About 20% of the world’s sugar comes from sugar beets. In the United States, that figure is closer to 55%, more than half of U.S. sugar production is beet-derived. Despite the different plant source, beet sugar and cane sugar are chemically identical at the end of refining. The journey from field to white crystal, however, is meaningfully different.

The Plant: Beta vulgaris

Sugar beets (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) are biennial root vegetables, related to chard, spinach, and table beets, bred specifically for high sucrose content in the root. Modern commercial varieties contain 14-22% sucrose by fresh weight in the storage root.

Unlike sugarcane, which requires tropical conditions, sugar beets grow in temperate climates: the northern United States, Europe, Russia, and China. They’re planted in spring and harvested in fall when sucrose concentration peaks before the first freeze.

Key growing regions:

  • United States: Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho, Michigan, California (leading producer)
  • Europe: France (largest European producer), Germany, Russia, Poland
  • China: Xinjiang region
  • World production: approximately 280 million metric tons of sugar beets/year

The Extraction Process: How It Differs from Cane

Cane sugar is first extracted at the growing site (cane is too bulky to transport far) and then shipped as raw sugar to be further refined. Beet sugar goes from field to white sugar in a single location, beet processing facilities.

Step 1: Slicing. Harvested beets are washed and sliced into thin strips called cossettes to maximize surface area for diffusion.

Step 2: Diffusion. Cossettes are conveyed through a diffuser where hot water (70-75°C) extracts sucrose from the cells. The resulting “raw juice” is ~14-16% sucrose.

Step 3: Purification. Milk of lime (calcium hydroxide suspension) and CO₂ are added — this is carbonatation, the process that precipitates non-sucrose impurities (calcium phosphate carries them down as a precipitate). The purified juice is filtered.

Step 4: Evaporation and crystallization. The purified juice is concentrated in multiple-effect evaporators, then seeded and crystallized in vacuum pans. The same technology used in cane refining.

Step 5: Centrifugation. Sugar crystals are separated from molasses in centrifuges.

The result is white sugar in a single processing step. Beet molasses (the residual liquid) is less palatable than cane molasses, it contains more impurities, particularly betaine, raffinose, and nitrogen compounds, and is typically used for cattle feed or industrial fermentation, not as a consumer product.

Are Beet Sugar and Cane Sugar Identical?

Chemically: yes. Both are 99.9%+ sucrose after full refining. There is no chemical test that can distinguish white beet sugar from white cane sugar.

Culinarily: many bakers insist they perform differently in specific applications, particularly in candy making and certain baked goods. Controlled blind testing has not confirmed consistent performance differences. The distinction may be confounded by regional water hardness, minor processing variations, or psychological expectation.

Cane molasses and beet molasses are different products, since beet molasses has a less pleasant flavor profile. This means brown sugar made from beet processing has historically been less flavorful than cane-derived brown sugar. A real difference, but one that applies to brown sugar, not white.

GMO Beets

Approximately 95% of U.S. sugar beet production uses Roundup Ready® (glyphosate-tolerant) genetically modified varieties. These were first commercially grown in 2008. They allow herbicide application that controls weeds without damaging the beet crop.

The sucrose extracted from GM beets is chemically identical to sucrose from non-GM beets. The genetic modification affects herbicide tolerance, not sugar chemistry.

For consumers who want non-GMO beet sugar, certified non-GMO options exist but are significantly more expensive. Cane sugar in the U.S. is never from GM varieties (GM sugarcane is being developed but not yet in commercial U.S. production as of 2025).

Beet Pulp as a Byproduct

After sucrose diffusion, the residual beet slices (beet pulp) are pressed, dried, and used as animal feed. Beet pulp is rich in pectin (15-25%) and has high fiber content, making it a useful dietary supplement for horses and ruminants. It commands a higher price per ton than the molasses equivalent from cane refining.

Sources:

  • McGinnis J. “Sugar beet production and utilization.” Sugar Tech 2011
  • USDA Sugar Supply and Utilization data: ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/sugar-sweeteners
  • International Sugar Organization: isosugar.org