In the early 1990s, our Japanese founder, Shota Saraya, a diabetic, was searching for a sugar-free, natural sweetener that would not compromise his health.
His journey led him to the mountain highlands of Guilin, where he was introduced to the legendary Monk Fruit, grown by Buddhist monks for over 1000 years. In 1995, Lakanto was created to help people around the world reduce their sugar intake, help weight management, control blood sugar, and live a healthier life. Lakanto is a unique blend of high-purity Monk Fruit Extract and non-GMO erythritol.
We still grow and harvest Monk Fruit in the pristine and remote mountain highlands of Asia according to traditional and environmentally-friendly methods.
Monkfruit is part of our product name as the extract used in Lakanto constitutes about 30-40% of the product sweetness. Monk fruit extract is the proper name to describe the sweetness extracted from this fruit, in a form that is 300 times sweeter than sugar.
Our goal was to create a product that is a user friendly, great tasting 1:1 sugar substitute, and that is achieved by using monk fruit extract blended with non-GMO erythritol.
SARAYA was the applicant to FSANZ, which in 2019 permitted monk fruit extract to be used as a food additive to GMP level with a recommendation of no maximum daily intake limit.
Our Dietary Benefits
Replace all the sweetness of sugar with 93% less calories.
SARAYA formulated Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener with non-GMO Erythritol giving it a taste similar to that of sugar. SARAYA selected Erythritol due to its consistency of granule size, colour, flavour and its natural fermentation.
Diabetic Friendly
Lakanto is Diabetic friendly with its blend of monk fruit extract and non-GMO Erythritol. Monk fruit gets its sweetness from natural compounds called mogrosides (antioxidants). It's generally safe for people with diabetes because it doesn't increase blood sugar levels.
