Editing Sugar (section)

=== Sugar beet ===

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:left; width:15em;"
|-
! colspan=2|Sugar beet production – 2022
|-
!  style="background:#ddf; width:75%;"| Country
!  style="background:#ddf; width:25%; text-align:center;"| <small>Millions of [[tonne]]s</small>
|-
|-
| {{RUS}} || 48.9
|-
| {{FRA}} || 31.5
|-
| {{USA}} || 29.6
|-
| {{DEU}} || 28.2
|-
| '''World''' || '''260'''
|-
|colspan=2 |<small>Source: [[UN Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]]<ref name="faostat-sc22">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|title=Sugar beet production in 2022, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2024|publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)|access-date=10 June 2024}}</ref></small>
|}

In 2022, global production of [[sugar beet]]s was 260 million [[tonne]]s, led by Russia with 18.8% of the world total (table).

Sugar beet became a major source of sugar in the 19th century when methods for extracting the sugar became available. It is a [[biennial plant]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/safety/environmental_safety/184.sugar_beet.html |title=Biennial beet |publisher=GMO Compass |access-date=26 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202202007/http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/safety/environmental_safety/184.sugar_beet.html |archive-date=2 February 2014 }}</ref> a [[cultivar|cultivated variety]] of ''[[Beta vulgaris]]'' in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Amaranthaceae]], the tuberous root of which contains a high proportion of sucrose. It is cultivated as a root crop in temperate regions with adequate rainfall and requires a fertile soil. The crop is harvested mechanically in the autumn and the crown of leaves and excess soil removed. The roots do not deteriorate rapidly and may be left in the field for some weeks before being transported to the processing plant where the crop is washed and sliced, and the sugar extracted by diffusion.<ref name="skil">{{cite web |url=http://www.sucrose.com/lbeet.html |title=How Beet Sugar is Made |publisher=Sugar Knowledge International |access-date=22 March 2012 |archive-date=21 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321063949/http://www.sucrose.com/lbeet.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Milk of lime]] is added to the raw juice with [[carbonatation|calcium carbonate]]. After water is evaporated by boiling the syrup under a vacuum, the syrup is cooled and seeded with sugar crystals. The [[white sugar]] that crystallizes can be separated in a centrifuge and dried, requiring no further refining.<ref name=skil/>