Food & Beverage Analysis

Determination of
Sugar in Food &
Beverages

Refractometry
Density
Titration
Moisture Analysis

The Ultimate Sugar Guide

Proven Analytical Methods and Results
Sugar and humans have a long shared history. The transition from the formerly white gold
to a common commodity, thought of as adverse for our health, is a result of industrializa-
tion. Sugar today is a relevant ingredient in many food and beverage products. Its con-
centration ranges from very small to high contents depending on the purpose of the sugar
addition. The exact sugar content is an important parameter of the composition of food
products. The following guide will review different methods of sugar content determination,
depending on the product and requirements.

Content 2

1 Introduction 3
2 Solutions Overview 4
3 Efficient Sugar Content Determination in Food and Beverages 4
3.1 Brix Determination with Instruments 4
3.2 Beverages, Juices, Wine 6
3.3 Molasses and Syrups 6
3.4 Multiparameter System with LiquiPhysics Instruments 7
4 Titration of Reducing Sugar 8
5 Moisture and Sugar Content in Sugar 9
5.1 Moisture Determination in Sugar 9
5.2 Water Determination of Raw Sugar 10
6 Production Process Control 12
6.1 Purification Process Monitoring by Titrimetric Analyses 12
6.2 Typical Analyses 12
6.3 Automated Titration System 13
6.4 Advantages 13
6.5 Tips and Hints 13
7 Conclusions 14
8 More Information 15
9 Appendix 15

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 2

1. Introduction

Sugar
Sugar is the general term for a class of sweet-flavored substances used as food. There are various types of
sugar derived from different sources. Monosaccharides are simple sugars and include glucose, fructose and
­galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. Other
­disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Table sugar has the chemical formula of C12H22O11, its energy ­content
is 16.8 kJ per gram, and is heavier than water, with a density of 1.6 g/cm3. The word 'sugar' originates in the
Sanskrit word 'śarkarā', which means sweet; this word was later taken into Arab and from there entered the
­European languages.

Sugars are present in sufficient concentrations for efficient extraction in sugar cane and sugar beet. Sugar cane
is a giant grass and has been cultivated in tropical climates in the Far East since ancient times. Sugar beet is a
root crop and is cultivated in cooler climates. Sucrose as a substance is directly contained in these plants and
is extracted in a watery solution by leeching, boiling or pressing and crystallizes in the process of boiling out the
water content. Sucrose is the parameter that is mostly tested in food labs.

The oldest findings of sugar cane in Melanesia, Polynesia, date back to 8,000 b.C.. Around 600 a.D. hot sugar
cane juice was filled into wooden or earthen cones – the creation of the sugar cone. Initially, sugar was a much
sought after substance in Europe and considered a luxury good and medicine. No surprise that sugar was called
the white gold.

In 1747 Andreas Sigismund Marggraf discovered the sugar beet and in 1801 the chemist Franz Carl Achard
created the basis of industrial sugar production. Sugar started to become an industrial commodity and prices
decreased, with the beginning of industrial production from 1850 onwards. An interesting side note: In 1840 the
first sugar cubes were developed. These were initially colored red, as the wife of the developer Jacob Christoph
Rad, who had hurt herself while trying to break some pieces off a sugar cone and had asked her husband to
produce smaller portions. He invented the sugar cube press and colored the first cubes red, in remembrance
of the event. That his wife had still offered the blood-stained sugar to her guests shows the high value it had at
those times.

The world produce of sugar was about 168 million tons in 2011. Top sugar producing countries are Brazil, India,
China, USA and Thailand. The average person consumes about 24 kilograms of sugar each year, equivalent to
over 260 food calories per person, per day. It is not surprising that the increase in sugar consumption (about
20fold in the last 150 years) also had adverse effects on our health. Sugar is thought to have played a major
role in the increase in adiposity, and, as an easy-to-digest carbohydrate has strong effects on the insulin levels.

Inverted sugar is a mixture of glucose and fructose. It is made out of the disaccharide sucrose in a hydrolytic
reaction, which is commonly induced either by the addition of acid, or utilizing sucrases, biological catalysts. In-
verted sugar has some desirable properties: It is sweeter than sucrose, does not crystallize as easily and builds
smaller crystals. Invert sugar also has a lower water activity than sucrose and thus provides for more preserving
qualities. It is hence often utilized by bakers and food producers.

