Sweeteners
Monk fruit (luo han guo)
Definition
What it is
Monk fruit (luo han guo) extract: natural non-caloric sweetener from Siraitia grosvenorii. Generally well tolerated; surfaced here for users tracking non-caloric sweetener intake.
On the label
Label names covered by this flag
- monk fruit
- monk fruit extract
- monk fruit concentrate
- luo han guo
- luo han guo extract
- siraitia grosvenorii
- mogroside v
- mogrosides
Regulation
Regulatory status
No bans or restrictions are recorded for this ingredient in the jurisdictions clearlabel tracks (US, EU, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia/NZ, Brazil).
Explainer
In plain language
Monk fruit sweetener, also called luo han guo, comes from a small melon native to southern China. Its sweetness comes from compounds called mogrosides, which are many times sweeter than sugar and add essentially no calories. Extracts of these mogrosides are used to sweeten foods and drinks and are often blended with other bulking ingredients.
Assessment
Why it is flagged
Monk fruit is generally well tolerated, and Clear Label lists it at low severity mainly so people tracking their total non-caloric sweetener intake can see it. In the US the FDA has accepted monk fruit extract as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use as a sweetener. There is no strong evidence of harm at normal intakes, and unlike sugar alcohols it does not typically cause the digestive effects associated with polyols. One practical note is that many products labeled as monk fruit sweetener are actually blends, often with erythritol, so effects some people notice may come from the other ingredient. Clear Label surfaces monk fruit so that if you are testing how sweeteners affect your appetite, cravings, or symptoms, it shows up in your logs alongside the rest.
In the aisle
Where it commonly shows up
- Zero-calorie and reduced-sugar drinks
- Tabletop sweetener blends
- Sugar-free syrups and sauces
- Protein bars and low-sugar snacks
- Keto and low-carb baked goods
- Sugar-free chocolate and candy
Practical
Reading the label
It appears as monk fruit, monk fruit extract, luo han guo, or as mogrosides or mogroside V, its active sweet compounds. In many products it is blended with erythritol or another bulking sweetener, so reading the full list tells you what else is doing the work.
Alternatives
If you want to avoid it
If you are trying to tell monk fruit apart from a blend, some people look for a pure monk fruit extract or compare a blended product with an unsweetened version. Plain water, coffee, or tea without any sweetener sidesteps the question entirely.
FAQ
Common questions
Is monk fruit sweetener safe?
Monk fruit extract is accepted by the FDA as generally recognized as safe for use as a sweetener, and it is generally well tolerated. There is no strong evidence of harm at the amounts used in food.
Does monk fruit raise blood sugar?
The mogrosides that make monk fruit sweet contribute essentially no calories and are not expected to raise blood glucose. If a product is a blend, check the other ingredients, since those can behave differently.
Why is it often mixed with erythritol?
Monk fruit extract is intensely sweet in tiny amounts, so it is usually blended with a bulking ingredient like erythritol to make it measure and pour like sugar. That means some effects people notice may come from the blend rather than the monk fruit itself.
Citations
Sources
Citation
Primary reference
About this page: the definition, label names, severity, and regulatory chips come from the clearlabel ingredient taxonomy, the same data the scanner uses to score products. Research summaries describe associations reported in published studies, not diagnoses; individual responses vary. Scan any product with clearlabel to see which of its ingredients carry flags.