Australian sugar is generally considered vegan because the industry stopped using bone char (charred animal bones for whitening) decades ago, likely due to export requirements for Europe, though official confirmation from producers is lacking; however, for absolute certainty, choosing certified organic sugar or beet sugar guarantees vegan status as bone char isn't used, while "raw" or unrefined sugars are also safe bets, says this Reddit thread, this Stack Exchange post, and this Reddit thread.
Additionally, beet sugar and raw sugar are suitable for vegans since no bone char is involved in the process. Demerara sugar, muscovado sugar and non-white golden caster are other vegan-friendly choices to explore.
Increasingly popular, coconut sugar is a vegan-friendly alternative. Unlike some sugars processed with bone char, coconut sugar avoids this practice. Derived from coconut palm sap, it undergoes minimal refining. Many vegans prefer coconut sugar and its counterpart, beet sugar, with confidence in their vegan status.
Cane sugar's vegan status depends on how it's processed. In the U.S., many manufacturers still use bone char to refine cane sugar, making it non-vegan by most ethical standards.
Sugar in Australia is sourced from sugar cane. Most Australian sugar cane grows on family-owned and operated farms. Farmers prepare their land by cultivating the soil. Once ready, sugar setts (cuttings from mature cane stalks) are planted and cultivated for 10 to 18 months.
Yes! Sugar that is derived from sugarcane is processed with animal bones, however, the resulting product is chemically free of char. Sugar derived from beets does not require filtration through animal bones and is considered vegan.
Demerara sugar is partially refined sugar with a straw-like colour and slight butterscotch aroma. It looks like raw sugar but with larger crystals that are good for sprinkling on baked goods for crunch. If unavailable, substitute with light brown sugar or raw sugar.
Miley Cyrus stopped being strictly vegan because she experienced health issues, feeling malnourished and that her brain wasn't functioning properly after six years on the diet, leading her to reintroduce fish and omegas for better brain function, though she still values animal welfare. She noted feeling "much sharper" and healthier after adding animal products like fish back into her diet, which was a difficult transition emotionally, but a necessary one for her body.
Bone char, which is used to process sugar, is made from the bones of cattle from Afghanistan, Argentina, India, and Pakistan. The bones are sold to traders in Scotland, Egypt, and Brazil who then sell them back to the U.S. sugar industry.
Though molasses contains no animal products, it's still a by-product of a production process that exploits animals, so any molasses made by a facility that uses bone char may be considered non-vegan.
Every UK packet of sugar, whether it's white or brown or made from sugar cane or sugar beets, will likely be suitable for vegans (though please be wary of imported sugars, particularly those from the US – more on that later). You may also want to avoid some icing sugars as a small number contain egg whites.
Other Sugar Not Made from Sugarcane or Sugar Beets
Maple syrup makes a great vegan alternative to refined cane sugar. Sugar can come from a variety of vegan sources, including fruits (fructose), vegetables (glucose), and grains (maltose), as well as non-vegan dairy (lactose) and honey (glucose).
Yes! We believe this product is vegan as there are no animal or animal-derived ingredients listed on the label.
The eastern states hold the highest number of vegans. This rapid increase can be attributed to a number of factors including increasing awareness about animal welfare, environmental concerns and health benefits associated with plant-based eating.
Granulated cane sugar has to go through multiple filtration processes to reach the result most of us know and stock in our kitchens: a uniformly fine, stark white substance. Unless it's a certified vegan or organic product, it's processed using a substance called bone char, a type of charcoal made from animal bones.
In Australia, granulated sugar is simply called white sugar, though it's also known as table sugar or regular sugar, referring to refined sugar with medium-sized crystals perfect for everyday baking and sweetening drinks, distinct from finer caster sugar or powdered icing sugar.
Our European refineries receive cargoes of raw cane sugar from tropical countries around the world. The sugar is transported in large vessels; the cargoes can be as large as 42,000 tonnes, which is enough to make more than 40 million 1kg packets of sugar!
Sugar in the UK is produced from sugar beets. Only sugar beets and sugar cane have a sufficient amount of sucrose for industrial sugar production.
American actor. Over the years, Johnny Depp went through several periods when he ate vegan for various reasons – for his health, in preparation for acting roles or perhaps at the request of his (now ex-) girlfriend.
Miley Cyrus has publicly shared she lives with Reinke's edema, a vocal cord disorder causing swelling, hoarseness, and a deeper, raspy voice, which she embraces as part of her unique sound but makes touring difficult. While she's mentioned this and past health struggles like ovarian cysts, rumors of severe diagnoses (like cancer) circulating online (e.g., in posts from late 2025) are unverified and likely false, as recent reports focus on her vocal condition.
And Lizzo—who has documented her weight-loss journey on TikTok as well—explained that listening to her body has improved her health. “After tests and research,” she continued, “I found that animal proteins helped me have more energy, lose weight and helped with my mental fog.”
There's no single "healthiest" sugar; all added sugars should be limited, but less-processed options like honey, maple syrup, date sugar, and coconut sugar offer trace minerals and antioxidants, making them slightly better than refined white sugar. However, the nutritional differences are minimal, so the best choice is often fruit or vegetables, which provide natural sweetness with fiber, vitamins, and water, or using minimal amounts of minimally processed sugars.
All muscovado is brown sugar, but not all brown sugar is muscovado. Light and dark muscovado sugar is a slightly less refined sugar that adds light caramel or dark, rich toffee flavour to whatever dish it's used in, like Nigella's sticky toffee pudding or Mary's gingerbread pudding cake.
Turbinado sugar is a type of partially refined sugar derived from the first pressing of sugar cane. The name "turbinado" comes from the turbine-like centrifuge used to spin the sugar crystals, removing excess moisture and some impurities, while retaining a thin layer of natural molasses.