Updated: 3/18/2017
SUGAR!!!! This post is a simple resource for those who want to ensure the sugar they use/consume does not have the use of animal bone char in the refinement process.
Tangent: Do you always equate “vegan” or “vegetarian” with healthy? I catch myself doing this all of the time! I am not either of the “V”s, and I have to keep reminding myself that just because a cupcake is vegan, doesn’t mean I can eat 5 of them after lunch… although I sure would love to!
Did you know that not all sugar is created equal? Did you know that some sugar refinement processes use animal bone char? Some people, namely vegans, carefully choose their diets based on use of animals (in any respect) in the treatment or development of the product. There are so many different foods we can talk about in this regard, but we’ll just stick to sugar for today.
Below are two lists: 1) Companies who do NOT use bone char in their refinement processes, and 2) Companies that do use bone char in their processes.
*Disclaimer: Ensure to look into or call your company of choice before buying. Each one has policies that are subject to change.*
COMPANIES CONFIRMED TO NOT USE BONE CHAR
American Crystal Sugar Company
Corporate Office
101 North 3rd Street
Moorhead, MN 56560
Phone: (218) 236-4400
http://www.crystalsugar.com
Labels: Crystal Sugar
Note: Uses beet sugar
Florida Crystals Refinery
P.O. Box 86
South Bay, FL 33493
Phone: 407-996-9072
http://www.FloridaCrystals.com
Labels: Florida Crystals
Note: Organic naturally milled sugar cane
Holly Sugar
1967 W Fifth Street, P.O. Box 764 
Sheridan, WY 82801
Phone: 307-672-8997 or 1-888-331-8997
Email:sales@beetseed.com
Notes: Uses beet sugar
Irish Sugar Ltd.,
Athy Road, Carlow, Ireland.
Tel: 0503-42551 Fax: 0503-42534
e-mail: information@irishsugar.ie
http://www.irish-sugar.ie/
Label: Siucra
Note: Irish company selling beet sugar
Kirkland Organic Sugar
PO Box 34331
Seattle, WA 98124
Phone: 800-774-2678
Email
Michigan Sugar Company
2600 S. Euclid Avenue
Bay City, MI 48706
Phone: 989-686-0161 Fax: 989-686-2959
info@michigansugar.com
http://www.michigansugar.com/
Label: Big Chief, Pioneer
Note: Uses beet sugar
Refined Sugars Incorporated
One Federal St.
Yonkers, NY 10702914-963-2400
Labels: Jack Frost, Country Cane, 4# Flow-Sweet
Note: Uses granular carbon filter instead of bone char
Spreckles Sugar
Box 581
395 West Keystone Road
Brawley, CA 92227
Phone: 760-344-3110, Fax: 760-344-0142
Note: Uses beet sugar
Supreme Sugar Company (subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland)
P.O. Box 56009
New Orleans, LA 70156
504-831-0901
Labels: Supreme, Southern Bell, Rouse’s Markets
Sugar in the Raw
Cumberland Packing Corp.
2 Cumberland St., Brooklyn, NY 11205
info@sugarintheraw.com
http://www.sugarintheraw.com
Note: This is another less processed sugar and as a result does not need be filtered in the same way as white sugars
Tropical Traditions
POB 333
Springville, CA 93265
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_sugar.htm
Label: Rapunzel
The Western Sugar Cooperative
7555 East Hampden Avenue
Suite 600
Denver, CO 80231
Phone: 303-830-3939 Fax: 303-830-3941
http://www.westernsugar.com/
Wholesome Sweeteners
8016 Highway 90A
Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Phone: (281) 490 9582 Fax: (281) 275-3170
info@wholesomesweeteners.com
http://wholesomesweeteners.com/index.htm
Label: Sucanat
WARNING: Some sucanat is made with honey
Note: An organic cane sugar product that is not very refined
COMPANIES THAT ARE CONFIRMED TO USE BONE CHAR
Dixie Sugar
3 Sugar Creek Center Blvd., Suite 500
Sugar Land, TX 77478
Email: CustomerService@ImperialSugar.com
Phone: 1-877-212-2144
Note: 100% cane sugar (non-GMO), using bone char in the processing
Domino
1114 Ave. of the Americas
25th Fl.
New York, NY 10036
212-789-9700
Imperial Sugar Company
3 Sugar Creek Center Blvd., Suite 500
Sugar Land, TX 77478
Phone: 800-727-8427
Labels: Spreckles , Holly Sugar
Note: 100% cane sugar (non-GMO)
Savannah Foods
P.O. Box 335
Savannah, GA 31402
912-234-1261
California & Hawaiian Sugar Company (C&H)
830 Loring Ave.
Crockett, CA 94525-1104
510-787-2121
Note: Washed Raw Sugar is not processed with bone char
*To learn more about the use of bone char in sugar refinement, check out GentleWorld.org*
*This list was updated and added to from VeganProducts.org*
Related articles
- Artificial vs Natural Sugar & Bone Char??? (theplexussolution.com)
- Want to Know Wednesday: What the Heck is “Vegan Sugar”? Part One (sneakerporndiaries.com)
- Featured Image from: Delicious Obsessions
Hello, Is Jack Frost Sugar still vegan even though the Domino Sugar co owns them now?
Great question, Rebecca. Thanks for asking. I’ll try to call Domino on Monday to check.
Hello, what about vegan companies like So Delicious. They use came sugar. Is the sugar they use vegan?
Great question, Mike! Looks like So Delicious’ products are all vegan. WHOOP! From what I can tell, they mainly use agave nectar to sweeten their products.
Does that help?
https://www.peta.org/living/food/is-sugar-vegan/
According to PETA, Imperial Sugar is currently vegan. Is that a recent thing? I noticed you updated in March of 2017.
If so, I would guess that it also applies to Dixie Crystals and Savannah Foods, since Imperial Sugar is the parent company. However, that isn’t always the case.
Ooh – good one. I see that now, too. Interesting! I’m make sure Imperial is under vegan, but will keep the others where they are. I’m having trouble finding updates for those.
I just called Imperial at the phone number you provided and spoke to customer service. They told me they use bone char and are not vegan.
Thanks so much for sending over the update, Victoria! I moved it down. Imperial Sugar is also a part owner in Wholesome Sweeteners, which (from what I see) is still bone char free. 🙂
Here’s another semi-recent articleL: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue4/2007_issue4_sugar.php