From beet to sugar, a 100% ‘Swiss Made’ production

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Aarberg is the Swiss sugar capital. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Sugar beets are transported by rail and road. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The Aarberg sugar factory is active seven days a week and 24 hours a day between October and December. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The arrivals are weighed separately and samples are taken from each batch to measure the sugar content and the quality of the beets. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Unloading of sugar beets. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The beets are unloaded from the trailers with the help of water cannon. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The beets are then washed and pulped. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The gigantic open-air warehouse where the beets for the weekend's production are stored. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

During the high season, about 10,000 tonnes of beet are transported daily to the Aarberg sugar factory. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Climate change and prolonged periods of drought are putting a strain on sugar beet cultivation. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Jura limestone and coal are used in the sugar purification process. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

A giant cleaning machine removes the soil from the beets before they are processed. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The beet pulp after chopping. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The purified and filtered juice is reduced to dry matter in these evaporation units. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

This syrup contains 70% dry content. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Syrup samples are carefully analysed in the laboratory. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The syrup is concentrated and crystallised under vacuum in cooking vats. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The employees of the Aarberg factory constantly monitor the quality of the sugar. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

The silos of the Aarberg sugar factory have a capacity of about 90,000 tonnes of sugar. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Molasses, a byproduct of sugar production, is used in the industry and as animal feed. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Almost 80% of the sugar produced in Aarberg is intended for the food industry. The rest is packaged for Swiss households Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Sugar production is almost fully automated. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

Sugar in one-kilo packages waiting to be delivered to supermarkets. Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch

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Founded in 1912, the Aarberg sugar factory in canton Bern is the largest sugar production plant in Switzerland. During the beet harvest season, almost 10,000 tonnes of this root vegetable are transported there daily from all over the country. Take a guided tour.