introduction - 201401elizabeth.files.wordpress.com viewsugar has been a part of our diet since the...

What the Heck is Sugar Anyways? The History, Common Bakery Types and

Functions of Sugar

Elizabeth Trembath of 18

Table of ContentsIntroduction.................................................................................................................................................3

History.........................................................................................................................................................3

What the Heck is Sugar Anyways?...............................................................................................................6

Monosaccharide’s...................................................................................................................................7

Disaccharides...........................................................................................................................................8

Polysaccharides.......................................................................................................................................8

Types of Sugar Found in the Bakery............................................................................................................8

Granulated sugar.....................................................................................................................................9

Super fine or castors sugar......................................................................................................................9

Icing sugar..............................................................................................................................................10

Brown Sugar..........................................................................................................................................10

Demerara Sugar.....................................................................................................................................11

Coarse Sugar..........................................................................................................................................12

Isomalt...................................................................................................................................................12

Invert Sugar...........................................................................................................................................12

Functions of Sugar as an Ingredient..........................................................................................................13

Sweetener.............................................................................................................................................13

Tenderizer.............................................................................................................................................13

Moisture Retention...............................................................................................................................14

Browning...............................................................................................................................................14

Leavening..............................................................................................................................................14

Bulk and Structure.................................................................................................................................15

Stabilizer................................................................................................................................................15

Reduces Iciness......................................................................................................................................16

Preservative...........................................................................................................................................16

Spread in Cookies..................................................................................................................................16

Energy....................................................................................................................................................16

Final Thoughts on Sugar............................................................................................................................16

Works Cited...............................................................................................................................................18


Introduction

Sugar has been a part of our diet since the beginning of mankind. In one source it states that

“From the earliest days man has probably sought for sweetness. Indeed primitive man may well have

used it as an indicator when selecting foods, those which are sweet being for the most part non-toxic

while bitterness may be accompanied by toxicity.” (Birch & Parker, 1979, p. 16) Sugar is present in a

variety of natural sources including fruit, honey and tree sap; most notably from maple trees. It has

been a staple of our diets for centuries and many historical figures have helped shape the history of

sugar. On average each person on earth consumes 71 pounds of caloric sweeteners per year (Moss,

2013). In this paper I will give a brief, and I hope interesting history of sugar; ill discuss its first mentions

in recorded history, right up to modern times. I also plan on discussing the most common types of sugar

that are found in the bakery and provide some basic information about them. I will talk about the role,

or functions, sugar has in baked goods. I will discuss what exactly sugar is, explaining monosaccharide’s,

disaccharide’s and polysaccharide’s. Lastly I’ll give you my final thoughts on sugar, its history, the science

behind it, and its place in our diets today.

History

“Honey is the oldest sweetener known to man” (Birch & Shallenberger, 1975, p. 150) and for as

long as mankind has been on this earth there has been a search for sweet foods. This does make a

certain amount of sense because as we now know, sugar equates to energy. So it’s no surprise that

ancient man sought after sweetness. In Oceania there is an origin legend that features sugarcane as the

‘tree of life’. In this legend two fishermen are out fishing in their boat and they catch a stalk of

sugarcane in their net. They throw it back, on the third time they catch the stalk, and they decide to

plant it in the earth. The sugarcane grew tall and from it came a woman. She cooked for the fisherman

every day. Every night she would return to the sugarcane (Birch & Parker, 1979). This is an interesting


legend and it clearly places a high value on sugarcane, as it brought life to the woman. This legend

shows me that even in ancient time’s sugarcane was highly regarded and a luxury item that could be

traded for other high value items, in fact “it has frequently been the direct or indirect cause of wars, and

the spoils of wars too.” (Birch & Parker, 1979, p. 16) Sugarcane is then thought to have migrated from

the Pacific over to Asia in a North West movement (Birch & Parker, 1979). Sugar beets were recorded as

early as 730bc in a catalogue of plants listed in a Babylonian kings’ garden. At that time it was called silga

and was only used as an edible plant (Birch & Parker, 1979). Sugar beets weren’t an easy source to

extract sugar from and for that reason they did not appear prominently in history until far later in time.

