Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions

Monk fruit facts

What is monk fruit?

Monk fruit isn't your typical fruit because it's actually a member of the gourd family. This unique fruit is round, greenish-brown in color, and grows on perennial vines. Monk fruit is not too well known because it is only grown in the mountains of China and Thailand. Lakanto's monk fruit is cultivated near the scenic town of Guilin which is nestled in the breathtaking Karst Mountains in Southern China.

Who discovered monk fruit?

A sect of Buddhist monks, known as the Louhan have been cultivating luo han guo (also known as monk fruit) for eight centuries. The monks called it "The Immortals Fruit" because they found that by using it to sweeten teas and elixirs, they had an abundance of energy and lived longer and healthier lives. Although monk fruit has been used for centuries, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved it as a sweetener in 2010.

What are the benefits of monk fruit?

Unlike most fruits whose sweetness comes from fructose and glucose, monk fruit's sweetness comes from antioxidants called mogrosides. Monk fruit is the best natural sugar substitute because it has zero calories, zero carbs, zero side effects, and it won’t raise blood glucose levels.

Product Ingredients

What is Erythritol?

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol naturally found in grapes, pears, mushrooms, soy sauce, cheese, wine, beer and corn.. It has been part of the human diet for thousands of years.

Erythritol is different from other sugar alcohols because it is made from non-GMO corn which has been fermented.

Erythritol causes less digestive stress than other sugar alcohols because it is absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted in the urine, instead of going through the colon for excretion. As a result there are also zero calories.

Learn more about erythritol here.

What is Allulose

Allulose is another low-calorie, all-natural sugar substitute. It is a monosaccharide, meaning it’s a simple sugar that metabolizes in your body just like regular sugar.

Allulose also has a very similar taste and texture to traditional sugar. What makes allulose so incredible is that it is much lower in calories and doesn’t raise blood sugar levels like traditional sugar.

While many sugar replacements are synthetic, allulose can be found easily in nature. It's in wheat, figs, raisins, maple syrup, and more. Our Monkfruit Sweetener with Allulose is made using monk fruit, allulose, and nothing else.

Learn more about Allulose here.

Is Lakanto organic?

Although we are not currently pursuing organic certification on our products, it is our top priority to make sure there are no pesticides used in the production of Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener.  We work closely with our growers and suppliers to ensure growing conditions meet Lakanto's high standards.

Do your products contain gluten?

None of Lakanto's products contain gluten. We do not put the Gluten-Free Certified seal on all of our products because they are inherently gluten-free (i.e. monk fruit, syrup, chocolate).

Are Lakanto products allergen-free?

Lakanto products are not made with: Wheat, Dairy, Egg, Fish, Gluten, or Sesame.

The following products have tree nuts and soy in the same manufacturing plants and are present in other products manufactured on the same line: Plain, Almond, and Nib Chocolate Bars.

Almonds (tree nuts) are present in Almond Chocolate Bars, Cinnamon Almond Granola, Chocolate Crunch Granola, Berry Crunch Granola, Chocolate Covered Almonds, Double Chocolate Cookie Mix, Banana Nut Muffin & Bread mix, Sugar Cookie Mix, Blueberry Muffin Mix, Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Mix, Pancake and Baking Mix, Double Chocolate Muffin Mix and our Almond Butter.

Peanuts are present in our Peanut Butter Powder, Peanutbutter Spread and Peanut Butter Cups.

Our Sunflower cups are made on shared equipment and may contain traces of peanuts.

What are the natural flavors?

Lakanto uses the following natural flavors in our products: licorice, vanilla, and citrus. Our proprietary, plant-based formula is MSG and soy-free.

Why do you use cultured dextrose?

Cultured Dextrose is a natural food additive we use as a preservative to inhibit the growth of mold and other unwanted bacteria. It is completely harmless and will not affect any diets or blood sugar levels.

What are the vegetable fibers in Lakanto products?

Our vegetable fibers come from both corn and tapioca, and are approved by the Non-GMO Verification Project.

Why do you use sugarcane fiber?

In order to create a healthy, high-quality product that doesn't contain gluten, we decided to use fiber in some of our chocolate and baked goods. Sugarcane Fiber is used commercially to make bread and other baked goods because it has a smooth texture and feel that is very similar to fat. 

Sugarcane fiber is a soluble fiber, which is very good for the body. It not only promotes intestinal regularity, but it slows down the digestion rate of carbohydrates and stabilizes blood sugar.

Is Lakanto® safe for people with corn intolerance?

