Examination of the marketing claim of Sugar in the Raw and whether it is a whole, unprocessed sweetener retaining all the minerals of raw cane juice.
If a food is labeled as “raw”, what exactly does that mean?
To a consumer like me, raw means that the food is completely unadulterated. It has not in any way changed from its original natural form.
In other words, nothing has been added, removed, or heated to a temperature that would change any of the inherent nutritional characteristics.
Unfortunately, to food manufacturers, the definition of “raw” can be quite different.
In fact, raw to Big Food can translate to highly processed, industrialized food!
I’ve written before about how most raw cheese at the store is not raw at all in reality! In addition, cold-pressed raw milk and cold-pressed juice are not actually fresh either.
Sugar in the Raw Marketing Ploy
Another fake raw food at the store that is fooling a whole lot of people is “Sugar in the Raw”. It is also known as turbinado sugar or natural cane sugar.
But what about the “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval that sometimes appears on the box?
Doesn’t that mean that the Sugar in the Raw product is legitimate and to be trusted in its labeling claims?
Apparently not. Here’s what the manufacturer of Sugar in the Raw has to say about its product:
Enjoy sweet moments naturally with Sugar In The Raw®, our all-natural Turbinado sugar grown in the tropics. The hearty, golden crystals are never bleached, so they keep the rich flavor and color of their natural molasses. So go on, stir it in or sprinkle it on. Bake and cook with it too. Whatever you do, just do it naturally with Sugar In The Raw®.
It seems that just because Sugar in the Raw is unbleached makes it raw.
Perhaps that is what the USDA allows when it comes to labeling sugar products.
To me, sugar that is truly raw means much more than just unbleached. It means that nothing has been removed or added as well.
The marketing of this product is so sneaky because it leads the consumer to believe that the natural molasses is intact.
And, for Sugar in the Raw, a small amount of the molasses is indeed intact because it is a darker color than white sugar.
The truth, however, is that MOST of the molasses HAS been stripped away.
Comparison to Sucanat
Check out the picture above which shows a bowl of Sugar in the Raw next to a bowl of sucanat.
Notice the dark brown color of sucanat which is truly unprocessed cane sugar with all minerals, nutrients and molasses intact.
The lighter color of Sugar in the Raw indicates that the manufacturer has removed much of the mineral content.
In other words, the much darker sucanat visually demonstrates that Sugar in the Raw is a fake food masquerading as real.
It is an adulterated product contrary to the sneaky claims by the manufacturer.
What is the Best Cane Sugar?
Looking for the best and most nutritious form of cane sugar for your homemade cookies and cakes?
Sucanat is it! It is the best alternative to white or brown sugar substituted 1:1 in all your recipes.
It is best to bypass Sugar in the Raw or other turbinado sugar brands.
Florida Crystals is another cane sugar brand missing most of the molasses, so beware!
Most White or Brown Sugar is GMO
Another HUGE problem to watch out for is that most white or brown sugar in North America is partially or totally beet sugar. This sweetener is nearly always GMO unless certified organic.
GMO beet sugar is visually and taste-wise completely indistinguishable from white cane sugar.
Is beet sugar healthy? While it may seem so because it comes from a vegetable, the truth is that it is not!
Sugar from sugar beets is nutritionless and contaminated with gut-destroying glyphosate residue. Nearly 100% of farmers growing it use Monsanto’s Roundup Ready sugar beets.
A package of sugar must specifically state that the sweetener is cane sugar or be certified organic, else it is almost certainly a mixture that is wholly or partially GMO beet sugar.
Even brown sugar commonly contains at least some white beet sugar mixed with cane sugar molasses. The molasses from sugar beets is not fit for consumption.
To get the real thing, look for sucanat or sugarcane jaggery. Both are simply dried cane sugar juice with all minerals intact.
Ancestral cultures in India enjoyed these sweeteners for thousands of years.
What is a Safe Level to Consume?
While sucanat is your best choice when trying to find a truly natural and unprocessed substitute for processed cane sugar, be careful not to overdo.
Eating too much sugar can lower immunity, even if natural and unprocessed, in a manner similar to white sugar or partially processed sweeteners like Sugar in the Raw.
In summary, it always pays big dividends to do a little checking before buying into any labeling claims.