Sugarcanes’ movement can be traced into India around 1000bc where it is described in Hindu literature

as being cultivated near the modern province of Bihar (Birch & Parker, 1979). By 500bc sugarcane was

being harvested in Persia and Alexander the Great actually came across sugarcane there on his eastern

march of conquest. (Birch & Parker, 1979) Alexander the Great has an admiral named “Nearchos,

providing the first mention of it in western history in 500bc as a ‘reed which makes honey without

bees.’” (Birch & Parker, 1979, p. 17) From Persia sugarcane moved into China and it is mentioned in

Chinese Literature in 286ad (Birch & Parker, 1979). Mohammed came across ‘Persian Reed’ (referring to

sugarcane) during his holy war in 632ad and he took the ‘Persian Reed’ with him when he and his troops

moved west to the northern coast of Africa, then into Rhodes and into Sicily, Southern Spain and

Morocco (Birch & Parker, 1979).From my readings it would appear that the Arabs were the first to

produce crystalline sugar (Brown, 2004) and because of that they went on to monopolize the sugar

trade. Before sugar refining processes were developed sugar was sold in large, brown loaves or cones

that were quite sticky and the sugar had to be scraped off (Brown, 2004). So when the Arabs figured out

how to produce crystalline sugar it was a very big deal to the rest of the world. The Arabs sent their

sugar over to Europe, via Spain and sold it for an incredibly high price of about $500 for one tablespoon

(Brown, 2004). Some believe that the Moorish invasion of Spain helped to bring greater knowledge of


sugarcane to the rest of Europe (Amendola & Rees, 2003). There is even speculation that the Christian

Holy Crusades had a secret purpose: to uncover the secret of sugar refining; because Europeans were

sick of paying high sugar prices to the Arabs (Brown, 2004). Venice went on to become a major port for

sugar and sugar refining (Birch & Parker, 1979); in 1319 there is a record of a Venetian merchant vessel

transporting a cargo of refined sugar to England at the modern cost of 3,000£ per ton (Birch & Parker,

1979). By the 16th century almost all of the sugar that was imported into England was from Morocco and

for the most part it was unrefined (Birch & Parker, 1979). The Netherlands became a large sugar supplier

for a time, because of their ability to refine sugar which was a new technology in Europe (Birch & Parker,

1979). Granulated sugar started being produced in Spanish Santo Domingo in 1516, by slave labor, and it

was shipped back to Europe to meet the demand there (Moss, 2013). It wasn’t until the 1600’s that

sugar refining came to England and it only took a short time for ‘sugar houses’ to start springing up

across the country (Birch & Parker, 1979). These ‘sugar houses’ were such a fire hazard that insurance

companies of the time charged such high premium that some sugar refiners came together to form an

insurance company that still exists today; Phoenix Assurance Company (Birch & Parker, 1979). It wasn’t

until the 1800’s that sugar beets came to know fame during Napoleons rule. The process for extracting

sugar from sugar beets was discovered in the mid 18th century by a German chemist but his findings

wouldn’t come to fame until 1807 (Brown, 2004). In 1805 the English Navy blocked off continental

Europe in order to fight Napoleon and in the process they blocked off access to sugarcane, which

became contraband (Birch & Parker, 1979). Napoleon had to deal with his nation’s appetite for sugar

and on March 20, 1811 he found his answer in sugar beets when he learned that sugar could be refined

from them (Birch & Parker, 1979). Subsequently Napoleon decreed on January 1, 1813 that only the

sugar beet would be consumed in ‘his empire’; which was of course to stop his citizens from consuming

English sugar which came from sugarcane (Birch & Parker, 1979). By the end of that year there were

over 300 beet sugar factories in France and it looked like the sugar industry in France was doing well,


until the Treaty of Paris (Birch & Parker, 1979). When the Treaty of Paris was signed it opened French

ports up to English merchants, and subsequently English sugar. The French sugar beet industry almost

didn’t survive, but it did! By the end of 1825 the French were producing 24,000 tons of beet sugar a year

