5. Conclusion

The 19 beet sugar refineries in France in 2025 have very large processing capacities, averaging 15,000 metric tons of beets per day, which requires sophisticated organization.

This article describes the steps from the receipt of the beets to the production of pre-evaporation juice (PEJ). Upon receipt, sugar mills ensure that the delivered beets are of good quality and contain as little waste (soil, stones, and other impurities) as possible. In fact, anything that arrives with the beets constitutes waste that must be recycled. The beets are washed using recycled water, and the effectiveness of this process determines the success of the subsequent steps. The juice is extracted from the beets—after they have been cut into top-cut chips—by diffusion using water at a controlled temperature (72–74 °C) and pH (5). This juice, with a purity of approximately 91 g S/100 g...