Production: cane sugar
6. When the UK joined the European Union in 1973,
it secured an agreement allowing the continued importation of
raw cane sugar from its traditional suppliers in African, Caribbean
and Pacific (ACP) countries of the Commonwealth. This agreement
allows 1.3 million tonnes of sugar to be imported into the Union
each year at guaranteed minimum prices and free of any EU levy.
7. Around 90 percent of the sugar cane imported to
the European Union is refined at Tate and Lyle's Silvertown plant
in East London. The refining process separates out the pure sucrose
from the impurities contained in the raw cane sugar. The refined
product, white sugar, is identical to that derived from sugar
beet. The refinery produces over 1 million tonnes of refined sugar
each year,[8] or 40 percent
of all UK sugar.
Consumption
8. In total around 2.5 million tonnes of sugar is
processed in the United Kingdom each year. Some is exported: around
2.25 million tonnes is consumed annually. Of that around 75 percent
is sold direct to manufacturers of confectionery, chocolate, cakes,
biscuits, soft drinks and ice cream.[9]
These food sectors employ 80,000 people and are worth £15
billion in consumer sales per annum.[10]
4 Ev 84 Back
5
Figures from Defra website, www.defra.gov.uk Back
6
Ev 84 Back
7
Ev 2 Back
8
Ev 17 Back
9
Ev 84; see the Defra website, www.defra.gov.uk Back
10
Ev 57 Back
