Bulk Sugar for Food & Beverage Manufacturers: Which Grade Do You Need?

Choosing the Right Sugar Grade for Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Not all sugar is the same. Food and beverage manufacturers operate within tight quality specifications, and purchasing the wrong grade can affect product colour, flavour, shelf life, and regulatory compliance. This guide explains which ICUMSA sugar grades suit which applications, the relevant specifications, MOQ, and pricing from Kanthararom Sugar in Thailand.

Grade-by-Application Overview

ICUMSA 45 — The Standard for Beverages & Dairy

ICUMSA 45 is the most refined grade of cane sugar available. Its near-white colour (ICUMSA value ≤ 45 IU) and neutral taste make it the default choice wherever sugar appears in a transparent or light-coloured product.

Typical applications:

• Carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) — sugar is the primary sweetener in cola, lemon-lime, and fruit flavour variants
• Fruit nectars and juice drinks — ICUMSA 45 avoids colour contribution that could alter visual appearance
• Energy and sports drinks — where formulation colour is tightly controlled
• Dairy products — flavoured milk, yoghurt, ice cream, condensed milk
• Infant formula and nutritional supplements — requires highest purity to meet regulatory limits for sulphur dioxide (SO₂ ≤ 15 ppm)
• Premium hard candy and gummies

Key specifications (Kanthararom Sugar ICUMSA 45):

• ICUMSA colour: ≤ 45 IU
• Polarisation: ≥ 99.8°Z
• Moisture: ≤ 0.04%
• Ash content: ≤ 0.04%
• SO₂: ≤ 10 ppm
• Reducing sugars: ≤ 0.04%

ICUMSA 100 — The Bakery & Confectionery Workhorse

ICUMSA 100 (also called "plantation white" or "mill white" in some markets) has a slightly higher colour value and minor molasses trace, giving baked goods a warmer, more natural sweetness profile. Many bakers prefer it over ICUMSA 45 for this reason.

Typical applications:

• Industrial bakeries (biscuits, crackers, sandwich bread)
• Cakes, muffins, pastries
• Standard confectionery (boiled sweets, chewy candy, chocolate coatings)
• Tomato sauce, ketchup, and savoury condiments where small colour variance is acceptable
• Breakfast cereals

Key specifications (Kanthararom Sugar ICUMSA 100):

• ICUMSA colour: 81–160 IU
• Polarisation: ≥ 99.6°Z
• Moisture: ≤ 0.06%
• SO₂: ≤ 20 ppm

ICUMSA 150 — Cost-Effective for High-Volume Production

ICUMSA 150 offers the best price-per-ton among refined white sugar grades and suits applications where absolute whiteness is not a requirement.

Typical applications:

• Large-scale industrial bakeries and snack manufacturers
• Brewing and fermentation (sugar is a fermentation feedstock, colour is irrelevant)
• Animal feed supplements
• Standard table sugar where brand specification allows slightly higher colour

Key specifications (Kanthararom Sugar ICUMSA 150):

• ICUMSA colour: 101–200 IU
• Polarisation: ≥ 99.5°Z
• Moisture: ≤ 0.08%
• SO₂: ≤ 30 ppm

Liquid Sugar — For Beverage & Dairy Plants

Liquid sugar (sucrose syrup, typically 67° Brix) eliminates the dissolution step in beverage manufacturing. It arrives ready to meter directly into mixing tanks, reducing energy costs, labour, and the risk of undissolved sugar in finished products.

Typical applications:

• High-speed CSD bottling plants
• Aseptic juice drink production
• Dairy processing (flavoured milk, yoghurt preparation)
• Pharmaceutical syrups

Specifications:

• Brix: 67° ± 0.5°
• Based on ICUMSA 45 refined sugar (colour in solution ≤ 50 IU)
• Packed in flexitanks (24 MT per 20ft container) or IBC totes (1,000 L)
• Shelf life: 6 months under ambient conditions in sealed packaging

Liquid sugar incurs higher freight costs per ton of sucrose due to water content, so it is most economical for buyers who have no sugar-dissolving infrastructure on-site.

Certifications for Food Manufacturers

Food manufacturers operating in regulated markets or supplying retail chains require documented food safety certification from their sugar supplier. Kanthararom Sugar holds:

• FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification) — internationally recognised food safety management standard, required by most multinational food companies
• HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) — certified at mill and packing facility level
• Halal (CICOT certified) — required for export to Muslim-majority markets and many international food brands with halal product lines
• Kosher — available on request; certificate issued by an approved kosher certifying body
• ISO 9001:2015 — quality management system

Full certificate copies and current validity dates are provided with every shipment's documentation package.

Packaging Options by Volume

Most food manufacturers in Asia order in 1–4 container lots (25–100 MT) as a standard replenishment cycle. Large regional factories may consolidate orders into 500–2,000 MT vessel parcels for cost efficiency.

2026 Pricing for Food Manufacturers

FOB Laem Chabang. CIF pricing to your destination port is available — request a quote with your port name and volume.

How to Get Samples and a Certificate of Analysis

Before placing a commercial order, food manufacturers typically require:

1. Free sample (500 g to 2 kg) for internal laboratory testing — available on request; buyer pays courier charges
2. Certificate of Analysis (COA) for the current production lot — issued with every shipment and available in advance for pre-approval
3. Technical data sheet — covering all specification parameters for your quality assurance team
4. Supplier audit questionnaire — Kanthararom Sugar completes standard supplier audit forms required by major food companies (SQF, BRC, Sedex SMETA, etc.)

To request samples or documentation, visit our contact page and specify the grade, your application, and any certification requirements.

Related Articles

• ICUMSA Sugar Grades Explained: 45 vs 100 vs 150 vs Raw
• Contact Kanthararom Sugar for a Quote