Sugar

A wide range of sugar products are available wholesale, varying in terms of raw material, form and application. At August Töpfer & Co., you can find wholesale sugar in a number of different varieties and packaging units.

Our selection of sugar products

Sugar cubes

Industrial sugar

Organic whole cane sugar

Cane sugar

Organic panela sugar

Naturland sugar

Muscovado sugar

Coconut sugar

Fairtrade sugar

Demeter sugar

Organic sugar cubes

Organic beet sugar

Organic cane sugar

Organic icing sugar

Organic coconut sugar

Organic Fairtrade sugar

Invert sugar

Organic invert sugar

Organic liquid sugar

Sugar production

The term sugar is commonly used to refer to various types of sucrose. Other typical names include table sugar, granulated sugar, cane sugar or beet sugar. Sugar is obtained from plants that contain a substantial amount of disaccharides. In tropical regions, sugarcane is hugely important, while sugarbeet is prevalent in temperate climatic zones. Sugarcane can be harvested after six to twelve months and sugarbeet needs up to thirty weeks to ripen.

The production of industrial sugar begins with cleaning and shredding the harvested plants. The resulting intermediate product is called sugarbeet chips or sugarcane chips. To extract the sugar from the plant, hot water is added. This produces a “thin juice” that consists of up to 16 percent sucrose. Various different additives also bind with foreign substances that are undesired in the final product. Significant negative pressure is generated in the next step. This allows water to evaporate below 80 °C. Low temperatures prevent caramelisation and enable the production of white sugar without discolouration. Removing water produces a “thick juice” containing around 75 percent sugar. The addition of seed crystals triggers crystallisation. The resulting crystals continue to grow as water is removed. Finally, centrifuges separate the syrup from the crystals.

The main sugar producers

The world’s leading sugar producers Brazil, India and China produced around 179 million tonnes of sugar in the 2018/2019 harvest year. In Europe, the most important sugar producers are France, Germany and Poland. In the same harvest year, 18 countries of the European Union produced around 18 million tonnes of sugar in total. The harvest in Brazil alone was almost twice as large at roughly 30 million tonnes. This corresponds to a approximately one sixth of global production. However, Brazil uses the raw material sugarcane not only for sugar production but also for the production of bioethanol. The South American country is the second largest producer of the organic alcohol after the USA.

Around 80 percent of all sugar produced is supplied for commercial use – for example in bakeries, for the production of confectionery or for preserving fruit and vegetables. Moreover, sugar is used in drinks production and in the pharmaceutical sector. In Germany, drinks and confectionery production accounts for about 40 percent of sugar consumption.

Sugar types available from the wholesaler

In the 19th century, sugar established itself in Germany as an important and widespread commodity. The product enabled households to preserve fruit and vegetables, extend shelf life and prevent mould. What’s more, sugar stabilises the vitamin C contained in fruit and retains the colour and flavour of fruit. Today, sugar is a highly versatile product and is available in various forms. When buying sugar wholesale, you can choose from high-quality products that vary in terms of the raw material used, the form, composition and how they are processed. Consider the intended use of the products when choosing the right sugar from the distributor. Transport, cooking and baking processes as well as individual recipe and customer requirements determine what quality and which product are the right choice for you.

Wholesale sugar from different raw materials

Depending on the country of production and climate, different raw materials are used to make sugar. For the production of Cane sugar , the juice of sugarcane is used. Conversely, Beet sugar is produced from the juice of the sugarbeet. A new form of sugar is extracted from the nectar of the coconut flower and is sold as “coconut flower sugar” or “palm sugar”. To produce it, nectar is filtered and boiled down until the liquid has completely evaporated. The brown colour and flavour are similar to caramel and malt. Production is more difficult, but is characterised by a particularly aromatic flavour and a range of different micronutrients. We also offer maple sugar from the juice of sugar maple in North America, as well as agave syrup as a sugar product. The latter is produced from various types of Mexican agave.