(Birch & Parker, 1979). There are statistics that show in 1839 the world produced and consumed roughly

800,000 tons of sugar from sugarcane (Birch & Parker, 1979), so it’s no surprise that Europeans needed

to find a constant and cheep source of sugar. When Europeans moved into the subtropics they

discovered that sugarcane flourished and they decided to set up colonies. In these colonies they formed

plantations and mainly used slave labor to farm the plantations (Brown, 2004). Florida has a large

sugarcane farming industry and during the time of the civil war all sugarcane plantations in the United

States were run using slave labor (Brown, 2004). When the civil war ended sugarcane farming became

impossible, because all of the slave were gone so the United States turned to another source for sugar:

sugar beets (Brown, 2004). Today there is a large sugarcane farming industry in Florida (Brown, 2004)

but it’s safe to say that it is not run using slave labor. There are only two plants that produce sucrose in

large enough quantities making them viable for farming and harvesting: sugarcane and sugar beets

(Brown, 2004). Today the world leaders of sugar production from sugar beets are the United Stated, The

Netherlands, Germany and France (Brown, 2004). High fructose corn syrup was invented in the 1970’s

and it has gained massive popularity because it is inexpensive and comes in liquid form meaning it can

be added directly to food and drinks (Moss, 2013).

What the Heck is Sugar Anyways?

Sugar is in its simplest form is a carbohydrate; long chains of carbohydrate are known as

starches (Gisslen, 2013). Carbohydrates move into the blood stream quickly and provide instant energy

for the body, which is not generally thought of as good (Brown, 2004). The more complex the

carbohydrate, the longer it takes to break down in the body, and there are two different classifications


of carbohydrates: simple and complex (Gisslen, 2013). Simple carbohydrates are monosaccharides,

complex carbohydrates are disaccharides and starches are polysaccharides (Gisslen, 2013). In the body

all carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (Amendola & Rees, 2003) aka blood sugar (Brown,

2004). There are many different kinds of sugar molecules and they are broken up into three categories;

monosaccharide’s, disaccharides and polysaccharide’s (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Saccharides are

classified based on their chemical makeup; the number of sugar molecules determines its classification,

Mono meaning one molecule, Di meaning two molecules, and Poly meaning many molecules (Amendola

& Rees, 2003). As a rule sucrose, aka granulated sugar, sets the standard for sweetness from which all

other sugars and sweeteners are compared (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Fructose is almost twice as sweet

as sucrose and glucose is only about 75% as sweet as sucrose (Amendola & Rees, 2003).

Monosaccharide’s

A monosaccharide is “a simple sugar with one sugar unit or saccharide. The most common

examples of a monosaccharide are glucose and fructose” (Rinsky & Rinsky, 2009, p. 185). There are three

different types of monosaccharides: glucose, fructose and galactose (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Glucose

is commonly referred to as blood sugar (Brown, 2004) and its scientific name is dextrose (Amendola &

Rees, 2003). Glucose is a sugar that is found in nature, most commonly in fruits, vegetables and natural

syrups like sap or honey (Rinsky & Rinsky, 2009). Fructose is commonly referred to as fruit sugar (Brown,

2004)and its scientific name is Levulose (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Fructose is a natural sugar that is a

by-product of honey and fruit (Rinsky & Rinsky, 2009). Glucose and fructose share the same chemical

formula; however it is the arrangement of their molecules which defines them. When viewing glucose

and fructose under a beam of polarized light the two sugars rotate in different directions; this is how

they got their names (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Glucose rotates to the right hence the name dextrose,

and, fructose rotates to the left hence the name levulose (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Galactose is a


monosaccharide that when combined with glucose forms lactose, the sugar found in milk (Amendola &

Rees, 2003). Galactose is most commonly found in dairy products and in beets (Rinsky & Rinsky, 2009).

