Abstract: The invention is a process for the removal of impurities comprising phenolics, dextrans or amino nitrogen from an aqueous saccharide solution. The solution is contacted with a sorbent, which itself is also an embodiment of the invention, comprising a cationic nitrogenous surfactant, the molecules of which contain at least one alkyl group of at least 8 carbon atoms, deposited on the surface of a microporous hydrophobic polymeric support. The deposition is accomplished by contacting a solution of the surfactant in an appropriate solvent with the support. The impurities are adsorbed onto the sorbent and the aqueous saccharide solution is removed from contact wiht the sorbent. The solvent must be completely miscible with the saccharide solution and the solution of the surfactant in the solvent must have a maximum sorbent wetting rate of at least 100 g/m.sup.2 .multidot.min., and a sorbent bed retention of at least 140%, based on the bed interstitial volume.