3 replies to this topic

[holdthegluten]

I tested very high for cane some sugar intolerance. My question is how to read a label if it has cane sugar. Some just say sugar............what does that mean. Can i have fruit if i have a cane sugar intolerance? What foods have cane sugar in them? Is cane sugar table sugar? Are artificial sweetners okay? I am confused and would love some guidance. Thanks Guys

[aikiducky]

Cane sugar is sugar that is got from the sugar cane which is a plant. Table sugar is either cane sugar or beet sugar. I don't think it needs to be specified on a label, so you'll need to contact manufacturers to know which products are ok.

Fresh fruit only have their own sugar in them so fruit is ok. I don't know about artificial sweeteners.

I'm afraid you will have to learn to always read labels and contact manufacturers a lot...

I think there are some other people on the board who can't have cane sugar, I hope they will have more tips and advice.

Pauliina

[burdee]

I also have a (ELISA test diagnosed) cane sugar allergy (or intolerance, for purists LOL). My naturopath posted in his newsletter the following guidelines for recognizing cane vs. beet sugar at the grocery store from those 5# bags of sugar:

There are two brands that exclusively manufacture sugar made from beets, the American Crystal Sugar Company and the Western Sugar Cooperative. Store brands (i.e. Wal-mart, Cub Foods, Flavorite, Safeway, etc.) are also often beet sugar so are safe for those allergic to cane sugar. Unfortunately these brands are rarely clearly marked as cane or beet sugar so it is important to look a little further to find out. One way to do this is to know factory identification codes, knowing where your sugar comes from can be crucial to finding out what type of sugar you are buying.

All bags of sugar are labeled with a five-digit code that identifies the packaging plant (letter), year (1 digit) and Julian date (3 digits) - a Julian date is simply the actual day of the year numbers 1 through 365. The most important thing to remember is the letter that indicates the location, this will tell you where the sugar was manufactured, therefore distinguishing between cane sugar and beet sugar.

Factory identification codes for ACS are:

D - American Crystal Sugar Co., Drayton, ND
E - American Crystal Sugar Co., East Grand Forks, MN
H - American Crystal Sugar Co., Hillsboro, ND
K - American Crystal Sugar Co., Crookston, MN
M – American Crystal Sugar Co., Moorhead, MN
S - American Crystal Sugar Co., Sidney, MT (Sidney Sugars Inc.)
W – Min-Dak Farmers Cooperative, Wahpeton, ND
Example: S7106-Sugar is from Sidney, MT, 2007, Packaged April 16
Western Sugar Cooperative, based out of Denver, also manufactures beet sugar. The lot codes for WSC are:
B - Billings, MT
F - Scottsbluff, NE
N – Torrington, WY
Examples: F1W65A7 (Scottsbluff, June 14th, Shift, 7–Year)

Utilizing these valuable tools will help you to avoid cane sugar in the future, thus avoiding the painful side effects of an allergy.

From IBS Treatment Center Newsletter (June 21, 2007).

Here's more info about avoiding cane sugar, from that same newsletter:

What to Avoid if Allergic to Cane Sugar

Cane Juice
Sugar (except beet sugar)
Brown Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Sucrose
Molasses
Treacle
Sucralose (Splenda)
Glucose
Fructose
Disaccharides (unless derived from a source other than cane).

Safe Alternatives to Cane Sugar

Honey
Fruit Juice Sweet
Corn Syrup
Maple Syrup
Stevia
Maltitol
Mannitol
Sorbitol
Xylitol
Barley Malt
FOS - Fructooligosacchardies (a natural sweet tasting fiber.) Available in powder form at
Lame Advertisement.com

BURDEE
PS FOS can cause lots of gas and bloating until your body adjusts ... not my favorite sweetner. LOL Also if you're sensitive to sorbitol (experience cramps, bloating), you will probably not tolerate maltitol, mannitol or xylitol.

[tBar-251]

Ah yes, I got the same dx from Dr. Wangen, and the same notice about how to differentiate. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot more numbers on the packages than he describes, so I gave up ... confuzled!

So anyway, I have switched to maple syrup Sugar, and I get it from the sweetener aisle of my favorite "health food" store, in this case, PCC. There's also a very yummy new product called Maple syrup Butter and it's "to die for!" Maple syrup sugar doesn't taste like maple syrup, so it's a great sweetener that can be added to anything.

I also happen to think the Marketing Machine has done a splendiferous job convincing people that cane sugar is somehow superior to beet sugar. Sigh!