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There is not a lot of deliverable refined sugar available for the coming March’21 futures expiry. We think at least one trade house is therefore squeezing shorts ahead of the expiry. This means that the H/K spread has been strengthening, giving the wider sugar market a more positive feeling. The refined sugar market is undersupplied […]

Two commodities are in direct competition over Brazil’s sugar cane: sugar and ethanol. Milling groups therefore have a decision to make. Which commodity will offer the best return? The truth is, it depends. And that’s why the price relationship between ethanol and sugar keeps the Brazilian sugar market guessing. There are many factors that impact […]

The global fruit juice market reached a volume of 46.3 billion litres in 2019 and is set to continue steady growth over the next 5 years. However, as our recent blog post about the impact of coronavirus on the fruit market explains, we are in a potentially challenging time for those in the fruit and […]

As discussed in our recent blog about food packaging and pollution, recycling is more complex than it immediately seems. Although often touted as a positive solution, there are many factors that make recycling unviable, complex or underused. We will explore the main challenges, processes and solutions in this blog. Bear with us for some in-depth […]

In our recent blog on food packaging and pollution we explored the materials that form the majority of food packaging products and evaluated their pollutive impact on the planet. It became clear that this issue is complicated and far from the good/bad binary that is often used to simplify discussions around packaging’s impact. As awareness […]

There is now a worldwide awareness of the challenges facing the environment if we continue living as we are, and an increasing demand for lasting, positive change. This has been felt strongly in the world of packaging, where brands are working on environmentally friendly solutions at rapid speed. As we move into the world of […]

2020 has shown us the vulnerability of many of the systems we rely on for basic human needs, including food and beverages. Alongside the clear damage that climate change threatens in years to come, it is now apparent that innovation and change needs to take place in many of our long-held processes. Therefore, it is […]

The supply of fruit and sugar trading has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and we have seen usual flows be disrupted. Some crops have been impacted by weather conditions and demand has risen in certain areas. With all of these fluctuations, we decided to create an update blog. Mango Mango supply is currently very […]

As we move into a more diverse range of products including packaging, we wanted to take a closer look at the world of plastic. It is a product which has been a major talking point in recent years, and we have learned that we need to use it in a responsible way to ensure our […]

In March this year, which now seems a lifetime ago, we predicted that due to the coronavirus sugar consumption was likely to fall. We reduced our consumption estimate for 2020 by 2m tonnes, meaning sugar consumption per capita would fall. Two months on, we have further reduced our estimates and can now be fairly certain […]

What is Bagasse? Bagasse is another by-product of the sugar production process. It is a dry and pulpy residue left behind when sugarcane stalks are crushed. There is a similar material called ‘agave bagasse’ made from the agave plant. Bagasse is principally used in the manufacturing process of paper, pulp and building materials as well […]

What is Molasses? Molasses, also known as black treacle, is a thick syrup which is a by-product of the sugar refining process. Its name originates from the Latin word ‘melaceres’ meaning ‘honey-like’ as it is extremely viscous. Molasses is the result of sugar crystallizing out of sugarcane or sugar beet juice during the clarification stage […]

Sugar is typically associated with the food and drink industries therefore its other uses can often be overlooked. Sugar is in fact a vital component in the production of ethanol: a compound which is in high global demand due to its many properties and uses, especially in manufacturing industries. Czarnikow specialise in trading and logistics […]

How is Sugar Made? Sugar is made using two key crops: sugar beet and sugar cane. These crops are grown in different regions across the globe, according to their climate, which dictates which crop is grown. A beet crop thrives in colder, wetter weather. A cane crop, however, is the opposite and thrives in warm, […]

How does sugar get from sugar cane and sugar beet to looking so enticing on the supermarket shelves? There is some clever chemistry and a lot of science involved in removing all the impurities from sugar to get to the form that goes into our cups of tea. Sugar is naturally white, but when it […]

The global sugar market has undergone many fluctuations and changes over the past few weeks as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. One area that we think has significantly changed is global sugar consumption. Our expert Market Analysis team has broken down some of the changes below: We have reduced our global sugar consumption estimate […]

History of the Thickener Food thickeners are frequently based on either polysaccharides (starches, vegetable gums and pectin), or proteins.  These ingredients serve the sole purpose of thickening the consistency of a product. Czarnikow trades different thickeners: Corn and tapioca starch, xanthan gum, CMC and pectin. Corn starch was discovered in 1840 by Thomas Kingsford. He […]

Sugar is one of the world’s purest natural ingredients and is used in almost every food category. Grown in over 100 countries, over 170 million metric tons of sugar is produced each year. But how is it extracted from sugar cane and produced into pure sugar? Our team of Market Analysis experts delve deeper to […]

Earlier in the series, we took you through some of the major fruits on the market that we work with at Czarnikow. But what happens to them if they are made into concentrate or compounds and used as ingredients further down the supply chain? The fruit is put through a series of processes to ensure […]

With an often lengthy period between production and consumption in the global food and beverage industry, food preservatives are essential to avoid rotting and spoiling, and necessary to retain products’ flavour, colour and nutrients. At Czarnikow, we work with a number of preservatives and antioxidants. Absorbic Acid Before its discovery, physicians recognised that there must […]