For processing sugar beet (water concentration 75%, sugar concentration 17%), only the washing, preparation and extraction processes are technically different from cane — although impurities in the sugar juice require smaller process adjustments in the following purification and concentration sectors. After washing, the beet is sliced and the slices are drawn into a slowly rotating DSSE diffuser, where a counter-current flow of water is used to remove sugar from the beet slices.

Refinement of sugar involves removal of impurities and decolorization. The steps generally follow affination (mingling and centrifugation), melting, clarification, decolorization, evaporation, crystallization and finishing. Decolorization methods use granular activated carbon, powdered activated carbon, ion exchange resins and other materials.