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 3

2. Solutions Overview

Sugar Content Determination

Many methods for the determiation of the sugar content in food, raw materials, ingredients and beverages are
applied depending on the sample type and requirements of standards and guidelines.
METTLER TOLEDO offers several instruments for the automated anaylsis.

Refinery process control

Reducing sugar content
Sugar content / Brix

Sugar content / Brix

Analytical balance
Moisture analyzer

Precision balance
Moisture content
Refractometry

Water content
Karl Fischer

Weighing

Weighing
Titration

Titration
Density
Food and ingredients
Beverages / Juices
Syrups, molasses, extracts
Sugar as raw material/ingredient

Production process control

– sugar beet, sugar cane
Production process control
– sugar cane refinery
Quality control
– pure sugar

3. Efficient Sugar Content Determination in Food and Beverages

3.1 Brix Determination with Instruments

Brix Determination based on Refractometer

In earlier times, the refractive index was measured with an Abbe refractometer. However, the reading of the
refractive index or the Brix value on the sclae of the Abbe meter was errorprone since the dark/bright contrast
line is quite often blurred. Furthermore, the temperature was kept constant only with the help of an external
circulating water bath.

Modern digital refractometers are easy to use and allow the refractive index of liquids to be determined with
a high degree of accuracy. The result is evaluated automatically, indicated on the display, printed or stored.
Temperature is kept constant with built-in solid state thermostats obsoleting water baths.
In addition, the refractive index value can be automatically transformed to Brix or other concentration units
applying the respective conversion tables.

To master high sample throughput, digital lab refractometers are combined with automatic sample changers.
The sample changer also undertake the automatic rinsing and drying of the prism. There is nothing else for the
operator but to place the sample vials on the sample changer and to start the analysis.

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 4

Brix Determination based on Density Meter
The classic ways to determine the density of liquids are pycnometers and hydrometers. Both methods require
many manual work steps. Besides, the requested sample volume is considerable which is detrimental with
expensive samples or samples of limited availability. Density of liquids depends strongly on temperature. Small
deviations in temperature yield to considerable differences of the density (Fig.1). This is why pycnometers need
to be thermostatted quite a while before reading. Also the samples for the hydrometers need to be thermostatted
which also may take quite some time. It is crucial to apply the right temperature or to measure temperature
carefully in order to achieve accurate and reproducible density results.

Density g/cm3

Temperature ºC

Figure 1: Temperature dependance of the density of two sucrose solutions

Automatic density meters, applying the measuring principle of the oscillating U-tube, need a few mL of sample
only which facilitates sample procurement considerably. Temperature adjustment and equilibration of the sample
is achieved by the built-in thermostat and controlled by the density meter. Temperature equilibration is achieved
very fast. Thus, density determination including calculation of Brix or other concentration units is shortened to
merely few minutes.

Figure 2: Schematic of density measuring cell with oscillating U-tube and Peltier element for heating and cooling

Conversion Tables
Density and refractive index values can easily be converted into concentration units with the help of conversion
tables. For sugar, density and refractive index are translated into Brix units. Modern instruments automatically
do so. They also compensate to a Brix value at 20°C, if the measurement was conducted at higher temperature.
Thus, manual conversions and erros are avoided.

Because density and refractometers do not specifically determine the sugar content but just the physical property
of a liquid, correlations between density or refractive index data and the respective concentration have been
setup for various compounds e.g. sucrose, HFCS 42 or HFCS 55 (HFCS high fructose corn syrup). Thus, several
conversion tables are available to calculate Brix from refractive index or density values. It is important to apply
the right table to avoid erroneous transformation.

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 5

3.2 Beverages, Juices, Wine

Beverages: Soft drinks such as ice tea,lemonades, syrups and other beverages usually do not require any
sample preparation. Just fill the U-tube of the density meter with a syringe, drop a few drops on the prism of the
refractometers or place the sample vials on the sample changer.

