Cane molasses in granular detail 

Cane molasses is a distinctly dark coloured, bittersweet flavoured syrup. A versatile functional ingredient, cane molasses is used in a wide range of food, beverage and industrial applications as, for example, a binding agent or flavour enhancer, and in distillation.   

In this blog, we explore what cane molasses is, how it is made, its functional benefits and how it is variously used in applications. 

Cane molasses is a viscous and robustly flavoured sugar syrup derived from sugarcane. It is a by-product of sugarcane refining. When crystalline cane and white sugars are produced from sugarcane, the leftover liquid is a dark, viscous, bitter syrup, sweetened by residual sucrose. This is raw molasses. Without further processing, raw molasses produced from white sugar refineries is not suitable as a functional ingredient for food or beverage production.  

Refinery cane molasses is the basis of some of the sugar products that Ragus supplies, such as black treacle and dark soft brown sugar. Though cane molasses and black treacle appear similar in appearance, they have many differences.  

In this blog, we focus on molasses made from sugarcane. There is a by-product from the sugar beet refining process, but because of the natural chemicals present in the raw sugar beet and the bitter taste, beet molasses is only used in animal feeds and for fermentation. 

Cane molasses is made from the juice extracted from sugarcane – you can learn more about this process on our cane molasses product page. Unprocessed molasses is delivered to our Slough factory. Here, it is stored in heated tanks before being pumped into evaporating vats. The molasses is heated to over 80°C, purified and the sugar content and acidity levels are adjusted depending on the exact formulation of the final product required.   

The processed cane molasses is passed through a 300-micron filter to remove any remaining impurities and then cooled and matured in holding tanks. Once matured, it is passed through an 80-micron filter and packed into 1,000 litre intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), or directly into 30,000 litre road tankers for direct delivery to our customers. 

As an ingredient, cane molasses has unique functional properties. These properties result from how it is made. For example, there is residual sucrose in the syrup, as not all the sugar crystallises out in the refining process. The sucrose, combined with the caramelisation compounds maltol, furans, ethyl acetate and diacetyl from the repeated heating of the sugar to between 120^oC and 180^oC, gives a distinctive bittersweet flavour. The sweetness can be intensified, as heating the raw cane molasses during processing generates invert sugars, which have a higher sweetness level than straight sucrose. 

Furthermore, caramelan, caramelen and caramelin molecules unite into long chain polymers to give molasses its dark, rich colour. Another compound, and by-product of some caramel colouring processes, is 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), which also deepens colour and flavour.  

The proportion of sucrose, invert sugar, moisture and organic non-sugars, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gives molasses its thick viscous texture, bulk and mouthfeel. These proportions can be adjusted during processing, and cane molasses can be formulated until its colour is almost black. 

The final cane molasses product is not raw, but nor is it highly refined. This means, beyond its functional properties, that it benefits the food and beverage products it is used in as it still retains the minerals and nutrients present in the original sugarcane plant.  

It is also rich in the organic molecules generated by caramelisation, the thermal reaction that occurs when heating the massecuite syrup to extract crystalline sugar. These include maltols, furans, caramelan, caramelen and caramelin, and VOCs, that give the molasses its deep colour and distinctive flavour. 

The non-sugar components in cane molasses inhibit crystallisation. As such, this viscous syrup doesn’t crystallise and remains stable over time. Its non-crystallising nature makes it ideal for some of the applications noted below, including in industrial processes.  

Cane molasses applications are diverse. For example, it is used in animal feed, yeast and ethanol production, as a source of energy, and as a binder in feed for ruminants. As such, cane molasses has value as a raw material. However, it is also valuable in food and beverage production.  

One application for cane molasses is as an ingredient in other sugar products, including black treacle. Different quantities of cane molasses are blended with crystalline white sugar to create some brown sugars, and it is this molasses content that is put to good use in baking, biscuits, desserts and beverages.  

Ragus’ black treacle is cane molasses blended with refiner’s syrup. The result is a mellowed and lighter coloured syrup that is widely used in baking, confectionery, beverages, as a glaze, and in marinades, sauces and desserts.  

In food applications, the colour and flavour enhancing properties of cane molasses benefits baked goods such as gingerbread, rye or wholegrain bread, Christmas pudding, along with toffee, savoury sauces like barbecue, vinaigrettes and marinades. 

These properties, in addition to adding mouthfeel, are why cane molasses is often used in the production of stouts and porters, usually alongside caramels. Cane molasses is also used to make rum, where it is fermented with the addition of water and then distilled.  

Ragus supplies cane molasses to industrial food and beverage producers. To learn more about how Ragus’ pure sugar products can enhance your product formulations, contact our Customer Services Team. For more sugar news and updates, continue browsing SUGARTALK and follow Ragus on LinkedIn.