ICUMSA 100 Sugar from Brazil

What is ICUMSA 100 sugar?

ICUMSA 100 is high-polarisation cane sugar with a colour of no more than 100 ICUMSA units. It is near-white rather than snow white, with free-flowing crystals, and it is refined enough for direct human consumption.

ICUMSA stands for the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis. The number expresses the colour of the sugar in solution, which the trade uses as its working measure of refinement: a lower figure means a whiter, more processed sugar. At 100, this grade sits one step up the scale from refined white ICUMSA 45 — less processed, and priced accordingly.

That is the whole commercial case for the grade. It is bought by volume users who need clean, consumable sugar but whose finished product does not depend on the last increment of whiteness, and who would rather not pay for refining they cannot see in the end result.

We export ICUMSA 100 from Brazil in wholesale quantities, sourced from mills in São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Goiás.

ICUMSA 100 sugar specifications

Note that polarisation and sucrose content are not the same measurement, and contracts should not treat them as interchangeable. Polarisation is an optical reading of the sugar's rotation of polarised light, used throughout the trade as the standard purity figure for cane sugar. ICUMSA 100 is specified at 99.50% polarisation minimum.

Minimum order quantity, packaging and bag format, Incoterms, port of loading, lead time and payment terms are confirmed on quotation, because each moves with volume and destination. Shipment is in 20ft and 40ft containers. A certificate of purity, an ICUMSA certificate and a certificate of analysis are issued with the goods, and a certificate of analysis is available on request beforehand.

ICUMSA 100 and ICUMSA 150: where the grade sits

In the Brazilian trade, ICUMSA 100 and ICUMSA 150 are often handled together. The designation Brazil ICUMSA 150 covers the band from ICUMSA 100 to ICUMSA 150, and sugar in that band is commonly sold as crystal sugar. If you have been quoted "ICUMSA 150" by one supplier and "ICUMSA 100" by another, you may be looking at the same commercial category described at different points in its range.

This matters when you contract. ICUMSA 150 is a ceiling, not a target: material delivered against it can legitimately be darker than material delivered against ICUMSA 100. Where colour consistency between shipments matters to you, specify the figure you need rather than the band.

ICUMSA 100 against ICUMSA 45: which grade to specify

The honest comparison, parameter by parameter:

Specify ICUMSA 100 when the finished product is opaque, coloured, baked or fermented, when the sugar is served rather than dissolved into a clear solution, or when the application is cost-sensitive at volume and a near-white crystal is acceptable.

Specify ICUMSA 45 when residual colour would show in the finished product — clear beverages, clear syrups, white icings, pharmaceutical preparations — or when a customer specification names the grade.

Going the other way: if colour genuinely does not matter because you intend to refine the sugar yourself or ferment it, raw brown cane sugar at ICUMSA 600–1200 is cheaper again per tonne and is bought as refinery feedstock for exactly that reason.

What ICUMSA 100 sugar is used for

• Food manufacturing — sauces, preserves, jams, dairy, bakery fillings and confectionery where the base is already coloured.

• Baking — doughs, batters and biscuit production. The free-flowing crystals dose and blend without clumping or bridging in hoppers.

• Beverage manufacturing — in juices, cordials, dairy drinks and other beverages where a near-white crystal does not affect the finished appearance.

• Table and catering use — restaurants, hotels and catering operations, including sachet and bowl service.

• Retail repacking — household sugar for repackers and distributors.

Its crystals are uniform and free-flowing, which is a handling property rather than a marketing one: it keeps the sugar pourable, keeps automated dosing accurate, and keeps it from caking in storage at the 0.10% moisture maximum.

Price, packaging and documentation

Price. We do not publish a price per tonne, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Sugar is a traded commodity: physical cane sugar is priced by reference to the exchange market at the time of enquiry, with the ICE No. 11 raw sugar contract as the benchmark the trade works from. Your quoted figure then depends on volume, Incoterms, destination port, packaging and the point in the Brazilian crop cycle. We quote firm on enquiry, for a stated validity period.

As a rule, ICUMSA 100 prices below refined white ICUMSA 45 and above the raw grades, because it carries less refining cost than the former and more than the latter. The size of those differentials moves with the market and is confirmed in the quotation.

Packaging. Shipment in 20ft and 40ft containers, with the bag format confirmed on quotation to suit your storage and handling.

Documentation. Certificate of purity, ICUMSA certificate and certificate of analysis, the last also available on request before contracting.

Frequently asked questions

What is ICUMSA 100 sugar? Cane sugar with a colour of no more than 100 ICUMSA units, a minimum polarisation of 99.50%, ash of no more than 0.15% and moisture of no more than 0.10%. It is near-white, free-flowing, and suitable for direct consumption as well as for food and beverage manufacturing.

Is ICUMSA 100 the same as ICUMSA 150? Not identical, but closely related. The Brazilian designation ICUMSA 150 covers the band from ICUMSA 100 to ICUMSA 150, and material in that band is usually sold as crystal sugar. ICUMSA 100 is the lighter end of that band. If colour consistency matters to you, contract on the specific figure rather than the band.

What is the difference between ICUMSA 100 and ICUMSA 45? ICUMSA 45 is fully refined, snow white, 99.8% sucrose and around 0.04% moisture. ICUMSA 100 is near-white at 99.50% polarisation minimum with a 0.10% moisture ceiling. ICUMSA 100 is less processed and costs less per tonne, so it is the better choice wherever residual colour will not show in the finished product.

Is ICUMSA 100 safe for direct human consumption? Yes. It is refined to a standard suitable for direct consumption as well as for use as a food and beverage ingredient.

What is the price of ICUMSA 100 sugar? Quoted at the time of enquiry. Physical sugar is priced against the exchange market — the ICE No. 11 contract is the benchmark — and the figure then moves with volume, Incoterms, destination port and packaging. Send the volume and destination port and we will quote firm.

Can I buy ICUMSA 100 by the container? Yes, in 20ft and 40ft containers. The minimum quantity is confirmed with your quotation.

What documents ship with ICUMSA 100? A certificate of purity, an ICUMSA certificate and a certificate of analysis. A certificate of analysis can also be issued before contracting on request.

Where is it produced? In Brazil, from mills in São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Goiás.

Request a quotation

Send us three things and we will come back with a priced offer:

1. Grade — ICUMSA 100, or the grades you are comparing

2. Volume — tonnage, and whether it is one shipment or a contract across several

3. Destination port

Submit the enquiry form below or contact us. If you are weighing ICUMSA 100 against ICUMSA 45, say so in your enquiry and we will quote both so you can price the difference against your own application.