Disaccharides

The Pastry Chef’s Companion (2009) defines a disaccharide as “a compound of two simple

sugars, or sacharides linked together, as in maltose, lactose and sucrose” (p. 96). One common

disaccharide is sucrose (Brown, 2004) but there are other disaccharides. Sucrose is made up of one

glucose molecule and one fructose molecule (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Maltose is another example of a

disaccharide; it is made of two glucose molecules (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Lactose is the last

disaccharide; it is made of one glucose molecule and one galactose molecule (Amendola & Rees, 2003).

Polysaccharides

“The term for ‘many sugars’, referring to large molecules that are made up of many sugar

molecules linked together. They are distinguished by the type and amount of sugar molecules and how

they are linked together.” (Rinsky & Rinsky, 2009, p. 223) Polysaccharides are commonly referred to as

starches and their chemical structures are complex (Gisslen, 2013).

Types of Sugar Found in the Bakery

In a typical bakery you can find a variety of sugars: granulated sugar, super fine sugar, icing

sugar, brown sugar, Demerara sugar, coarse sugar, isomalt and even invert sugars (Figoni, 2011)

(Amendola & Rees, 2003). These sugars are all different and serve a different function in baked goods.


Granulated sugar

Granulated sugar is the most common kind of sugar you will find in a bakery (Gisslen, 2013), it

contains between “99.9%-99.99% sucrose and is free of microorganisms.” (Birch & Shallenberger, Sugar

Chemistry, 1975, p. 148) Granulated sugar is a

simple carbohydrate (Brown, 2004). Simple

carbohydrates are digested, and are carried into

the blood stream quickly which means they can

provide instant energy for our bodies (Brown,

2004). Simple carbohydrates are not generally

known as good for us, a common term for them is

‘empty calories’ (Brown, 2004). Granulated sugar

can be made either from sugarcane or sugar beets (Rinsky & Rinsky, 2009) and comes in different grain

sizes: regular, fine, extra fine, sanding, and pearl sugar (Gisslen, 2013).

Super fine or castors sugar

Super fine or castor sugar is just as the name implies; super fine sugar. Castor is a British term

for super fine sugar and it just means that the sugar will come through a castor/shaker (Brown, 2004).

Super fine sugar dissolves faster in water because of its small particle size, this makes it ideal for making

products like meringues, angel food cake and other cakes where you want a really fine grain (Amendola

& Rees, 2003). Super fine sugar can also dissolve in cold liquids; regular granulated sugar cannot

(Amendola & Rees, 2003). Another thing to mention is because of its small particle size, super fine sugar

is ideal for creaming. The tiny sugar crystals create lots of air cells in the fat which leaven the product

(Amendola & Rees, 2003). The next time you want to make a cake with a fine crumb, increase spread

with cookies or stabilize a meringue consider using super fine sugar (Figoni, 2011).


Icing sugar

Icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar is simply granulated sugar that has been crushed so finely

that it is almost dust (Brown, 2004). It comes in X, 6X and 10X; and this refers to fineness, the smaller

the grains, the higher the rating (Brown, 2004).

The most commonly found type of icing sugar is

10X (Brown, 2004). Icing sugar contains about

3% corn starch to prevent it from clumping

(Gisslen, 2013). The sugar crystals in icing sugar

have been made so fine by crushing that it

actually won’t cream because the crystals have

no sharp edges (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Icing

sugar is good at stabilizing meringues; the cornstarch absorbs moisture and therefore prevents weeping

(Amendola & Rees, 2003). Icing sugar is wonderful when making icings and rolled fondant and this is,

again, because of the small crystal size; hence the name ‘icing’ sugar (Figoni, 2011).

