TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Process: The chromatographic separation step further produces a betaine fraction containing a major portion of the betaine. The feedstock further comprises colored organic impurities, and a major portion of these color impurities are concentrated in the raffinate fraction produced in the chromatographic separation step. The chromatographic separation step is carried out by a simulated moving bed (SMB) method, where the SMB method comprises two consecutive SMB loops. The SMB chromatographic separation divides the feedstock into a fermentation fraction containing the sucrose and amino acids, a raffinate fraction containing the salts and color impurities, and a betaine fraction.Preferred Composition: The aqueous feedstock is a byproduct of sugar manufacture, and contains dissolved betaine (preferably the feedstock is a byproduct of the production of sucrose from sugar beet). The feedstock has total dissolved solids (20-70 (preferably 40-60) wt.%); dissolved carbohydrate (50-90 (preferably 55-75) wt.% on dry substance); dissolved salts (ash) (5-25 (preferably 10-20) wt.% on dry substance); nitrogenous compounds (2-15 (preferably 10-12) wt.% on dry substance); and other organic impurities (1-10 (preferably 5-8) wt.% on dry substance). The fermentation fraction has total dissolved solids (15-30 (preferably 20-25) wt%); dissolved carbohydrate (85-98 (preferably 92-96) wt.% on dry substance); dissolved salts for ash (0.5-5 (preferably 0.5-2) wt.% on dry substance); amino acids (0.5-5 (preferably 1-3) wt.% on dry substance); and other organic impurities (0.5-3 (preferably 1-2) wt.% on dry substance). EXAMPLE - A sugar beet thick juice was subjected to two-step crystallization, with recycle of the crystalline sucrose from the second crystallization to the first crystallization stage. This gave a very white sugar from the first crystallization, and liquor from the second crystallization containing residual sucrose and the various non-sucrose impurities including amino acids, salts, color impurities and betaine. The sugar content of the liquor was about 75% on dry solids basis, and the total solids concentration was about 70-80%. The liquor was fed to the two-stage chromatographic separation process. Then the liquor was fed initially to a homogenizer where it was diluted with a recycled dilute fraction, from the separators. The dilute fraction consists mainly of water, together with some salts and sucrose to a total solids content of about 20%. The sugar content of the liquor was about 75% on dry solids basis, and the total solids concentration was about 50-60%, was then fed to a simulated moving bed chromatographic separation system comprising six columns filled with an a strongly acidic ion-exchanged resin. The important nutrients including the amino acids and nucleosides run with the sucrose on the chromatography column were concentrated in the fermentation fraction. This reduced the amount of nutrients that need to be added in the fermentation step. The further separation resulted in a further dilute fraction, which was recycled to the homogenizer. Finally, the fermentation fraction consisting of about 95% sucrose on dry solids basis, and the concentration of the sucrose about 23 g/100 g was obtained. The remainder of the solids in the fermentation fraction was mainly nutrients such as amino acids and nucleosides. This composition was then fermented to ethanol.