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Sugar is typically associated with the food and drink industries therefore its other uses can often be overlooked. Sugar is in fact a vital component in the production of ethanol: a compound which is in high global demand due to its many properties and uses, especially in manufacturing industries. What is Ethanol? Ethanol is an […]

Consumers stockpiling in supermarkets around the world is already a concern for local supply. But what happens if the key exporting regions also decide to stockpile? It looks like we’re about to find out. The latest system to feel intense pressure from the coronavirus pandemic is global food supply, confirmed by the UN releasing a […]

In our previous article focusing on the global supply chain, we touched upon how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the available liquidity within global financial services, with policymakers acting in unison by taking actions beyond monetary policy to cushion supply chain disruption and keep illiquid firms solvent. Put simply, governments are playing their part by […]

Sugar is made using two key crops: sugar beet and sugar cane. These crops are grown in different regions across the globe, according to their climate, which dictates which crop is grown. A beet crop thrives in colder, wetter weather. A cane crop, however, is the opposite and thrives in warm, tropical areas. Beet-Growing Regions […]

With unprecedented volatility and uncertainty surrounding global markets as a result of COVID-19, Czarnikow is committed to providing you and your business with the latest data and market transparency that you need to manage your business. Transparency and innovation have always been at the heart of everything that Czarnikow does, and the launch of our […]

When Coronavirus took centre stage in January this year, our strategy shifted its focus from analysing the causes to planning for consequences. With the US election, trade wars, Brexit negotiations and the Saudi Arabia/Russia “game of chicken” taking up global conversations, nobody paid enough attention to the level of impact contamination from Covid19 might have […]

How does sugar get from sugar cane and sugar beet to looking so enticing on the supermarket shelves? There is some clever chemistry and a lot of science involved in removing all the impurities from sugar to get to the form that goes into our cups of tea. Sugar is naturally white, but when it […]

The global sugar market has undergone many fluctuations and changes over the past few weeks as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. One area that we think has significantly changed is global sugar consumption. We have reduced our global sugar consumption estimate by nearly 2m tonnes this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.  This means […]

Last update: 26.03.2020 Following the World Health Organisation’s classification of COVID-19 as a pandemic, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on how best to continue in this challenging time. Following the latest guidance on how best to prevent the spread of the virus, our teams are now working remotely across our global locations. […]

History of the Thickener Food thickeners are frequently based on either polysaccharides (starches, vegetable gums and pectin), or proteins.  These ingredients serve the sole purpose of thickening the consistency of a product. Czarnikow trades different thickeners: Corn and tapioca starch, xanthan gum, CMC and pectin. Corn starch was discovered in 1840 by Thomas Kingsford. He […]

Sugar is one of the world’s purest natural ingredients and is used in almost every food category. Grown in over 100 countries, over 170 million metric tons of sugar is produced each year. But how is it extracted from sugar cane and produced into pure sugar? How Sugar Cane Is Grown Sugar cane is grown […]

Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is fast becoming an essential service in global supply chains. As the world shrinks, demand for the movement of goods across the globe and expectations for fast delivery have simultaneously increased. Implemented for efficiency and to simplify the supply chain process wherever possible, VMI is a streamlined approach to order fulfilment […]

Earlier in the series, we took you through some of the major fruits on the market that we work with at Czarnikow. But what happens to them if they are made into concentrate or compounds and used as ingredients further down the supply chain? The fruit is put through a series of processes to ensure […]

With an often lengthy period between production and consumption in the global food and beverage industry, food preservatives are essential to avoid rotting and spoiling, and necessary to retain products’ flavour, colour and nutrients. At Czarnikow, we work with a number of preservatives and antioxidants. Absorbic Acid Before its discovery, physicians recognised that there must […]

Mid-way through 2019 we launched Czapp, our new client portal and app. Throughout the year, all of the major developments in the sugar market have been analysed in our opinion pieces. We’ve now sent on average 3 per day. Here, we’ll take you through five of the most significant moments of 2019. 1. Sugar Taxes […]

Fruit or vegetable? Tomayto or Tomarto? The immortal questions that have been haunting every culinary linguist for centuries. We are none the wiser, although we can tell you the history, current market, and product segmentation of the delicious red vegetable. History of the Tomato and Tomato Paste The tomato was originally a resident of Western […]

What are Derivatives? Before we can begin looking at different types of derivatives-based risk management in detail, we first must understand what derivatives are. Simply put, a derivative is a form of financial tool that is reliant upon (or derived from) an asset (often referred to as the ‘underlying asset’). Derivatives are most frequently traded […]

What is Sugar Beet? It is a common misconception that all sugar is produced from sugar cane. In fact, sugar is naturally produced in both sugar cane and sugar beet. In this article, we will explore how sugar is made from sugar beet. Sugar beet is a white, parsnip-like taproot which makes sugar through the […]

Present in 74% of foods sold in supermarkets, sugar is such a fundamental ingredient in almost everything we eat that it’s hard to imagine what people ate before the discovery of sugar. Flavourless pottage comes to mind. But what are the origins sugar? To whom do we owe a knighthood for the discovery of this […]

Overview Whilst there are many different acidity regulators which are used in various foods, the fundamental application remains the same: improve food safety and taste. And despite the bad press about the implications of E-numbers used as food additives, acidity regulators play an instrumental role within the food and beverage sector, as well as an […]