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar used to be made by only partially refining sugar, but today it is simply granulated

sugar with molasses or caramelizing agents added (Gisslen, 2013). There are two ways of doing this; first

you boil semi refined sugar with molasses and

allow it to recrystallize (Figoni, 2011), this is usually

done with sugarcane. The second way of making

brown sugar is to blend cane sugar molasses with

granulated white sugar, essentially painting the

crystals with molasses; this is typically done with


sugar beets (Figoni, 2011). Brown sugar is used for its colour and flavor but has little effect on nutritional

value (Figoni, 2011). Brown sugar has higher moisture content than regular granulated sugar, because of

the molasses, and this can cause clumping (Figoni, 2011). The high moisture content also means that

brown sugar is more hygroscopic than granulated sugar; therefore it helps to retain moisture in baked

goods. Brown sugar can be dark or light in colour. The colour is affected by the amount of ‘impurities’

left in the sugar; meaning the molasses (Gisslen, 2013). One thing to note is that if you want to make a

white cake, brown sugar should not be used, the molasses will affect the colour of the batter and you

will get a more golden colour than desired (Gisslen, 2013).

Demerara Sugar

Demerara sugar is similar to brown sugar, but has some distinct differences. It was originally

produced in Guyana, in the Demerara region (Amendola & Rees, 2003), and this is where it gets its name

from. It was once made from unrefined, raw sugar but today it

is made by combining granulated sugar with molasses syrup

(Amendola & Rees, 2003). Demerara sugar is less moist than

brown sugar and its crystals are much coarser (Amendola &

Rees, 2003). Because of the lower moisture content Demerara

sugar doesn’t clump as much as traditional brown sugar does

(Brown, 2004). It is typically light brown, has large golden

crystals and is sometimes used for decorations (Figoni, 2011).

One thing to note is that because of the large crystal size

Demerara sugar technically can be creamed, but is ineffective at aeration (Amendola & Rees, 2003).


Coarse Sugar

Coarse sugar is simply granulated sugar, just with a much larger crystal size (Amendola & Rees,

2003). It can also be known as crystal sugar or decorating sugar (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Coarse sugar

is used for decoration and as garnishes and sometimes is coated in carnauba wax to give it a more

attractive look (Figoni, 2011).

Isomalt

Isomalt is a relatively new sweetener; it is a modified sucrose (Figoni, 2011). It comes in either a

white powder or small white beads and can be quite expensive (Figoni, 2011). It is half as sweet as sugar

and, technically, isn’t a sugar; it’s a sweetener (Figoni, 2011). It is low calorie and is used as a bulking

agent in sugar free candies and confections (Figoni, 2011). Isomalt does not brown easily and it does not

pull moisture from its surroundings unless the relative humidity in the room reaches 85% or higher

(Figoni, 2011).

Invert Sugar

Invert sugar is a sucrose solution that has been heated with an acid (Amendola & Rees, 2003).

The heat and acid break down the sucrose molecules into their two parts; fructose and glucose and then


reverses the rotation of the two molecules (Amendola & Rees, 2003). The reverse in the rotation of the

fructose and glucose molecules is why it is called an inverted sugar; the rotation is ‘inverted’ (Amendola

& Rees, 2003). Something interesting to note is that when the sucrose is broken down some of it

converts to equal parts dextrose and levulose (Gisslen, 2013). Invert sugar does not crystallize under

normal circumstances and is used to prevent and control crystallization in products (Amendola & Rees,

2003). Invert sugar is frequently used when making sorbets, candies, glazes, fudge, caramel, fondant,

icings… anything really where sugar is necessary but you don’t want a grainy texture (Amendola & Rees,

2003). Invert sugar is 30% sweeter than granulated sugar and is very hygroscopic (Gisslen, 2013). Invert

sugar is very hygroscopic because of the fructose content; fructose retains a lot of moisture (Amendola

& Rees, 2003). One thing to note with invert sugar is that because it is heated with an acid, it needs to

be neutralized otherwise it will retain its acidic qualities (Amendola & Rees, 2003).

Functions of Sugar as an Ingredient

Sugar plays many different roles in baked goods; sweetener, tenderizer, aids in moisture

retention, browning, leavening, adds bulk and structure, stabilizer, reduces iciness, acts as a preserver,

helps with spread in cookies and it provides us with energy (Figoni, 2011).

