Bone Char: Is Refined Cane Sugar Vegan?

Sugar itself contains no animal ingredients; the question is the refining process. Some cane refineries — mainly in the United States — decolorize sugar through bone char filters made from cattle bone, while others use activated carbon or ion-exchange resins. Beet sugar never uses bone char. Standards vary on process aids, so a review resolves it with a refinery statement rather than assumption.