Treatment of sugar juice

A process for treating clarified sugar cane juice includes subjecting, in a first treatment stage, the juice to purification to remove particles larger than about 0.1 micron. The clarified sugar juice then passes through a primary ion exchange stage in which it is sequentially brought into contact with at least one strong acid cation ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form and thereafter with at least one weak base anion ion exchange resin in the hydroxide form, to effect primary demineralization of the sugar juice. Thereafter the sugar juice is passed through a secondary ion exchange stage in which it is sequentially brought into contact with at least one strong base anion ion exchange resin in the hydroxide form and thereafter with at least one acid cation ion exchange resin, to effect secondary demineralization of the sugar juice. Sugar products are recovered from the resultant purified sugar solution.