It is a major product of photosynthesis , the process by which plants convert solar energy and atmospheric carbon dioxide into stored food energy, and oxygen.
Sugar occurs in greatest quantities in sugar cane and sugar beets .
There is no difference between the sugar produced from sugar cane or sugar beets. Sugar cane is a giant grass that thrives in a warm, moist climate, storing sugar in its stalk. The crystals are spun in a centrifuge to produce raw sugar. At a refinery, the raw sugar is washed and filtered to remove impurities and colors, and crystallized, dried and packaged. The sugar-laden juice is purified, filtered, concentrated and dried in a series of steps similar to sugar cane processing.