Food system of sugar production: Structure and characteristics

Abstract

The food system for sugar production plays a crucial role in ensuring a country’s food security, and its effective functioning requires an in-depth study of the features of its formation. This study used logical analysis, generalization, and systematization of scientific and practical knowledge in sugar technology to consider the technological flow of beet sugar production. The structure of the food system was determined, consisting of 14 selected local systems based on 6 types of processes - mechanical, mass transfer, chemical, physicochemical, thermal, and separation. This indicates the complexity of the food system and the significant transformation of sugar beets as a raw material. The mechanisms of formation of local systems were detailed, showing a transformative effect on the modification of the raw material flow. The characteristics of two local systems - diffusion juice and massecuite of the first stage of crystallization - were considered in detail, revealing them as complex disperse systems that differ in composition, dispersion, technological properties, stability indicators, and instability factors. The systematized data obtained can be used to create effective technological solutions in the sugar production food system.