its whole form. Consuming high amounts of sugar in any form has been linked to many adverse health effects such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Additionally, sugarcane production is a very water-intensive crop that also has resulted in deforestation and loss of biodiversity in many regions of the world, requires the significant use of fossil fuels, and contributes to pollution. The use of harmful herbicides like glyphosate may be used during sugarcane production as a ripener.
Resources:
- Cane syrup causes fat accumulation in the liver in rats (animal study)
- ScienceDirect on cane syrup
- Sugar consumption impact on metabolic health and association with chronic disease
- The environmental impact of cane sugar production
- WWF overview of sugarcane production on the environment
- Herbicides as sugarcane ripeners
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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