Before the request of the Colombian engineer Jorge Enrique González Ulloa for a patent on the method for the processing of raw sugar, maximizing the conservation of policosanols during the production of a product based on natural sugar juice, creating a sweetener based on sugar cane. sugar, the Colombian panela sector has been concerned about this situation, which has led both the sugar sector, represented by Asocaña, and the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture to take a position on this information.

For its part, Asocaña has issued a statement in which it assures that "Mr. González Ulloa, in a personal capacity and on his own account, has widely disclosed and through different channels, the properties that this sweetener would have, which has caused the pronouncement of various organizations of the panela sector, who have expressed their concern about the application for said patent ", and has clarified that the sugar sector respects what is established in Law 40 of 1990 by means of which, rules for the protection and development panela production and the panela promotion quota is established, therefore, it is not involved in panela production. In this way, the sugar sector has disassociated itself from said sweetener, indicating that "it is not part of the investigations led by Cenicaña and supported by this sector."

In this sense, the association has highlighted that the sugarcane agribusiness allocates 1% of sugar and ethanol sales to research and innovation, through the Sugar Cane Research Center, Cenicaña, "who precisely transfers of information and knowledge in the matter of varieties, to the panela industry ", as well as it has ensured that" the investigations carried out by this center are endorsed by all the mills always looking for innovation in a way that contributes to the continuous improvement of our processes and products ", so that" the patent requested for the sweetener announced and promoted by Mr. Jorge Enrique González Ulloa has not been required or developed by Cenicaña, nor does it have the endorsement of this sugar industry. "

For its part, the Ministry of Agriculture, in the face of the uproar caused by the news among the sector, has stated flatly that "from this Ministry we do not support the possible patent that is making its process in the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce, since it does not know the existence of traditional processes in the manufacture of this product and the new developments financed by the Colombian government and other national and international institutions "and has clarified that the Colombian Agriculture portfolio will continue working together with Fedepanela, Agrosavia, SENA, ICA and producers, "to publicize the negative impact that this possible patent would have on the panela subsector, so that it does not follow its process in Colombia, Europe and Australia where this patent has also been filed."

In addition, the Ministry has wanted to send a message of support to the 350,000 families that produce panela, recognizing their work and effort to carry out this activity, which is present in 511 municipalities in 28 departments of Colombia.