ZAMBIA SUGAR CORRECTS WHITESPOON MISUNDERSTANDING

WE produce Whitespoon sugar which is both white and brown and this does not mean that it is a mistake to package brown sugar in any packet labelled Whitespoon sugar, Zambia Sugar Plc has clarified.

Contrary to assertions that Zambia Sugar is now packaging brown sugar in packets meant for white sugar packing, the company says there is need to rely on information being placed on the package to get correct information.

Speaking to The Scoop, Zambia Sugar PLC Business Affairs Manager, Ackson Tembo said all products are branded Whitespoon and he described as a misconception, reports that sugar is being wrongly packaged.

Mr. Tembo called on consumers to rely on information placed on the package to avoid being misled or misinformed.

He said Zambia Sugar had all kinds of sugar to cater for different consumer needs, and that it was important for consumers to pay attention to the colour of sugar that could also be categorized according to weight.

“In terms of coloration, refined sugar is the whitest sugar,” he said.

He said sugar could be categorized as either Whitespoon household or Whitespoon brown sugar adding that it was imperative for consumers to understand how sugar was classified, its range, and also coloration.

He reiterated that no changes had been made in the sugar packaging and the entire production processes, saying all assertions in that regard were not true.

“The public should take keen interest in reading the instructions we place on the sugar packs to avoid falsehood,” he said.

According to the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA), an international standards body that evaluates the purity of sugar based on its colour, good quality sugar can be determined by a label that indicates that the sugar is 100% pure, without any additives or fillers.

ICUMSA is the only international organization concerned solely with analytical methods for the sugar industry.

It notes that brown sugar prevents low blood sugar levels and provides quicker energy like any other sugar and that it can raise blood glucose levels and helps to prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and is good for digestion.

The most notable nutritional difference between white and brown sugar is that brown sugar is slightly higher in calcium, iron and potassium.