Method for processing raw sugarcane maximizing the preservation of policosanols during production of a natural sugarcane juice-based product

A method for processing a quantity of raw, unwashed sugarcane sticks to produce a policosanol-rich sugarcane juice product via a sugarcane juice product processing system, comprising steps of:

• shredding the unwashed sugarcane sticks and conveying the shredded and unwashed sugarcane sticks toward a first one of a series of mechanical roller mills;
• contacting the conveyed sugarcane sticks with a quantity of a surfactant prior to the sugarcane sticks reaching said first one of the series of mechanical roller mills;
• extracting sugarcane juice from the unwashed, shredded sugarcane sticks via the series of roller mills, the shredded sugarcane sticks, while being conveyed through the series of roller mills, macerated with water having a temperature maintained within a range of 80° C. to 90° C. to produce a volume of water-diluted extracted sugarcane juice product;
• filtering the diluted extracted sugarcane juice product through at least one filter;
• stabilizing the pH of the extracted and filtered sugarcane juice in a non-acidic solution of calcium hydroxide to a stabilized pH level within a pH range of 7.2 to 7.6;
• heating the pH-stabilized sugarcane juice to a temperature within a range of 80° C. to 90° C.;
• clarifying the heated and pH-stabilized sugarcane juice, wherein the heated and pH-stabilized sugarcane juice is flocculated using a mixture of water and at least one flocculate product, the flocculated sugarcane juice forming a glutinous froth, the glutinous froth retained and subjected to further processing in order to preserve a rich concentration of policosanols contained therein, the policosanol-rich processed froth subsequently reintroduced into the sugarcane juice product being processed;
• evaporating the clarified sugarcane juice product via an evaporation apparatus including a series of evaporators, thereby incrementally increasing a sugar and policosanol concentration of the sugarcane juice product to create a post-evaporation, policosanol-rich concentrated sugarcane juice syrup having a desired post-evaporation Brix value, wherein the Brix value of the sugarcane juice product is maintained at or below 70° Bx during the entire evaporation step;
• and
• extracting the evaporated sugarcane juice concentrate from the evaporation apparatus at said desired post-evaporation Brix value,
• wherein the sugarcane processing method maintains a juice product temperature at or below 90° C. throughout said process to prevent evaporation of policosanols therefrom.