Molasses, a byproduct of sugar centrifugation, contains non-sugar impurities and unextracted or inverted sugars.

Molasses, a byproduct of sugar centrifugation, contains non-sugar impurities and unextracted or inverted sugars. This versatile byproduct supports ethanol production and animal feed formulation. Cane molasses (or treacle) enhances food recipes with distinctive flavour profiles that refined sugar lacks, contributing to consumer preference for brown sugar products.

While every sugar-producing nation generates molasses, international trade remains limited. The alternative sweetener industry has evolved from early chemical sweeteners like saccharin and high-fructose corn syrups to include plant-based extracts like stevia and precision-fermented high-intensity sweeteners. Environmental sustainability and food safety have become critical factors in regulatory approval and licensing decisions for both new and existing sweetener products.

Molasses

From a technological point of view, molasses is the runoff syrup from the final stage of crystallisation, from which no additional sugar can be obtained by further crystallisation. The syrup after the first crystallisation is normally referred as A molasses. If the process of evaporation and centrifuging is repeated in order to recover more sugar, the resulting syrup residues are then referred as B molasses. In general, 100 tonnes of sugar cane will yield 10-11tonnes of sugar and 3-4 tonnes of molasses. Meanwhile 100 tonnes of sugar beet will give 11-12 tonnes of sugar and 4-6 tonnes of molasses. 

Molasses consists of water, sugar, glucose and fructose (i.e. reducing sugars or fermentable carbohydrates), non-sugar substances from cane and beet not precipitated during juice purification, and substances formed enzymatically or chemically during the storage and handling stages. Because molasses is an agricultural product, it is hard to establish its exact composition. Climatic factors, soil structure, and processing conditions in the cane mill or the beet factory all influence the final quality. Molasses contains substances which may promote but, in some cases, also inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

Alternative Sweeteners

Alternative sweeteners are substances used to replace sugar (sucrose) in foods and beverages, often to reduce calorie content or avoid blood sugar spikes. These sweeteners fall into two main categories:

Natural Sweeteners

Derived from natural sources, often plant-based.

Artificial Sweeteners

Synthesized chemically; intensely sweet, calorie-free or very low-calorie

By-Products

Molasses and beet pulp are by-products of the sugar industry. Every tonne of processed cane or beet will lead to the production of molasses, the by-product from which no additional sugar can be obtained by further crystallisation. Molasses still contains a substantial amount of sugar. It is also characterised by the richness in chemical elements which can be exploited for a variety of purposes. Beet pulp remaining after the extraction of sugar from beet is a good source of highly digestible fibre and energy, used for animal feeding. Molasses and beet pulp are mostly used domestically but about 7% of world output of molasses and 15% of global beet pulp production are exported to the world market.