Carbonated beverages: Carbonated beverages need degassing prior to the density determination, because gas
bubbles interfere with the measurement technique of the oscillating U-tube. Dissolved carbon dioxide gas also
contributes to the density, thus falsifying conversion to Brix or other concentration units.
However, carbon dioxide influences the refractive index determination to a much lesser extent. Just ensure that
free bubbles do not collect on the surface of the measuring prism.

Fruit juices: Fruit particles (pulp) can make fruit juice samples inhomogeneous. Thus, pulp needs to be removed
before determining density or refractive index. However, the refractive index determination is less sensitive to
pulp particles than the density determination.
The acid corrected Brix value takes into account the influence of fruit acids e.g citric acid, on the refractive index.
This correction asks for a prior acidity determination (titration, see Acidity Guide) and can then be done rather
easily.

Wine: Red and white wine do not require extended sample preparation but can be directly applied to density and
refractometers.

Results from Density Measurement

Mean (%Brix) SD (%Brix) n
Sucrose solution 20% 20.00 na
Orange juice A 12.56 0.01 4
Orange juice B 11.33 <0.01 2
Molasses 43.92 na

Results from Refractive Index Measurement

Mean (%Brix) SD (%Brix) n
Sucrose solution 20% 20.00 na
Orange juice C 11.38 <0.01 2
Orange juice D 11.41 <0.01 2
Apple juice 11.20 na
Red grapefruit juice 16.60 na

3.3 Molasses and Syrups

Two main methods of ICUMSA* describe the determination of sugar in molasses and syrups. Method GS4/3-
13 is the determination of the refractometric dry subastance (RDS) of molasses and syrups with an Abbe
refractometer. Method GS4-15 is the determination of the apparent dry substance (°Brix) of molasses using a
hydrometer.
Both methods require an advanced level of operational skills and, in addition, pose several sources of error due
to the proposed setup’s limitations. However, these instruments are rather cheap and applied since long.
Some of the major pitfalls in method GD4/3-13 are
• thermostating the sample in a water bath
• the issue of dark samples causing reduced mesurement repeatability
• light source of a non-defined wavelenght

* International Commission of Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 6

Automatic Refractometers and Density Meters
A solution based on an automatic density and/or refractometer and a sample changer is a very suitable proposal
for the sucrose determination in molasses and syrups. Measurements are done fully automatically including
rinsing and results can be printed, stored or sent to LIMS* and ERP*. Modern density meters apply the technique
of the oscillating U-tube which provides a fast and reliable determination of the density and evaluation of the Brix
value. Automatic refractrometers apply the principle of total reflection and determine the refractive index and the
Brix value within seconds only. Both instruments have built-in solid state thermostats to keep samples exactly at
the right temperature.
This system of meter and automatic sample changer can easily be enhanced with a colorimeter for the color
measurement according to ICUMSA GS1-7(2002) and GS2/3-9(2005).

Results from Measurement

Mean (%Brix) SD (%Brix) n
Brix nD from refractive index 37.27 <0.01 5
Brix d from density 37.93 0.01 5

Calculations of Final Results

Formula Result (%Brix)
Refractive dry substance RDS (37.27 Brix nD x me) / md 74.74
Apparent dry substance ADS (37.93 Brix d x me) / md 76.06

Mass of molasses + water (me) = 100.5

Mass of molasses (md) = 50.1

3.4 Multiparameter System with LiquiPhysics Instruments

Density and refractive index are frequently determined in the same sample. Increasingly, more parameters
such as pH value or color are requested. The combination of LiquiPhysics Density and Refractometers,
sample changers and additional insturments provides unparalleled solutions for simultaneous multiparameter
determinations.

Figure 3: Multiparameter system with density and refractometer combined with pH meter, sample changer and LabX software.

* LIMS Laboratory information and management system, ERP Enterprise resource planning systems

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 7

4. Titration of Reducing Sugars

The Method
Any sugar having an aldehyde group or is able to form one in solution is a reducing sugar. Typical examples are
aldoses such as glucose, galactose, mannose or xylose. The titration of reducing sugars according to Rebelein
applies to fruit juices, wines and other sugar containing food and beverage products. Hereby react the reducing
sugars with alkaline copper (II) sulfate to form copper (I). The alkaline copper sulfate is added as Fehling
solutions A and B (A: copper sulfate. B: sodium hydroxide and sodium potassium tartrate). The unreacted
excessive Cu(II) is reduced by iodide and a correspoding amount of iodine is generated. This iodine is then
titrated with sodium thiosulfate (0.1 M Na2S2O3). Indication by platinum ring redox electrode.

