Powder Characteristics of Granulated Sugar in Japan

The caking of sugar is a major problem in Japan. However, no method has been established to evaluate caking quantitatively. The purpose of this study was to investigate the powder characteristics of granulated sugar in Japan as one of the factors causing caking. The study measured crystal properties, grain size and other powder characteristics of granulated sugar. Samples were collected from four granulated sugar (GS: 500–650 µm) products and 15 fine granulated sugar (FGS: 200–500 µm) products which differed in types of grain sizes. Irregular fine particles were observed in products with a small grain size. GS showed a smaller compression degree and larger Carr index than FGS. As a result of principal component analysis, the products were divided into three groups excluding the particular products.