Sweetener

Sugar is naturally sweet, so therefore it adds sweetness.

Tenderizer

Sugar, when uses in dough’s’ or batters’, is a tenderizer (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Because of

sugars hygroscopic nature moisture is drawn away from starches and proteins in flour which interferes

with gluten development which makes dough ‘short’ (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Sugar affects starches by

delaying their gelatinization, which means that while the product is baking the crust has more time to


set and is less likely to rupture (Figoni, 2011). Sugar also increases the temperature at which proteins

coagulate which, again, gives the product more time for the crust to set (Figoni, 2011). Sugar also

tenderizes custards by interfering with the coagulation of proteins in the eggs (Brown, 2004). If there is

too much sugar in a recipe can affect leavening; either it doesn’t rise, or it rises and then collapses

(Figoni, 2011). Too little sugar in a recipe can cause the crust to rupture because it sets too early, it could

also cause the product to be dense (Figoni, 2011).

Moisture Retention

The Pastry Chef’s Companion (Rinsky & Rinsky, 2009) defines hygroscopic as referring “...to

sugars that attract and absorb moisture from the air” (p. 142). Because sugar is hygroscopic it draws

moisture from the surrounding area. This adds to the keeping ability, or shelf life, of a product (Figoni,

2011). Water is bound to the starches, with the help of sugar, and that is what helps keep products from

staling (Brown, 2004).

Browning

Sugar affects browning in baked goods in two ways: caramelization and the Maillard reaction

(Figoni, 2011). Caramelization is defined by Figoni (2011) as the browning of sugars when subjected to

heat. The Maillard reaction is defined as the browning of proteins and sugars when subjected to heat

(Figoni, 2011). Different sugars start to ‘brown’ at different temperatures; glucose and fructose brown at

a lower temperature than sucrose (Amendola & Rees, 2003). Therefore items baked with ingredients

high in fructose or glucose will produce a darker crust if the baking temperature is not adjusted

(Amendola & Rees, 2003).

Leavening

Sugar aids in leavening in three ways; it can be creamed, it provides food for yeast and it

provides a source of acid for baking soda (Figoni, 2011). When we are referring to the creaming method,


sugar is combined with a solid fat and the incorporation of sugar crystals into the fat creates air cells

(Brown, 2004). These air cells expand in the oven, producing leavening in products (Brown, 2004).

Baking soda requires both moisture and a source of acid in order to leaven products; sugar, especially

brown or Demerara sugar, can provide the necessary acid (Figoni, 2011). Sugar has quite a large impact

on yeast raised goods. Sugar provides a source of food for yeast which then expels CO2 gas and leavens

the product (Amendola & Rees, 2003). One thing to note is that in yeast raised products too much or too

little sugar can be a very bad thing; too much sugar and the yeast dies off early, too little sugar and there

won’t be enough food for the yeast resulting in under fermented dough (Amendola & Rees, 2003).

Bulk and Structure

Sugar is not normally used for providing bulk to products, but with items such as rolled fondant,

marzipan, or confections this is not true; rolled fondant is over 90% sugar (Figoni, 2011). Sugar also aids

with structure because it delays the coagulation of proteins which gives batters and dough’s more time

to rise before the crust sets (Amendola & Rees, 2003).

Stabilizer

As previously mentioned sugar delays the coagulation of proteins in batters and dough’s,

equating in more time for the product to rise without the crust setting or rupturing (Amendola & Rees,

2003). Sugar also stabilizes egg foams making them less likely to collapse and less likely to weep (Figoni,

2011). When sugar dissolves into whipped eggs the crystals melt into the egg foams’ air cells whereupon

they absorb moisture, this is what prevents weeping and in turn stabilizes egg foams (Amendola & Rees,

2003).


Reduces Iciness

Sugar affects the freezing temperature of frozen desserts such as ice cream or sorbet (Figoni,

2011). It does this by retaining the water molecules and delaying the formation of ice crystals (Figoni,

2011).

