Customers demand certain specifications which must be met. High on the list of granulated sugar quality parameters, for both producer and customer, are color, moisture , and ash content . All sugar contains trace amounts of moisture. Water occurs in sugar in three basic forms. These are free or surface water, bound or sub-surface water, and inherent or internal water.
Free water exists on the crystal surface.
Bound water is found near the surface of the crystal and has been sealed in during a too-rapid drying process. In normal conditions, it takes about24 hours to release bound water. Thus a 24 hour conditioning period is needed prior to packing and shipping sugar. Inherent water is completely inside the crystal and is usually not a problem. Proper conditioning after the sugar drying process generally solves the clumping problems due to bound water unless the sugar is exposed to radical temperature and humidity changes.