Abstract: A sweetener comprises hollow spheroids or part spheroids of microcrystalline sucrose, generally bound to crystals of sucrose, and preferably containing one or more high intensity sweeteners such as sucralose. The sweetener is prepared by spray drying a sucrose syrup with simultaneous injection of an inert pressurized gas and, generally, contacting the sprayed syrup during the spray drying step and/or after completion of said step, with crystals of sucrose, and preferably by incorporating a high intensity sweetener in the syrup or in the agglomeration step.

Abstract: Sugar (sucrose or glucose) is crystallized by passing a hot supersaturated syrup to a continuous screw extruder such that progressive nucleation of the syrup is induced during a mean residence time of below 25 seconds and then discharging the nucleated syrup onto a surface, e.g. a conveyor belt, to crystallise without agitation.