Preservative

Products with high levels of sugar are less likely to go ‘bad’. This is because, when used in large

quantities, sugar binds to the water molecules which help to prevent any microorganisms from growing

(Figoni, 2011).

Spread in Cookies

Sugar directly affects spread in cookies; lots of sugar means a lot of spreading, and a little sugar

means only a little spreading (Amendola & Rees, 2003). As a general rule, the finer the sugar crystal the

more spread you will get in your cookies (Figoni, 2011). There is one exception to this rule however:

icing sugar has the finest grain of all sugars but doesn’t create good spread due to the corn starch that

has been added (Figoni, 2011). Sugar in cookie dough’s essentially turns the dough into a sugar syrup by

pulling water away from proteins and starches (Figoni, 2011). It also delays the gelatinization of proteins

and starches giving the cookie more time to spread before the crust sets (Figoni, 2011).

Energy

Sugar provides instant energy for the body (Figoni, 2011).

Final Thoughts on Sugar

Sugar has impacted many areas of human life; history, the baking industry, human health, and

many more I am sure. Sugar has helped to shape the worlds history, having impacts on wars,


colonization and slavery (Birch & Parker, 1979). Sugar obviously plays a large role in the baking industry

as it has so many purposes in baked goods. Sugar can add sweetness, tenderizes, aid in moisture

retention, adds colour through browning, leavens, adds bulk, aids structure, stabilizes, reduces iciness,

acts as a preservative and provides our bodies with instant energy (Figoni, 2011). The effect sugar has

had on human health has been studied for quite some time and personally, I found it quite interesting.

In Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us (2013) it states that “Sugar not only makes the taste

of food and drink irresistible. The industry has leaned that it can also be used to pull off a string of

manufacturing miracles, from doughnuts that fry up bigger to bread that won’t go stale to cereal that is

toasty brown and fluffy.” (p. 4)The average person consumes, either through food or drinks, 32.2

kilograms of sugar per year (Moss, 2013). Personally this number is alarmingly high. Sugar addiction has

been proven in rats; in Florida scientist’s conditioned rats to expect an electrical shock when they ate

cheesecake. The rats gobbled up the cheesecake despite being shocked (Moss, 2013). In another

experiment, done in the 1960’s, researchers wanted to find out if rats would override their instinctual

behaviour in order to obtain sugar. It is known that rats hate open spaces and tend to stay in the

shadows. So the researchers decided to place fruit loops at the center of a large, brightly lit, cage to see

if the rats would go for them. It affected the rats so much that one researcher wrote “this craving

completely overrode the biological brakes that should have been saying: Stop” (Moss, 2013, p. 6). This

experiment proved that rats would go against their natural instincts to indulge their sugar cravings

(Moss, 2013). Sugar is well known for its addictive sweetness, its link to diabetes, and tooth decay.

Humans survived for centuries before sugar was ever ‘discovered’ and through the course of history it

would appear that sugar is doing us more harm than good, at least as far as health is concerned.


Works CitedAmendola, J., & Rees, N. (2003). Understanding Baking: The Art and Science of Baking (3 ed.). New

Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Birch, G., & Parker, K. (1979). Sugar: Science and Technology. London: Applied Science Publishers Ltd.

Birch, G., & Shallenberger, R. (1975). Sugar Chemistry. Connecticut: The Avi Publishing Company, Inc.

Brown, A. (2004). I'm Just Here for More Food. New York: Tabori & Chang.

Figoni, P. (2011). How Baking Works (3 ed.). New Jesery: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Gisslen, W. (2013). Professional Baking (6 ed.). New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Moss, M. (2013). Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart.

Rinsky, G., & Rinsky, L. (2009). The Pastry Chef's Companion: A Comprehensive Resource Guide for the Baking and Pastry Professional. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.


introduction - 201401elizabeth.files.wordpress.com viewsugar has been a part of our diet since the...

Documents