Results
Sample Mean g/L RSD % n
White wine 0.983 0.53 4
Red wine 3.425 0.66 6
Orange juice 47.89 1.2 5
Grape juice 135.6 0.51 3

Tips and hints

• The Rebelein titration is a back titration procedure. Thus, prior to the sample titrations the procedure is carried
out exactly the same way but just without sample. The result of this titration (= back value) is taken into
account for the calculation of the reducing sugar content.
Modern autotitrators do all calculations fully automated avoiding calculation errors.
• The applied sample size depends on the sugar content of the sample. 10 mL of Fehling solutions can reduce
a maximum of 43 mg glucose. If the sample contains more reducing sugar, it needs dilution with deionized
water.
sugar content sample
0 – 1.5 g/L 20 mL, undiluted
1.5 – 3 g/L 10 mL, undiluted
3 – 15 g/L 2 mL, undiluted
15 – 60 g/L 2 mL, diluted: 25 mL sample diluted to 100 mL ➞ dilution factor 4
60 – 150 g/L 2 mL, diluted: 10 mL sample diluted to 100 mL ➞ dilution factor 10
• The heating period of 2 minutes has to be applied exactly in order to get reproducible results. After the heating,
immediate cooling to room temperature is recommended.
• Avoid vigorous stirring after the addition of the potassium iodide solution to avoid loss of iodine.

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 8

5. Moisture and Water Content in Sugar

Fast and accurate moisture information is crucial for optimal control in sugar production plants and for the safe
storage and transportation of the final product of sugar refinement. Adjusting the moisture content to optimal
­levels during the drying process and keeping it within tight tolerances, optimizes the production in order to
achieve the best quality.
The optimal moisture content of white sugar is typically between 0.01 and 0.05% and between 0.1 and 1.10%
in raw sugar.
It is also important to specifically know the water content. Since water contributes to the weight of sugar, it is
relevant to know its exact amount in order to obtain a meaningful product quality parameter. The surface water
content of granulated sugar is a critical parameter for its transformation into cubes as well as for silo storage.

5.1 Moisture Determination in Sugar

The standard method for moisture determinations according to ICUMSA GS2/1/3/9-15 requires oven drying.
This is a time consuming task requiring long heating periods. In addition, samples need to be weighed twice
before and after drying. And operators have to avoid any confusion of weighing results.

5.1.1 Method with Drying Oven and Analytical Balance

Besides heating in an oven with precise temperature control, weighing with an analytical balance is the core
of the method. Two weighing steps have to be done, adding two times all possible sources of errors. In order
to keep uncertainty and deviations low, weighings of the wet and the dry sample both have to be carried out
at utmost accuracy and precision. In addition, no samples should be mixed up. Otherwise results become
meaningless.
METTLER TOLEDO’s Excellence and Excellence Plus balances provide the required weighing performance and
support workflow safety.
• Big weighing chamber for easy access and sample handling
• Big weighing capacity and high resolution to match method requirement
• SmartGrid and ErgoClips for fast weighing and secure sample handling
• User guidance via interactive touchscreen display to minimze risk of operator errors
• LabX software for full user guidance, workflow automation and data management

5.1.2 Halogen Moisture Analyzers

A very viable alternative is the application of a moisture analyzer. Modern halogen moisture analyzers deliver
far faster, yet equally as accurate, moisture content determinations. This is a huge advantage during production
process.
METTLER TOLEDO recommends the new halogen moisture analyzer HX204.

5.1.3 Samples and Sample Preparations

Applying a Halogen Moisture Analyzer, sample preparation is simple. Most of the samples can be just weighed
into the weighing pan.

Sample Expected moisture content Recommende sample size

White Sugar 0.01 – 0.05% 20 g
Raw Sugar 0.1 – 1.1% 10 – 20 g

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 9

5.1.4 Comparison with drying oven reference method
A comparison study with raw and white sugar shows that the Moisture Analyzer achieves highly repeatable
results which fully correspond to the drying oven results. However, the Moisture Analyzer methods just took
minutes rather than hours.