Sugar in the Raw is just another clever marketing scheme designed to make money off of consumers who genuinely are trying to improve their diets but don’t have quite enough information to make a completely informed decision.
Where to Find Truly Unprocessed Natural Sweeteners
Need help identifying truly natural, unprocessed whole sweeteners?
Please visit my Shopping Guide for a vetted list of vendors I buy from who offer quality sucanat, jaggery, coconut sugar, raw honey, maple syrup, and other wholesome sweeteners.
Beware that popular “healthy” sweeteners like xylitol and other sugar alcohols as well as brown rice syrup used in many organic foods and baby formula are highly processed. This is why making homemade baby formula is a better choice than commercial brands.
I love this site because I just keep learning and learning. I have been using Sugar in the Raw. Thanks Sarah , again! 🙂
Ha ha on me! Above I said I use Sugar in the Raw…….then as I was eating my Quinoa with REAL maple syrup , I suddenly thought…..I have not used ANY sugars in months! Honey and a little maple syrup! Needless to say I loved that thought! I HAVE sugar in the raw in my cupboard but I don’t USE it ! 🙂
i had been using Piloncillo for my sugar substitute and it has worked wonders. i have been looking for another substitute for a while now, thanks for this! and i had no idea about the ‘Sugar in the Raw’.
Piloncillo is the same as Rapadura, so you are in the safe track joe
Piloncillo is an unrefined Mexican sugar. The cane is crushed, boiled and the juice is poured unto molds to form the cone shape. It must be grated, chipped away or melted in hot water to make sugar water to use. It has a smoky, caramely and earthy taste as opposed to the simple sweet taste of white sugar.
If you look in the Mexican food section of most major grocers, you may be able to find this CHEAP. We have a large Mexican population here in Eastern NC and the grocers have a pretty good selection of Mexican food products, not just the Old El Paso garbage. There are Mexican/Hispanic wholesellers that sell herbs/spices in these stores and the Piloncillo is usually one of the products. Usually there are 3-4 cones per package and it only runs about $1.99 or less. Check it out and see if your store has them. http://chefcheapo.blogspot.com/ for more ideas on saving some cash and eating well.
Sarah, do you know what the GI of sucanat is? And do you think this raw coconut sugar also is good to use? http://www.iherb.com/Coconut-Secret-Raw-Coconut-Crystals-12-oz-375-g/24096
Coconut sugar is a lower glycemic index than sucanat.
There is a caveat with coconut sugar. The process to harvest the coconut palm tree for sugar circumvents production of coconuts, hence no oil. For my money, the oil is more precious, especially since there are other sources for sugars.
I found this out the hard way, but coconut sugar curdles cream, I had to throw out a whole batch of ice cream. Just FYI. I have also found that when I indulge in white sugar treats I always get a sugar head ache and wake up the next morning with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. This is not true with succanant.
So, what about this evaporated sugar cane juice, is it the same as Sucanat? It’s much lighter than your picture of sucanat so I’m assuming it has been adulterated??? http://www.amazon.com/Wholesome-Sweeteners-Organic-16-Ounce-Pouches/dp/B000E9WB8G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1336576162&sr=8-3
I’ve seen Sugar in the Raw in Krogers before, but didn’t think much of it since I usually stick to plain evaporated cane sugar.
I’ve been using Billingtons raw cane sugar. Any thoughts on that? Is Sucanat a type of sugar or a brand?
Sucanat is a type of sugar. Rapadura is a brand of sucanat.
Sarah, I’m wondering why Nourishing Traditions Says to use Rapadura but not Sucanat. Sucanat is listed under their ‘sugars to be avoided’ on page 537. Any help on this is so appreciated! I’ve never been able to find Rapadura but I’ve been able to find Sucanat.
Thank you!
Sucanat is actually a brand. There’s more info on the Wikipedia page.
Our grocery store sells Demerara Raw Cane sugar in the bulk section. Is that the same as sucanat?
One reason to use whole sweeteners like sucanat that are full of minerals rather than a processed sugar even if you don’t eat sweets that much is because metabolism of sugar requires nutrients and if there are nutrients in the sweetener itself because it is unprocessed, then that means less or no nutrients will be coming out of your tissues as a tradeoff for your indulgence.
