COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES OF EGYPTIAN BEET MOLASSES

Beet sugar molasses studied in this investigation were kindly provided by Delta Sugar Factory, Kafr El-sheikh governorate, Egypt. During the 2011 working season, the samples of molasses were analyzed for the following: Brix, sugar, purity, non-sugar, ash, organic non-sugar, as well as relations between analytical values characterizing beet molasses. The obtained results illustrated the following conclusions: 1- Refractive index was greater accuracy in measuring the soluble solids content in molasses. 2- Approximate analysis of beet molasses were: Brix 80.20 - 81.61, sucrose 48.36 - 49.56, ash 12.11 - 12.35 and organic non-sugar 18.48 - 20.89 %. 3- Betaine was the most abundant nitrogenous compound found in molasses (3 – 4 %). 4- The non-sucrose carbohydrate of molasses consist of invert sugar, usually less than 1% in molasses. 5- Other nitrogen free organic impurities in beet molasses were the acids – lactic, citric, malic, and acetic and others.