Moisture Analyzer HX204 Drying oven (ICUMSA GS2/1/3/9–15)

Mean SD Time Mean SD Time
[%MC] [%MC] [min] [%MC] [%MC] [min]
White Sugar 0.018 0.002 4 0.019 0.004 180
Raw Sugar 0.181 0.07 9 0.202 0.014 180
number of samples = 6

5.1.5 Conclusion
The moisture content of sugar is determined fast and accurately with the easy-to-use Halogen Moisture
Analyzer. The results correspond fully with the reference method. Quick and precise moisture content results can
significantly contribute to the operational efficiency of sugar refineries and sugar processing companies.

Figure 4: Halogen Moisture Analyzer HX 204

5.2 Water Determination of Raw Sugar

The Karl Fischer titration is a well known method for the determination of the water content. It is widely applied
for all kinds of samples. New generation Karl Fischer reagents, globally available from several suppliers,
are stable and react fast. The replacement of the toxic and unpleasent pyridin base by other more suitable
compounds has improved safety and reduced toxicity.
Modern Karl Fischer titrators are easy to operate and clean, provide a closed loop for reagent displacement and
refill and support the user for result calculation, data storage and compliance.

5.2.1 Karl Fischer Titration

Volumetric Karl Fischer titration enables the specific and selective determination of either the total water content
or the surface water content of sugar only. For the total water content, the sample needs to be dissolved
completely. Whereas for the surface water content an auxiliary solvent is applied which dissolves the water
merely from the surface of the sugar crystals but not the sugar crystal itself.
Both procedures are explained in the following table.

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 10

 Analysis 1
Total water content determination
Samples Raw sugar
Sample size: ~1 g
Titrant KF one-component reagent 2 mg/g or
KF two-component reagent 2 mg/g
Solvent 150 mL
Solvent for two-component reagent
Sample preparation and 1. 150 mL solvent for the two-
titration component reagent dissolves a
maximum of 2 g of raw sugar at
ambient temperature. The
maximum amount can be
increased to 2.5 g at 45 °C.
2. Complete dissolution of the sugar
sample is achieved in a 90 s
mixing time with the application of
a high speed homogenizer.
3. The sugar dissolution is a time-
consuming, gradual process.
Therefore, a minimum titration time
of 1200 s is applied. This avoids a
premature titration end.
Instruments Compact volumetric Karl Fischer
titrator V30
Homogenizer Kinematica Polytron
1200E operated by a TBox DR42 for
220 V power supply
Analysis 2
Surface water content determination
Raw sugar
Sample size: ~4.5 g
KF one-component reagent 2 mg/g
150 mL
Methanol/Chloroform 1:4
1. A solvent mixture of methanol/
chloroform 1:4 is used to avoid
sugar dissolution and to selectively
determine the surface water of
sugar.
2. The titration is accomplished within
1.5 – 2.5 min by applying a short
delay time of 3 s as termination
parameter.
3. A premature end to the titration is
avoided by using a minimum
titration time of 80 s.
Compact Volumetric Karl Fischer
Titrator V30

Total water content determination Surface water content determination

Results 3 samples 3 samples
Mean water content = 816 ppm Mean water content = 125 ppm
Relative standard deviation = 2.5% Relative standard deviation = 7.5%

In order to better accommodate for the rather low surface water content, external extraction with chloroform and
subsequent coulometric titration is the recommended alternative to the above described easy direct volumetric
procedure.
Apply the Compact Coulometric Karl Fischer Titrator C30.

5.2.2 Remarks
Methanol/formamide 1:1solvent was rather frequently used in the past to dissolve sugar completely. However, the
poisonous (teratogenic) formamide is mainly replaced by using the solvent for two-component reagent and a
homogenizer.
Also a jacketed titration vessel can be applied in order to carry out the analysis at elevated temperature, e.g. at
45 °C, to improve the dissolution of sugar samples. The dissolution of sugar is also faster at higher temperature.
Therefore, the minimum titration time can be reduced, e.g. to 600 seconds, which shortens the total analysis
time and increase the efficiency considerably.

