Sugarcane
What is Sugarcane?
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is a tall perennial grass native to tropical and subtropical regions. It is cultivated for its fibrous stalk, which contains a high concentration of sucrose, a natural sugar.
Is Sugarcane vegan?
Sugarcane is not animal-derived. Products that contain it can still include other animal-derived ingredients, so check the full ingredient list.
Is Sugarcane a major allergen?
Sugarcane is not one of the 14 major allergens that UK law requires to be emphasised on food labels.
What is Sugarcane used for?
Sugarcane is the primary source of refined sugar, which is used globally as a sweetener in a vast array of food and drink products.
Is Sugarcane safe?
Sugarcane itself is not a food additive.
Why it's used
Sugarcane is the primary source of refined sugar, which is used globally as a sweetener in a vast array of food and drink products. It also provides molasses and rum as by-products. In processed foods, it functions mainly as a sweetener and flavour enhancer.
Health notes
Sugarcane itself is not a food additive. The sugar derived from it is a common ingredient. The UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommends that free sugars should not exceed 5% of total dietary energy. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have classified processed and unprocessed red meat as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' (Group 2A), and processed meat as 'carcinogenic to humans' (Group 1), but this classification does not apply to sugars. EFSA has evaluated the safety of sugars.
Allergen info
Sugarcane is not one of the 14 major allergens that UK law requires to be emphasised on food labels.
Foods that contain Sugarcane
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