On 12 September 2007 the European Society for Sugar Technology (ESST) was founded in Berlin. At the same time the Commission Internationale de Sucrerie (CITS), has been dissolved after 58 years of existence.
The ESST took on the functions and responsibilities of the CITS (Commission Internationale Technique de Sucrerie), but works on a wider basis. Whereas CITS Membership was restricted to sugar companies, sugar technologists associations and suppliers to the sugar industry are able to join ESST.
Today the European Society for Sugar Technology (ESST) is the European umbrella organization for sugar technology with the aim to concentrate and strengthen the exchange of information within the European and international beet sugar industry. This done through close cooperation with the main sugar producers and the national sugar technology organisations:
- VDZ (Verein Deutscher Zuckertechniker).
- Fachverein der Zuckerfabiken Österreichs;
- Stowarzyszenieienie Techników Cukrowników;
- Assoziazione Nazionale fra I Technici dello Zucchero e dell’Acole.
Every two years ESST organizes a conference in cooperation with the Verein Deutscher Zuckertechniker. ESST/VDZ conferences have taken place in
- Rotterdam (2009)
- Bratislava (2011)
- Warszaw (2013)
- Reims (2015)
- Dresden (2017)
- Poznan (2019)
- Reims (2022)
- Vienna (2024)
The ESST Scientific Committee is a group of 20 to 30 scientists from sugar producers and universities. The Committee meets regularly and discusses current problems of sugar technology. 5 to 8 members of the Scientific Committee form the Program Committee of the ESST conferences. The Programme Committee selects the papers and posters presented during the ESST conference.