SUGAR ME, SWEET AND SOUR
Article Abstract:
Monsanto, US, has developed an artificial sweetener called "Neotame", which is 8,000 times sweeter than sucrose. It has filed for approval before the United States Food and Drug Administration. It took 16 years to develop the sweetener. It is likely to be marketed by 2000 AD. Sugar beet replaced cane sugar and in mid-1960s, new enzyme technology helped to make sweeteners from maize. The high fructose corn syrup is 1.7 times sweeter and cheaper than sugar. Coca Cola and Pepsico started using corn syrup in 1980. The sugar imports to US, which was at 4.6 million tonnes in 1985 ,declined to 2.5 million tonnes in 1985 and to 1.6 million tonnes in 1986. The per capita consumption of sugar declined by 50 percent and increased the consumption of corn syrup by 40 percent. The artificial sweetener producers are now shifting their base to developing countries. The corn syrup had substituted 7.5 million tonnes of raw sugar in US and Japan by beginning of 1990. GD Searle launched Aspartame, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar, in 1981 as Nutra Sweet. Its sales was about $1 billion per annum. Searle was bought out by Monsanto. Thaumatin was extracted from berries cultivated in Ghana, Liberia and Malaysia by Tate and Lyle and is 2,500 times sweeter than sugar. Unilever isolated the gene coding of Thaumatin and injected into a bacteria. The berries were thus replaced. Thaumatin is marketed as 'Talin' in US. Erythritol has also been registered as generally recognised safe sweetener in US and Japan. The development of sugar substitutes is likely to hit 50 million farmers in the developing nations. (rk)
Publication Name: Economic Times
Subject: Business, international
ISSN: 0013-0389
Year: 1998
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SUGAR - DECONTROL IMMINENT
Article Abstract:
The sugar industry in India is mired in a host of problems, the major one being Government control. Sugar Mills in the country are stipulated to supply a fixed 40 percent of production to the government at Rs10.25 per kg. This, when the cost of production works out to Rs15 per kg. Sugarcane prices have also been hiked all over the country and the price of cane is controlled by the government. Thus sugar mills realise only Rs13.80 per kg and incur losses. Matters are made worse by cheaper imports from Pakistan and Brazil. Despite India being permitted to apply a 150 percent import duty on sugar, the duty is fixed at 20 percent. The sugar industry is demanding the abolishing of sugar distribution through the public distribution systems and the decontrol of sugar prices. Decontrol of prices will result in increased competition and a fall in prices. The industry is also demanding freedom to take independent decisions whether to sell in the domestic market or to export sugar. The industry has not made any impact on international markets inspite of India being the world's largest and cost affective sugar manufacturer. Cost of production per kg works out to Rs13.80 as against Rs60 per kg in Europe and Rs20 in Pakistan. (uh) (khr)
Publication Name: Dalal Street Journal
Subject: Business, international
ISSN:
Year: 1999
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