5.2.3 Conclusions
For sugar, the Karl Fischer titration is a suitable method to determine either the total water content or the surface
water selectively. Appropriate solvents, procedures and methods are tested and available. The homogenizer
action is control-led by the titrator’s method. The titration control parameters are fine-tuned accordingly.

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 11

6. Production Process Control

The major raw sugar refining techniques are the carbonatation and the phosphatation process. In both
processes a precipitate is formed which intraps and absorbs colorants and other impurities. Both processes
need careful control and monitoring to reach yield, efficiency and quality targets. Thus, quality controls of the
sugar production process in sugar refineries are fundamental.
The carbonatation is mainly applied to the sugar beet purification processing. Depending on region and
technical status quo, sugar cane processors apply the phosphatation or the carbonatation process.

6.1 Purification Process Monitoring by Titrimetric Analyses

Titrimetric analyses, such as alkalinity, total lime and total hardness, are indispensable parameters in
sugar refinery process and quality control. Titration is a wide-spread classic quantitative analysis of many
applications. It can be performed manually with a glass burette and color indicators, semi-automated with
a motor burette or by autotitrators. In this sequence, the degree of operator involvement and risks of errors
decrease. As a consequence, the level of automation and efficiency increases.
METTLER TOLEDO’s Excellence line titrators further add security and speed. They are made for uninterrupted
operation during the sugar production campaign. The unique One Click® operation makes the use of the
autotitrator extremely simple for routine applications.

Sugar Beet Production

Alkalinity, total hardness, pH value and total lime are analyzed and measured hourly in different production
steps.

Production Step Analytics

Juice purification, pre-liming pH, alkalinity, total lime
Juice purification, main liming Alkalinity
1st carbonation pH, alkalinity, total lime
2nd carbonation pH, alkalinity, total hardness
Filtration Total hardness
Evaporation Total hardness

6.2 Typical Analyses

A sugar beet refinery applies typically 3 different titration methods to monitor the production and purification
process. Two of them are acid/base titrations, the hardness is a complexometric method with EDTA.

Analysis 1 Analysis 2 Analysis 3

Hardness determination Alkalinity determination Total lime determination
Samples • Power water • Pre-liming • Mud recirculates
• Press lime filtrate • Main liming • Milk of lime
• Thin juice • 1st carbonatation • 1st carbonatation
nd
• Thick juice • 2 carbonatation
Description The determination of the The samples are titrated With the addition of hydro-
total hardness of water is with HCl 0.3571 mol/L to chloride acid, the sample is
based on a complexometric an endpoint of pH 8.2 titrated to pH 1. The CaCO3
titration of calcium and is then decomposed to CaO
magnesium with an aque- and CO2. The remaining
ous solution of the CaO is titrated with sodium
di-sodium salt of EDTA at hydroxide to endpoint
pH 10. pH 5.1
Instruments T90 Excellence titrator, Rondo sample changer, DGi115-SC pH sensor, DX240-SC
(calcium ion selective) sensor with a DX200 reference and barcode reader
Instead of DX240, a phototrode DP5 and a corresponding color indicator can be
applied.

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 12

6.3 Automated Titration System
The complete analytical sequence can be performed automatically. The refinery worker inserts the sample onto
the sample changer rack and starts the analytical process with one click of the touch screen. Depending on the
sample, the system measures pH, alkalinity and total hardness with the corresponding method.

6.4 Advantages
The system will run 24 hours a day during the harvest campaign and measures samples hourly. To be confident
that no process steps are out of limits during production, the range of results is defined within the method. If
any one sample is out of the defined limits, an alarm is generated and the operator can see this clearly on the
display. Immediate actions can be taken to optimize the production process without losing time and materials.
All methods and results are stored in the LabX® pro titration software and can be transferred to the LIMS System.

6.5 Tips and Hints

• For the alkalinity and total lime titration a robust pH electrode serves best. A DGi115 combined pH electrode is
recommended.
• However periodic cleaning of the pH, ISE and reference electode to remove incrusted remainders or adhering
particles is required. Wipe carefully with a tissue.
• Calcium ion selective electrode sensor is the best choice to determine total hardness for samples which are
very turbid, such as power water, press lime filtrate and thin and thick juices.
Thin and thick juice samples vary strongly in color depending on the beet root (e.g. from light to dark brown).
Therefore, the colorimetric indication is not recommended.

