From a vegan point of view, how's white sugar processed in Mauritius?

Until 2008, Mauritius was a major producer of raw sugar. Technically speaking, the specifications of raw sugar are: 98.50 pol, that is 98.5% sucrose, 0.3% moisture content and a crystal size varying from 0.5 to 1 mm. It is brown in colour being surrounded by a thin film of molasses which is dark brown.

Raw sugar is obtained from the processing of the sugar cane juice extracted from the sugar cane stalks. The juice is clarified with lime and subsequently concentrated to produce massecuites which is a mixture of crystals and surrounding dense, dark brown liquid called molasses. The crystals (raw sugar) are separated from the molasses by centrifugation.

Refined sugar Refined sugar is purified white sugar of approximately 99.50 pol, a moisture content of around 0.03% and an colour of less than 45 ICUMSA.

In order to obtain refined sugar, raw sugar must be processed following a number of distinct steps namely:

• Affination - removing the film of molasses from the surface of the raw sugar crystals which are then melted
• Clarification - removing the impurities in the melt.
• Decolourizing – removing the colour
• Crystallization - the purified white sugar is separated from the liquor by centrifugation
• Drying
• Finishing - packaging

Read this link for more info

MSPA