Aah, interesting comment, Sarah . . . never heard this before.
I noticed, while trying to disolve “sugar in the raw” in cold water, that the molasses, rather that being infused in the grains like you’d think nature made it, washed off! Water turned brown, dumped it out, and was left with white sugar. So in my opinion, this product is standard, processed white sugar with a molasses coating – probably sprayed on. How’s that for false advertising.
You’re kidding, right? If not, molasses is too expensive to extract, then use the expensive technique to spray and dry the coated processed sugar. All it is doing is leaching out of the grains where it is naturally.
You know, if the tiny difference in mineral content between one packet of coffee sweetener and another is enough to be significant in your diet, there’s probably a lot more wrong with your eating habits than switching to slightly darker sugar is going to cure.
Does it really make much of a difference though? Is Sucanat actually going to CONTRIBUTE to good health? I’m not seeing how Sugar in the Raw is exactly detrimental when compared to Sucanat. Personally, I don’t really add sugar to anything, and if I want something sugary and bad-for-me I just go for “the real thing” (ie: I won’t Paleo-fy a recipe, I’ll just get the crappy treat I’m interested in, since it happens so rarely) so if I was at the worst place in the world (Starbucks) and wanted some sugar I wouldn’t really think twice about using Sugar in the Raw.
So, is this more about false advertising? cus if so we’re in agreement, but if it’s about one being healthier or just “not as bad” as the other, I’d need a little bit more to go on. I get that something closer to nature is always going to be better than something more processed, so maybe that’s all the answer I need.
Sweets need not be avoided completely. It is possible to be healthy and still satisfy the natural and instinctive desire for sweet things with homemade desserts that are both nutritious and delicious.
Using an unprocessed sweetener like sucanat is an excellent choice for home baked treats.
Sugar in the Raw even in small amounts will give me a canker sore where sucanat never has even if I’ve overindulged a bit.
What processing is done to sugar in the raw? Beyond washing it, which is in no way unnatural, how is it “processed”?
The fact in which it is not washed by hand and it is indeed washed by a machine categorizes it as processed. Processing foods is an extremely broad term.
Haha, my clothes are processed! Kinda nit picking isn’t it? I’m sure if you wash it by hand, you’re still using something other than your hands in the process. How is the juice taken from the cane, is it wrung out by hand or does a machine do it? I really have problems with your article.
iniQuity: What do you consider “the real thing?” Because, while I’m not convinced that there is any health BENEFIT to using Sucanat vs processed sugar, the Domino sugar you get is hardly more of “the real thing” than a much less processed version of sugar cane.
Eating sugar (and carbs) requires our body to use a lot of nutrients to deal with the breakdown and management of high carb foods. When those foods do not include any nutrients (like processed sugars and flour), our bodies use our nutrient stores to process them, leaving us with less of the good things we need. Sweets aren’t just empty calories; they are negative calories! Our bodies are very adaptable, though, and strive to survive as long as possible, regardless of what we feed ourselves. That is one of the reasons there is so much seemingly contradictory info about nutrition out there! So, to sum it up simply, sweets aren’t good for you, but unprocessed sweets are most likely less bad!
Yep, I found myself trying Sugar in the Raw when I had ran out of maple syrup for my tea at work. I immediately got a reaction and moved it to my “never again” list. The reaction was the same as I would get from white sugar. So now, I know if I run out of my preferred sweetner, I just go without. So while they may be able to attempt to fool you on the label, your body can tell you what’s real.
Can I ask what kind of reaction you experience?
Sure, for me not a headache or stomach issue, but I would call it a “loopy” feeling mentally, and a general malaize – unlike what I feel when I use honey or maple syrup as a sweetner where I feel strengthened and just good – kinda like when you eat anything that is nourishing to the body and soul.
Sugar in the raw is real. The only thing that’s been done to it is that it’s been washed. Not bleached, mind you. Just washed. The only difference between it and Sucanat is that Sucanat hadn’t been washed, so its surface molasses remains intact, which makes it more suitable for recipes calling for brown sugar. That’s it. That’s the only difference. This entire “article” is misleading and promotes an agenda. Because there is nothing unnatural about washing our food. We do it all the time.