ICUMSA 45, ICUMSA 150, and VHP 600–1200 are not interchangeable — each grade suits a different stage of production, and ordering the wrong one is the most common (and expensive) mistake first-time industrial buyers make. This guide breaks down what each grade is actually for, so you can match a Brazilian supplier’s offer to your formulation before requesting samples.
Why US buyers look to Brazil for industrial sugar
Brazil is the world’s largest sugar producer, and its centre-south mills run at a scale few other origins can match. For a confectionery, beverage, or industrial manufacturer in the US, that scale means consistent grade specifications shipment to shipment and export infrastructure built specifically around bulk sugar — container and break-bulk loadings out of Santos are routine, not exceptional. Our overview of Brazilian sugar manufacturers covers how that production base is structured, from family-owned mills to industrial conglomerates.
ICUMSA 45: the confectionery and beverage grade
ICUMSA 45 is refined white sugar at the low end of the ICUMSA colour scale — the lower the number, the whiter and more refined the crystal. It is the grade most confectionery, bakery, and beverage manufacturers specify because it dissolves cleanly, carries minimal colour into light-coloured products, and meets the polarisation (typically 99.8% minimum) and low ash/moisture specifications that direct-consumption formulations require. If your end product is visible to the consumer — candy, soft drinks, packaged retail sugar — ICUMSA 45 is almost always the right starting point. See our ICUMSA 45 specification page for full export packaging and pricing details, and our buyer’s guide to sourcing ICUMSA 45 safely for supplier verification steps.
ICUMSA 150: where a higher colour tolerance still works
ICUMSA 150 sits further up the colour scale: less refined than ICUMSA 45, but still a white/crystal sugar rather than a raw feedstock. It costs less per tonne and is a legitimate choice when your process includes its own refining or blending step, or when the finished product’s colour tolerance is wider — some industrial food processing, animal feed supplementation, and fermentation feedstock applications fall here. Buyers sometimes default to ICUMSA 45 out of habit when 150 would meet spec at a better landed cost; it’s worth checking your actual colour tolerance against the ICUMSA 150 specification before assuming you need the premium grade.
VHP 600–1200: raw feedstock, not a finished product
VHP (Very High Polarization) raw sugar, typically quoted in the 600–1200 ICUMSA range, is not intended for direct use. It is the standard feedstock traded into refineries and large industrial processors who run their own refining, decolourisation, and crystallisation. If your production line doesn’t include a refining step, VHP is the wrong order regardless of price — it will not perform like a white sugar in a formulation built around ICUMSA 45 or 150. VHP makes sense specifically when you are the refiner, or you’re buying for a refinery on your behalf. Full packaging and shipment specs are on our VHP 600-1200 export page.
A buyer’s checklist for matching grade to end product
- What does the finished product look like? Visible to the end consumer and colour-sensitive → ICUMSA 45.
- Does your process include refining or blending? Yes, and colour tolerance is wider → ICUMSA 150 may meet spec at lower cost.
- Are you refining the sugar yourself, or buying for a refinery? VHP 600–1200 is feedstock, not a finished ingredient.
- What polarisation, moisture, and ash specs does your formulation require? Get the full specification sheet, not just an ICUMSA number, before comparing offers.
Questions to ask a Brazilian exporter before placing an industrial order
- Can you provide a full specification sheet — colour, polarisation, moisture, ash, granulation, SO2 — for this specific shipment, not a generic datasheet?
- What Incoterm and port of loading applies, and what is the typical transit time to a US port?
- Can you supply a pre-shipment sample in the exact grade and packaging (bulk, bags, containers) I’ll be ordering?
- What is your minimum order quantity per grade, and does it change the per-tonne price?
Requesting samples and a wholesale quote
Wholesale pricing on our current grades starts from $420/MT, varying by grade, packaging, and Incoterm. If you’re ready to compare ICUMSA 45, ICUMSA 150, or VHP 600–1200 against your formulation, contact our team with your target grade, quantity, and destination port and we’ll put together a grade-specific sample and quote.