Figure 5: Fully automated titration system. METTLER TOLEDO Titration Excellence T90 with sample changer Rondo 20.

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 13

7. Conclusions

Several methods about sugar content determination have been presented in this paper. There are methods for
sugar content determination in liquids and solids with refractometers and density meters. Automated solutions
offer a higher accuracy and repeatability than manual instruments.

A quality aspect of sugar as a food ingredient is the moisture/ water content. Karl Fischer titration surely is the
most accurate solution to determine the water content. However, halogen moisture analyzers are a fast and
robust solution to quickly determine the moisture content of sugars on the production line.

METTLER TOLEDO supplies food laboratories with the right instruments, for the corresponding choice of method.
Find out more about our products, and get in touch with our experts, for suggestions on how you can benefit
from METTLER TOLEDO's expertise in the food industry.

Measurement Technique Advantages

Digital refractometers
Digital density meters
Automatic titrators
Halogen Moisture Analyzers
Fast measurement within seconds, automatic reading
5 decimal places for high accuracy
Integrated temperature compensation
Conversion tables for Brix, HFCS 42, HFCS 55, Oechsle and more
Automation for single sample, sample series, rinsing and drying
Automatic reading
Integrated temperature compensation
Conversion tables for for Brix, HFCS 42, HFCS 55, Oechsle and more
Automation for single sample, sample series, rinsing, drying and heating
Determination completely automated
Comprehensive documentation
Traceable results
Automation
Short measurement time of less than 10 minutes
Easy to operate
Simple to clean

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 14

8. More Information

If you liked this guide, we are proudly presenting the METTLER TOLEDO series of guides for the food industry.
Please click on the below links to get access to the respective food guides.

The Ultimate Salt Guide www.mt.com/salt-lab

The Ultimate Acidity Guide www.mt.com/acidity-lab
The Ultimate Formulation Guide www.mt.com/formulation-lab
The Ultimate Edible Fats and Oils Guide www.mt.com/fat-lab
The Ultimate Moisture and Water Content Guide www.mt.com/moisture-lab

More about our titrators: www.mt.com/titration

More about density meters and refractometers: www.mt.com/Liquiphysics
More about acid corrected Brix: www.mt.com/juice-multiparameter

Application Brochures
Determinations in Beverages, Application Brochure Nr 19, Mettler Toledo 51725013
Good Density and Refractometry Practice™, read brochure on www.mt.com/gdrp
Karl Fischer Titration with a Homogenizer, Application Brochure Nr 27, Mettler Toledo 51725053

External sources
Wikipedia, e.g. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucker
Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, e.g. http://www.wzw.tum.de/~bmeier/pages/83rebelein.htm

9. Appendix

Ti-Note Food & Beverage No. 10 Reducing Sugar Determination in Beverages According to Rebelein
Ti-Note Food & Beverage No. 16 Formol Number, Acidity and True Brix Value of Orange Juice

METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 15

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METTLER TOLEDO Sugar Guide 17
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Good Measuring Practices
Five Steps to Improved Measuring Results

Good Measuring Practices by METTLER TOLEDO is a global program sup-

porting you in laboratory and production environments with quality assur-
ance measures for balances, scales, pipettes and analytical instruments.
The five steps of all Good Measuring Practices guidelines start with an
evaluation of the measuring needs of your processes and their ­associated
risks. We also take into account regulatory requirements and norms
­relevant to your industry.
With this information, Good Measuring Practices provide straight forward
recommendations for selecting, installing, calibrating and operating of
weighing and measuring instruments.­

www.mt.com/gwp for weighing

www.mt.com/gtp for titration
www.mt.com/gpp for pipetting
www.mt.com/gdrp for density and refractometry

5
Routine 1
Operation Evaluation

Good
Measuring
4
Calibration / Practices 2
Qualification Selection

3
Installation /
Training

www.mt.com
For more information

Mettler-Toledo AG
Laboratory Division
Im Langacher
CH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland

Subject to technical changes

© 09/2012 Mettler-Toledo AG
Global MarCom Switzerland