Frequently Asked Questions

What’s a “rare sugar”? Are rare sugars really sugar?

A “rare sugar” is a type of natural sugar that doesn’t have the same effects on your body as common sugars like sucrose (table sugar), fructose (the sugar in fruits), lactose (the sugar in milk), and dextrose (the sugar in corn). Our favorite rare sugars, tagatose and allulose, have the same chemical formula as the more common glucose and fructose. Both sugars are special because they taste like sugar, but our bodies don’t digest them the way we digest common sugars. This is why they don’t have a significant effect on blood sugar and are much lower in calories.

Are rare sugars natural?

Yes! Tagatose occurs naturally in apples, oranges, pineapple, and pasteurized milk. Allulose is found in jackfruit, figs, and raisins.

Are rare sugars safe?

The FDA classifies both tagatose and allulose as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).

Are rare sugars sugar alcohols?

No. You can tell they’re sugars because they end in “-ose”: sucrose, lactose, allulose, tagatose. Sugar alcohols end in “itol”: maltitol, xylitol, erythritol.

Why don’t you call your products “sugar free”?

For a long time, the FDA required rare sugars to be called “sugar”, because—chemically—they are sugars. The FDA now allows products sweetened with allulose to be labeled "sugar free" due to its healthier properties. It has not yet determined that tagatose products are “sugar free”. The FDA agrees that tagatose and allulose do not contribute to tooth decay, unlike many other sugars. We think rare sugars are better than "sugar free": they taste like sugar because they are sugar.

Where are your cacao beans from?

We partner with craft chocolatiers to deliver the finest cacao beans from fair trade farms in Uganda, Perú, Jamaica, and elsewhere.

What is "beyond fair trade" cacao?

Our suppliers and farmers are partners, not just vendors. Folks even send us photos from their trips! We pay above-market prices for our beans to support our farmers and their communities.

How do rare sugars affect blood sugar?

One important measure of how food affects blood sugar is its “glycemic index” (GI). Dextrose (a form of glucose) has a standard GI of 100. Table sugar (sucrose) is 68. Tagatose is 3 and allulose is 1. Roughly speaking, the average person would need to eat 23 chocolate bars with tagatose to get the same impact on blood sugar as eating 1 typical chocolate bar (sweetened with sucrose). Our chocolates are not medicine, nor are they intended to treat any disease. If you need to carefully regulate your blood sugar, talk to your doctor about rare sugars.

Isn’t “sugar free” best for blood sugar?

Not necessarily. It’s important to do your homework. Some products that claim to be “sugar free” still have a real glycemic impact. For example, a lot of sugar free chocolates use maltitol. Its glycemic index (GI) is 35, and maltitol syrup is 52. That’s not much better than table sugar (68). Tagatose and allulose GI is so low, a typical serving shouldn’t affect blood sugar. If you need to carefully regulate your blood sugar, we recommend you talk to your doctor about your options.

Do rare sugars have negative side effects?

The FDA says rare sugars are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). But Grandma always said eating too many sweets could give you a tummyache. The rare sugars tagatose and allulose aren’t digested like common sugars. Like other non-sugar sweeteners, some people find that eating a lot—3 or more servings—can cause gas or a laxative effect.

Your products only have 3 or 4 ingredients. Why’s that?

Good job, you careful label-reader! Real chocolate is expensive. Cheap chocolate uses fillers instead of expensive cacao nibs and cocoa butter. It usually also includes lecithin which smoothes out the flavor and texture of inferior beans and can extend shelf life. We think if you’re going to indulge in rare sugar, you deserve premium chocolate. We skip all the fillers and preservatives you might see in our competitors. You’ll taste the difference.

What if I’m not thrilled?

Send us the empty package with an explanation of why you were dissatisfied. We’ll send you an online gift card—for us or a competitor. We're that confident.