IN MEMORY OF EARL J. ROBERTS

May 14, 1913 - March 22, 2004

Photo: Mr. Earl J. Roberts (click here for more information on Roberts, Earl)

Earl Roberts has devoted over 50 years of active and productive research to the sugar industry. He has made particular contributions to sugar refining through his work explaining the formation of acid beverage floc; formation and analysis of dextrans; formation, breakdown and removal of colorants, and elucidation of sucrose losses. Earl Robert's early work, in the 1950's on the composition of sugarcane and cane juice provided a foundation for all subsequent research on refining of raw cane sugars. He served as a research consultant for SPRI until December 2003. He recently worked on the synthesis of several new products from sucrose and developed a decolorizing agent from sugarcane bagasse. Sugar Industry Technologists recognized his contributions with the Crystal Award in 1990.

The SPRI 2004 Conference on Sugar Processing Research, "New Developments", held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on April 4-7, was dedicated to Mr. Roberts for his research and support to Sugar Processing Research Institute, Inc.