A sugar packet is a delivery method for one 'serving' of sugar

Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...

. Sugar packets are commonly supplied in restaurants and coffee bars in preference to sugar bowls or sugar dispensers for reasons of neatness, sanitation, spill control, and to some extent portion control

Portion control (dieting)

Portion control is understanding how much a serving size is and how many calories a serving contains. Portion control is important for weight management as the weight is defined by the total calorie intake...

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Statistics

A typical sugar packet in the United States contains 2-4 grams of sugar. Some sugar packets in countries such as Poland contain 5 to 10 grams of sugar. Sugar packet sizes and weights differ throughout different areas of the world.

History

The sugar cube was used in restaurants until it began to be replaced directly after World War II. At this time, machines were made that could produce small packets of sugar for nearly half the cost.

The sugar packet was invented by Benjamin Eisenstadt

Benjamin Eisenstadt

Benjamin Eisenstadt designer the modern sugar packets and developed Sweet'N Low. He was the founder of the Cumberland Packing Corporation.-Biography:...

, the founder of Cumberland Packing or better known today as the Sweet 'N Low company. Ben had been a tea bag factory worker, and became irritated by the task of refilling and unclogging all the sugar dispensers in his Brooklyn cafeteria across from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He didn't patent the idea, and after discussions with larger sugar companies, lost market shares.

A typical four gram sugar packet has 15 calories.

Collecting

Some people collect sugar packets, focusing on the variety of types of sugar or brand names. They also are handy forms of advertisement for businesses.