Sucrose

Sucrose is a common, naturally occurring saccharide found in many plants and plant parts. Saccharose is an obsolete name for sugars in general, especially sucrose. The molecule is a disaccharide combination of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose with the formula C12H22O11. Sucrose is often extracted and refined from either cane or beet sugar for human consumption. Modern industrial sugar refinement processes often involve bleaching and crystallization, producing a white, odorless, crystalline powder with a sweet taste of pure sucrose, devoid of vitamins and minerals. This refined form of sucrose is commonly referred to as table sugar or just sugar. It plays a central role as an additive in food production and food consumption all over the world. About 175 million metric tons of sucrose were produced worldwide in 2013.