White sugar and industrial sugar

Consumers most commonly use white sugar. This is the purest form of sugar that mostly consists of pure sucrose. Other minerals and components of the raw material are removed during production. White sugar can be made from both sugarbeet and sugarcane and is available from the wholesale trade in different variations and grain sizes. These include well-known varieties of white sugar such as coarse granulated sugar, caster sugar or icing sugar. White sugar is also available in two different variants that differ in the purity of the crystals. The designations of these products are EU Category I and EU Category II. The latter is also known as industrial sugar – the most popular sugar for corporate customers.

Brown sugar

White sugar is distinguished by the distinct purity of its crystals. By contrast, brown cane sugar is characterised by a natural note and typical aromatic flavour associated with caramel. These qualities result from the molasses that remains in the sugar and other trace elements of the plant. Accordingly, brown sugar is an intermediate product made in the production of refined sugar. Due to the production process, brown sugar contains a larger amount of the vitamins and minerals from the sugarbeet or sugarcane. This natural, unrefined cane sugar is used in both retail and industry. Always pay attention to quality when purchasing sugar. Coloured, conventional table sugar is meanwhile also sold as brown sugar.

Different forms and grain sizes of wholesale sugar

The wholesale trade in Germany offers sugar in various forms and grain sizes. The following presents a selection of the most common types of sugar. By far the most prevalent white table sugar is granulated sugar, also known as refined sugar. It contains more than 90 percent sucrose and is available in different grain sizes. Medium-sized grains are called caster sugar, for example. Coarse sugar is characterised by a grain size of two to three millimetres and is used to decorate pastries and other baked goods.

Ebenfalls weit verbreitet ist Sugar cubesare likewise prevalent. Production of this type of sugar involves tempering refined sugar and then pressing it into cuboid lumps. Nowadays, the cube shape implied by the name has become less common. Our factory in Mauritius produces a sugar cube speciality. Irregular lumps made from brown cane sugar are characterised by a distinct flavour and are also available in organic quality. Icing sugar is a finely ground white sugar in which individual crystals are no longer perceptible. This product is especially popular for decorating a range of baked goods.

Packaging units

Both white and brown sugar are available wholesale in different packaging units. Large quantities of sugar are delivered by silo vehicles and containers in Central Europe. August Töpfer & Co. offers large-scale consumers the option of loose sugar delivered in a silo vehicle. Alternatively, we sell sugar in bulk packaging. These Big Bags are available in net weights of 1,000 to 1,200 kilograms and in sacks weighing 25 to 50 kilograms each. In both cases, we supply the good on pallets. Organic icing sugar is available from August Töpfer & Co. in retail packaging or industrial containers.

Organic sugar from the wholesale trade

Our range includes almost every sugar variety in fair-trade quality. These products feature FLO certification (Fairtrade Labelling Organization). Moreover, the wholesaler August Töpfer & Co. also sells the most popular forms of sugar in organic quality. Independent and accredited inspection bodies examine the cultivation, production and distribution of the sugar. Only vigorously checked products that meet all criteria receive the organic quality seal. These sugar products are also distinguished by the fact that certain additives and processes are not used in their cultivation and production. Demeter-certified cane sugar indicates biodynamic cultivation and a production quality that goes beyond conventional organic quality. Likewise, stricter criteria are applied to Naturland-certified cane sugar products. The requirements for the Naturland label primarily concern the social standards in the countries of origin.

White sugar in organic quality perfectly replaces conventional products, without requiring adjustments to recipes. Organic white sugar is also suitable for processing into drinks. Organic icing sugar is also available wholesale in various qualities and with different certifications. When selecting our products, we pay special attention to consistent quality and the degree of grinding. Demeter and Naturland icing sugars are likewise part of our extensive range. In the case of panela and whole cane sugar, the aromatic flavour of the sugarcane is particularly distinct. These are probably the most natural forms of sugar. They are made from the pure, boiled-down juice of sugarcane. Whole cane sugar is especially popular in the countries of South America. But interest in the product is also growing steadily in Europe. We also offer these products in organic quality.

Sugar from wholesaler August Töpfer & Co.

August Töpfer & Co. is a traditional, German distributor of sugar products. The sugar trade has been one of our core areas of business for 80 years. We supply retailers, discounters as well as the confectionery industry with sugar at wholesale prices. Our collaboration with producers of raw goods in Germany and abroad is based on reliability and constant communication. In order to develop and improve existing standards, we also work closely with inspection bodies and public authorities.