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Vegetable Oils/Beet Sugar Processing

Industry Code: 13500

Compulsory

This industry consists of businesses that produce raw vegetable oil and/or further refine the oil into edible products. This industry also includes businesses that manufacture yeast and beet sugar. Beets acquired for this purpose are usually from local growers.

Operation Details:

There are two types of operations manufacturing vegetable oil in Alberta. One is the production of raw vegetable oil; the other a production of raw vegetable oil and the refining of the oil into finished edible products such as frying oil, mayonnaise, etc. Both types are included here.

The manufacturing of raw vegetable oil is an automated process. Canola or flax seeds are pressed to extrude the majority of the oil and the remaining mash is reprocessed to further remove all traces of oil. The waste mash is made into animal meal, usually as a cattle supplement. Canola oil is an edible oil for human consumption.

Flax seed produces linseed oil which has many non-edible commercial uses such as a thinner for oil base paints.

Raw canola oil is either refined or shipped to those who refine and process it into finished products. The refining process consists of heat treatment, evaporation, blending and mixing.

The manufacturing of yeast uses raw materials such as molasses (sugar beet by-product), ammonia, and phosphoric acid in a fermentation process using cultures to stimulate growth. The cultured product is converted to a powder or solid, cooled, packaged and stored for distribution. Some yeast is sold in a bulk liquid state to large bakeries for immediate use.

Distribution is conducted by rail car or tanker trucks and shipper/receivers are employed for this purpose.

Sugar beets are grown locally (usually on contract) and shipped to a receiving station prior to being delivered to the sugar processing plants. Here the beets are washed and sliced (like shoe string potato chips). The sliced beets are passed through a diffuser which leaches out the juice containing sugar and impurities.

Two distinct processes proceed from this point. The pulp is dried and ground for a cattle supplement; the liquid, together with other additives (carbon dioxide and calcium oxide), precipitates the liquid (causes solids to form). The precipitated solids are skimmed off, thickened, filtered, more carbon dioxide and calcium oxide is added, precipitated again, and finally placed in evaporators and boiled. The whole process may be repeated several times until the juice becomes like pancake syrup.

Through a final boiling process the sugar is crystallized. Then a centrifugal force is employed to separate the crystallized sugar from the liquid. It is dried in a granulator and packaged for shipping.

Three products are produced from sugar factories in Alberta: white sugar, feed supplement and feed molasses.

Brown sugar and edible molasses cannot be made from beet sugar.

Underwriting Considerations:

Vegetable oil manufacturing is a two-stage process in which canola or flax is crushed in one step and refined in another. A business may conduct only one of these steps or they may conduct both.

The natural by-product of beet sugar manufacturing is molasses. The sale of this product to a yeast manufacturer would not require an additional classification.

Although beet sugar manufacturers may inspect the crops for quality, etc., they are not involved in the growing or harvesting and therefore, no additional industry is required.

Premium Rate History:

Activities:

Margarine - Mfg
Yeast - Mfg
Vegetable Oils - Mfg
Beet Sugar - Mfg
Sugar - Mfg from Beets

Rate Group History:

Effective January 1, 2010, industry 13300 - Beet Sugar Processing was consolidated into 13500 - Vegetable Oils & Beet Sugar Processing.

This industry consists of businesses that produce raw vegetable oil and/or further refine the oil into edible products. This industry also includes businesses that manufacture yeast and beet sugar. Beets acquired for this purpose are usually from local growers.

Premium Rate History:

Activities:

Margarine - Mfg
Yeast - Mfg
Vegetable Oils - Mfg
Beet Sugar - Mfg
Sugar - Mfg from Beets

Operation Details:

There are two types of operations manufacturing vegetable oil in Alberta. One is the production of raw vegetable oil; the other a production of raw vegetable oil and the refining of the oil into finished edible products such as frying oil, mayonnaise, etc. Both types are included here.

The manufacturing of raw vegetable oil is an automated process. Canola or flax seeds are pressed to extrude the majority of the oil and the remaining mash is reprocessed to further remove all traces of oil. The waste mash is made into animal meal, usually as a cattle supplement. Canola oil is an edible oil for human consumption.

Flax seed produces linseed oil which has many non-edible commercial uses such as a thinner for oil base paints.

Raw canola oil is either refined or shipped to those who refine and process it into finished products. The refining process consists of heat treatment, evaporation, blending and mixing.

The manufacturing of yeast uses raw materials such as molasses (sugar beet by-product), ammonia, and phosphoric acid in a fermentation process using cultures to stimulate growth. The cultured product is converted to a powder or solid, cooled, packaged and stored for distribution. Some yeast is sold in a bulk liquid state to large bakeries for immediate use.

Distribution is conducted by rail car or tanker trucks and shipper/receivers are employed for this purpose.

Sugar beets are grown locally (usually on contract) and shipped to a receiving station prior to being delivered to the sugar processing plants. Here the beets are washed and sliced (like shoe string potato chips). The sliced beets are passed through a diffuser which leaches out the juice containing sugar and impurities.

Two distinct processes proceed from this point. The pulp is dried and ground for a cattle supplement; the liquid, together with other additives (carbon dioxide and calcium oxide), precipitates the liquid (causes solids to form). The precipitated solids are skimmed off, thickened, filtered, more carbon dioxide and calcium oxide is added, precipitated again, and finally placed in evaporators and boiled. The whole process may be repeated several times until the juice becomes like pancake syrup.

Through a final boiling process the sugar is crystallized. Then a centrifugal force is employed to separate the crystallized sugar from the liquid. It is dried in a granulator and packaged for shipping.

Three products are produced from sugar factories in Alberta: white sugar, feed supplement and feed molasses.

Brown sugar and edible molasses cannot be made from beet sugar.

Underwriting Considerations:

Vegetable oil manufacturing is a two-stage process in which canola or flax is crushed in one step and refined in another. A business may conduct only one of these steps or they may conduct both.

The natural by-product of beet sugar manufacturing is molasses. The sale of this product to a yeast manufacturer would not require an additional classification.

Although beet sugar manufacturers may inspect the crops for quality, etc., they are not involved in the growing or harvesting and therefore, no additional industry is required.

Rate Group History:

Effective January 1, 2010, industry 13300 - Beet Sugar Processing was consolidated into 13500 - Vegetable Oils & Beet Sugar Processing.