Measuring the color of your brown sugar and any other ingredients you produce and work with plays a vital role in maintaining consumer trust, streamlining workflow, and establishing acceptable levels of freshness and quality. Compared to some other foods, sugar faces enhanced regulations and requirements, necessitating the use of precise spectrophotometers like the ones at HunterLab.
All sugar starts as a byproduct of sugar beet or sugar cane plants. When first extracted, the product will be most similar to molasses. The longer you process and refine it, the closer to white sugar it will become until you finally reach fully refined pure white sugar. Everything in between is a type of brown sugar.
In this way, brown sugar can be considered an umbrella term, including light brown sugars, dark brown sugars, and brown sugars with specific processing methods. When measuring the color of brown sugar, ensure you make your comparisons against only the same types of brown sugar.
Most foods sold in the United States are governed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sugar also falls under further regulations from a body known as the International Commission for Uniform Methods for Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA). Like HunterLab, ICUMSA believes in the value of testing the color of brown sugar and other types of sugar to determine its refinement level.
The purer a sugar is — as in, the more refinement it undergoes — the less light it will be able to absorb. ICUMSA guidelines require measurement of this characteristic using a colorimeter or spectrophotometer to assign a numerical value to any sugar's light absorption levels. While white sugar has a value of around 50, brown sugar can average a measurement of 1,000.
Meeting both FDA and ICUMSA standards can be difficult without the right equipment. For over 70 years, HunterLab has developed food-grade color measurement tools suitable for brown sugar, white sugar, meat, and produce, allowing every manufacturer and distributor to maintain quality for their end buyers.
Our best tools for brown sugar color measurement include the ColorFlex L2 and Vista spectrophotometers. While ColorFlex L2 utilizes geometry and lighting to perceive color as human eyes do, the Vista can measure the sugar score and haze percentage simultaneously, further enhancing your production efficiency.
Both of these tools have made great strides for facilities like yours. Request your quote for one today.
HunterLab goes beyond color, delivering precise, science-backed solutions that help industries achieve superior quality and appearance control. As a global leader in spectrophotometry, we empower businesses to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and enhance product consistency—directly impacting the bottom line. By combining innovation, real-world expertise, and sustainable measurement solutions, we help manufacturers optimize production, minimize material loss, and meet the highest industry standards. Explore more at HunterLab.com