European Association
of Sugar Manufacturers

European Association
of Sugar Manufacturers

What is sugar?

By |2018-02-19T12:24:14+00:00February 15th, 2018|

Sugar is a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are the most important fuel for our brains and provide our bodies with the energy our organs need to function.

Sugars are present in nature; plants make sugars through photosynthesis. The sugar (sucrose) you find in your sugar bowl is simply water-extracted from beet or cane by sugar producers. Sucrose found in a fruit and sucrose used to bake a cake are identical. All have the same calorific values (4 kcal/ 17 kJ of energy per gram). The body does not distinguish between sugars used in manufactured food and drinks or in the home, and those found naturally in foods.

To function correctly, our body needs: