The monks heard the complaints of those people and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How can these monks choose to live with such abundance?” After rebuking those monks in many ways, they told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned the monks: “Is it true, monks, that there are monks who live like this?” “It’s true, sir.” … After rebuking them, the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks: “After being received, the tonics allowable for sick monks—that is, ghee, butter, oil, honey, and syrup—should be used from storage for at most seven days. If you use them longer than that, you should be dealt with according to the rule.” The first section for recitation on allowable medicines is finished.

4. The allowance for sugar, etc. When the Buddha had stayed at Sāvatthī for as long as he liked, he set out wandering toward Rājagaha. While they were traveling, Venerable Revata the Doubter saw a sugar factory. As he approached, he noticed they were mixing the sugar with flour and ash. He thought, “Sugar mixed with food is unallowable, and so it’s unallowable to eat sugar at the wrong time,” and being afraid of wrongdoing, he and his followers did not take sugar. They told the Buddha. “Why are they adding flour and ash to the sugar?” “To harden it, sir.” “If they add flour or ash to sugar to harden it, it’s still considered sugar. I allow you to eat as much sugar as you like.”