Latest reviewed evidence
Codex CXS 212-1999 defines white sugar as purified and crystallised sucrose with polarization not less than 99.7 degrees Z, distinguishes plantation or mill white sugar at not less than 99.5 degrees Z, and records a voluntary commercial colour ceiling of 60 ICUMSA units for white sugar. The current consolidated EU agricultural-market regulation defines standard-quality white sugar with minimum polarization of 99.7, maximum moisture of 0.06 percent and maximum invert sugar of 0.04 percent, plus method-linked ash and colour points. USDA's refined-sugar commercial item description defines Type I white refined sugar as white free-flowing crystals and gives contract-oriented sucrose, ash, moisture, granulation, sampling and assurance requirements. ICUMSA GS2-10 describes a spectrophotometric method for colour in white sugars and very pure syrups up to 50 ICUMSA units. These are product, quality and method references—not certificates for an offered lot, proof of origin, current supply or a live delivered price.
Codex white-sugar polarization floor
99.7
degrees Z, minimum · Codex CXS 212-1999, amended 2022
Codex plantation or mill white-sugar polarization floor
99.5
degrees Z, minimum · Codex CXS 212-1999, amended 2022
Codex white-sugar colour ceiling
60
ICUMSA units, maximum voluntary commercial factor · Codex CXS 212-1999 Annex, amended 2022
EU standard white-sugar moisture ceiling
0.06
percent, maximum · Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, consolidated 2026-03-18
EU standard white-sugar invert-sugar ceiling
0.04
percent, maximum · Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, consolidated 2026-03-18
USDA Type I refined white-sugar sucrose floor
99.5
percent, minimum · USDA CID A-A-20135E, 2015
USDA Type I refined white-sugar ash ceiling
0.04
percent, maximum · USDA CID A-A-20135E, 2015
USDA Type I refined white-sugar moisture ceiling
0.05
percent, maximum · USDA CID A-A-20135E, 2015
White, plantation, powdered, soft and liquid sugars stay separate
Codex separates white sugar, plantation or mill white sugar, powdered sugar, soft white sugar, soft brown sugar, glucose syrups, fructose and raw cane sugar. Powdered sugar can contain an anticaking agent or declared starch; soft white sugar is a moist fine-grain product; raw cane sugar retains a film of cane molasses. Atlas therefore records the exact product name, form, additives, intended use and governing specification instead of moving a test result or price between unlike products.
Cane and beet feedstocks do not prove finished-sugar origin
USDA's commercial item description permits refined sugar made from sugar cane or sugar beets. A refinery can receive raw or intermediate material from more than one agricultural origin, refine in another country and pack elsewhere. Atlas keeps crop source where evidenced, raw-sugar or beet-processing origin, refinery identity and country, refining batch, packing site, exporter, certificate of origin basis and custody events separate rather than inferring agricultural origin from the refinery or seller address.
Polarization, sucrose assay and dry-matter basis are different fields
Codex defines white sugar by polarization, while USDA's commercial item description states a minimum sucrose percentage for Type I refined white sugar. Those numbers use different analytical concepts and can carry different reporting precision, preparation and basis. Atlas retains the measurand, analytical method, temperature and basis, laboratory, uncertainty, sample identity and result and never labels polarization as a direct sucrose assay or combines wet-basis and dry-basis results without an explicit conversion.
ICUMSA colour is a method-bound result, not a visual adjective
Codex records a voluntary commercial colour factor in ICUMSA units, the EU standard-quality system links solution colour to an ICUMSA method, and ICUMSA GS2-10 specifies filtered-solution absorbance at 420 nanometres for defined low-colour sugars and syrups. Atlas records the exact method edition, sample preparation, pH treatment, wavelength, instrument, units, result and lot. Terms such as white, extra white or low colour do not replace a numerical method-bound result.
Moisture, invert sugar and ash affect storage and processing
EU and USDA references set different contract or regulatory quality limits for moisture, invert sugar, sucrose and ash. These limits are not interchangeable defaults for every destination or buyer. Atlas preserves the named specification, method, basis and lot result because moisture and reducing sugars can affect caking and handling, while ash or conductivity-ash evidence can matter for refining performance, colour and food-manufacturing requirements.
Crystal size, powder, cubes and free flow need declared tests
USDA separates granulated, powdered and cube styles and gives sieve-based granulation requirements for specified styles. Codex notes that powdered sugar can include anticaking material and treats lump, cube, rock and crystal-candy forms separately in parts of its voluntary factors. Atlas records crystal or particle-size distribution, sieve series, fines and oversize, lumping, cube dimensions and strength, anticaking agent or starch, bulk density, flow condition and package rather than treating every white product as the same refinery output.
Food-safety and conformance evidence belongs to the offered lot
Codex directs covered sugars to applicable contaminant, pesticide-residue and hygiene requirements, while USDA describes foreign-material controls, composite sampling, analytical methods, manufacturer assurance and optional inspection. A supplier certificate or standard citation does not test another batch. Atlas ties sampling plan, composite and subsample identity, laboratory, method, result, contaminants, foreign matter, microbiology where required, allergen or cross-contact controls, food-defence status and certificate scope to the exact refinery and packing lot.
Standards do not establish a live refined-sugar price
A polarization floor, colour value, ash limit or granulation table describes identity or quality, not current availability or delivered cost. A defensible physical estimate still needs permitted current observations for the exact refined grade, cane or beet and refinery evidence where material, quality and method results, package and quantity, currency, Incoterm, load point, destination, delivery window, freight, duties and information vintage. Atlas withholds a delivered estimate when those observations or usage rights are missing and never substitutes raw-sugar futures or a dated generic range.