Step 1: Delivery and Receiving
Freshly harvested sugar beets arrive from nearby farms. They’re weighed, sampled for sugar content and quality, and then moved into storage or directly into the production line.

Step 2: Washing and Slicing
Before processing, beets are thoroughly washed in water flumes to remove dirt and debris. They are then cut into thin strips called “cossettes,” which increase the surface area for sugar extraction.

Step 3: Diffusion (Extraction)
The cossettes enter a diffuser (or extractor), where hot water passes through them. This extracts sugar from the beet tissue, leaving behind what is commonly referred to as “spent pulp,” later used for animal feed.

Step 4: Purification (Carbonation & Filtration)
The raw juice from the diffuser is treated with lime (calcium oxide) and then carbon dioxide gas. This “carbonation” process binds impurities, which are later filtered out. The result is a clearer “thin juice.”

Step 5: Evaporation
The clarified thin juice is heated in a series of evaporators. Excess water is removed, concentrating the solution into what is known as “thick juice.” This thick juice has a much higher sugar content.

Step 6: Crystallization
In vacuum pans, the thick juice is boiled under reduced pressure, which lowers the boiling point. Sugar crystals begin to form and grow in the syrup, creating a mixture of crystals and syrup known as “massecuite.”

Step 7: Centrifugation and Drying
The massecuite is spun in centrifuges to separate the sugar crystals from the remaining syrup (known as molasses). The damp crystals are then dried and cooled, becoming what we recognize as granulated sugar.

Step 8: Packaging and Shipment
Once dried, the sugar is moved through final screening steps to ensure consistent crystal size and quality. It is then packaged into bags of various sizes, ready for shipment to stores or commercial users. Any leftover syrup (molasses) may be further processed or sold as a separate product.