Beet juice is purified, then concentrated and treated in several steps for boiling and centrifugal separation to effect recovery of sucrose therefrom. The molasses remaining after the separation of sucrose from massecuite is treated with .alpha.-galactosidase to effect hydrolysis of raffinose present in the molasses. The resultant raffinose hydrolyzate is introduced into a calcium saccharate-forming step, wherein quicklime is continuously added to the hydrolyzate to form saccharate within the hydrolyzate. From the calcium saccharate-forming step, nearly the same volume of the saccharate-containing solution as that of the raffinose hydrolyzate fed therein is forwarded to a filtering and washing step. The resultant saccharate cake is sent back to the step for purification. From said calcium saccharate-forming step, the same saccharate-containing solution is also withdrawn in a volume of from three to ten times that of said raffinose hydrolyzate fed therein, is cooled and thereafter returned to the calcium saccharate-forming step. The saccharate-containing solution is circulated several times through this step so that discharge of waste molasses is eliminated and the sucrose contained in the beet juice is efficiently recovered substantially in its entire amount.

Sucrose derivatives partially acylated in each ring can be obtained by treating a fully or partially acylated sucrose derivative with an enzyme having sucrose esterase activity capable of removing at least one acyl group from each ring, generally comprising or being a component of a lipase, esterase, amylase, .alpha.-galactosidase or protease preparation, the enzyme treatment being effected in an aqueous system. Sucralose can be obtained by using this method to obtain a sucrose 2,3,6,3',4'-penta ester which can then be chlorinated and de-esterfied. Some of the penta acetates, tetraacetates and mixed acetates/butyrates are new compounds.

In a method for producing sucrose from beets or beet molasses by the deionization process using ion-exchange resins or the saccharate process or in a method for producing sucrose from beets without resorting to either of the two processes mentioned above, .alpha.-galactosidase is allowed to act upon the sugar solution, while in process, so as to hydrolyze the raffinose contained therein into sucrose and galactose. The raffinose-hydrolyzed sugar solution is returned to the process following the stage at which the sugar solution is withdrawn. Thereafter, the sugar solution is treated in the fixed sequence to effect the recovery of sucrose contained in the sugar solution.

Process for separating sugars from molasses by liquid distribution chromatography according to which molasses are contacted in a special manner with cation exchangers, distributed between at least two columns in the calcium form and by eluting also in a special manner the loaded cation exchangers with decarbonized water.

A new method for clarifying sugar cane juice is disclosed. Treating the phytic acid (or phytate) in sugar cane juice with phytase and acid phosphatase converts the phytic acid to inositol and inorganic phosphate, thereby improving the clarification of the sugar juice substantially. The valuable product inositol results as a consequence of the hydrolysis of phytic acid. The process is environmentally friendly, as it requires only the addition of small amounts of enzymes to existing sugar clarification processes. It does not cause inversion of sucrose to other sugars, and does not cause color formation. The extra phosphate released by this process is available to react with milk of lime, thus improving subsequent flocculation and consequent clarification.