Physical and chemical characteristics of beet as the main raw material and
the by-products of white sugar manufacture were determined. Samples used in this
investigation were obtained from Abou-Ourkas sugar factory, El-Minla, Egypt, during
2001 working season. The obtained data showed that there were significant differences concerning
physical and chemical parameters between t he studied samples during processing
periods. The p hysical properties of studied fresh beet cossettes gave the following
values: 19.36·20.16%, 76.63·79.56 %, 10.04·11.30 % and 67.42- 73.01 % for total
soluble solids (T,S.S.), purity, rendement and quality index, respectively, The
chemical analysis of fresh beet revealed that contained 59.16-63.23% sucrose, 0.12·
0.47% reducing sugars, 3.93·5.79% nitrogen, 18.03-20.78 % marc (fibers) and 3.66-
4.76 % ash content. The a-amino-nitrogen, potassium and sodium contents were 3.79
- 4.23, 7.76 - 8,52 and 3.36 - 4.17 milliequivalenU100g fresh beet, in order. The
Chemical composition determination showed that pressed pulp contained about 5.60-
7.81 %, sucrose 5.14-6.96% nitrogen, 1.03-1.37 % ash and 75.90-60.09 % marc. The
sucrose % of analyzed filter cake ranged from 5.60-7.10 %, total nitrogen % was 0.91-
1.11 % and ash content represented 84.22 - 90.19 %. For the studied physical
properties of molasses there were no significant variations in T.S.S. % (63.03-83.80
%). specific gravity, refractive index and purity (60.75-61.89%), While, the differences
in color, pH, and N.S.S. % were significant during the worl 67.90-69.88 %, 1.09-1.24 %, 0.28-0.40 %. 0.38-0.49 % and 11.85-13.30 %, for
moisture, sucrose, reducing sugars, nitrogen, ether extract and ash contents,
respectively. Comparison of the obtained data with the literature values of European sugar
beet factories, indicated a lower sugar beet quality and higher sucrose losses in the
by-products studied in this investigation.