Lakanto® is safe for people with corn intolerance, sensitivities, or allergies because it does not contain corn proteins that can trigger allergic reactions. Corn proteins are eliminated during the fermentation process used to create erythritol. For specific health concerns, we recommend you contact your primary practitioner.

Are Lakanto products Non-GMO?

Lakanto products do not contain genetically engineered ingredients. The Non-GMO seal appears on the majority of our products. If you do not see the Non-GMO seal on the product's packaging, that means that it is still going through the verification process.

What is the percentage of monk fruit to erythritol in Lakanto Sweeteners?

While we will not be able to provide our exact percentage ratio, as this is a proprietary formulation, please consider the following information:

Erythritol has sweetness strength of 60-70% of sugar.

Monk fruit is 250-300 times sweeter than sugar.

The monk fruit​ constitutes about 20-40% of the sweetness.

Common Questions

What is the shelf life of Lakanto products?

3-Year Shelf Life:

Lakanto Sweeteners: Classic, Golden, Baking, Organic, and Powdered Monkfruit Sweeteners

Drinking Mixes: Drinking Chocolate and Matcha Latte

Lakanto Mixes: Pancake & Baking Mix

 

2-Year Shelf Life: 

Lakanto Sweeteners: Brown Sweetener

Lakanto Monkfruit Extracts: Original and Vanilla flavors

Lakanto Chocolates: Plain, Almond and Cacao Nib Chocolate Bars, Chocolate Bark, Chocolate Chips

Lakanto Mixes: Brownie, Blueberry Muffin, Lemon Poppy Seed, Double Chocolate Muffin, Pumpkin Spice (Seasonal), Peppermint Chocolate Cookies (Seasonal), Banana Nut Muffin and Bread, Sugar Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Double Chocolate Cookie, Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Cake.

Lakanto Syrups: Maple Syrup, Cinnamon Maple Syrup, Original Simple Syrup, Vanilla Simple Syrup, Caramel Simple Syrup, and Chocolate Syrup

Lakanto Spreads: Suntella and Peanut Butter Powder

Ready to Eat: Keto Crunchy Cookies, Cinnamon Granola, Chocolate Crunch Granola, Berry Crunch Granola, Chocolate Truffles, Mint Chocolate Truffles, Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles, Peanut Butter Cups, Sunflower Cups and Chocolate Covered Almonds.

 

1.5-Year Shelf life:

Lakanto Spreads: Almond Butter

 

1-Year Shelf Life:

Ready to Eat: Simple Glazed Candied Nuts, Maple Glazed Candied Nuts, and Cinnamon Glazed Candied Nuts

How do you calculate net carbs?

Net carbs are the carbohydrates in food which your body digests and uses for energy. Net carbs only count starches and sugars because most other types of carbohydrates have no energy value or impact on your blood sugars, so you don't count them towards your daily carbohydrate limit.

To calculate net carbs, take a food's total carbohydrate count and subtract:

Sugar Alcohols like erythritol, because your body doesn't digest them.

Fiber, which is a type of carbohydrate our bodies don't break down, so it passes through our digestive tract unchanged.

Take Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup for example. The total carbohydrate count is 9g. You would subtract the dietary fiber count (3g) and the sugar alcohol count (5g) leaving the net carb total at 1g.

Lakanto’s No Risk 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Lakanto’s No-Risk 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is simple. Any customer who has purchased from us or from one of our authorized sellers and is not completely satisfied with the product or purchase experience will receive a full product refund. To claim a refund, simply contact us within 45 days of receipt of product. Please keep in mind that refunds do not include shipping costs. Lakanto also reserves the right to verify information, require a valid proof of purchase, require the purchaser to submit photos of their product, require the purchaser to return the product at issue, and to deny Guarantee requests including its discretion in cases of suspected fraud or if customer has abused the Lakanto 45-Day Satisfaction Guarantee

What happens if I accidentally provide the wrong address?

If you provide the wrong address, your product will be returned to our warehouse. Please reach out to our Customer Support Team at info@lakanto.com. When the order is received by the warehouse, the products can be refunded 100% if it is received in whole condition and you can then reorder the product or we can send you a replacement order.

What happens if my package is stolen?

We understand how annoying it is to have your package stolen! Unfortunately, it does happen. 

We use UPS and USPS because they ensure your packages will be delivered. However, the window between delivery and when you grab your package off the porch is a time when neither UPS, USPS nor Lakanto is responsible for the package.

In the unfortunate event that your package is lost or stolen, please contact our Customer Support Team at info@lakanto.com and we will help you as much as we are able.