Zero-Calorie Plant-Based Sweetener 'Lakanto S' Achieves '99% Recommendation from 100 Doctors' for the Third Consecutive Time

Saraya Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka; President and CEO: Yusuke Saraya) is pleased to announce that its zero-calorie, plant-derived sweeteners, 'Lakanto S Granules' and 'Lakanto S Syrup', have been certified as 'Doctor Recommended Products' after receiving a 99% recommendation intention from 100 doctors (April 2026 survey) in an evaluation conducted by the 'AskDoctors Evaluation Service' provided by M3 Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Itaru Tanimura).

'Lakanto S' is Japan's first zero-calorie sweetener, created by a balanced blend of 'erythritol,' a sweetening ingredient derived from corn, and a high-purity extract from 'monk fruit (Luo Han Guo),' a cucurbit plant with about 300 times the sweetness of sugar. It was born in 1995 as a plant-derived sweetener delivering natural sweetness for health. This time, 'Lakanto S Granules' and 'Lakanto S Syrup' were evaluated by M3 Inc.'s 'AskDoctors Evaluation Service', resulting in 99% of 100 doctors responding 'Strongly recommend' or 'Recommend', and were certified as 'AskDoctors Doctor-Confirmed Products'. This is the third consecutive time achieving the highest rating of 99%, following 2020 and 2023.

Doctors' Comments During Evaluation *These are individual doctors' personal opinions and do not guarantee efficacy or other effects.*

Survey Method Target Product: Lakanto S Survey Target: 100 physicians (Internal Medicine) Survey Period: April 2026 Survey Method: Web-based questionnaire survey after presenting materials and actual product tasting

Features of Lakanto S 100% Plant-Derived*1 Zero Calories & Zero Sugars Usable in the same amount as sugar*2, no weight conversion needed Sweetness remains unchanged even when heated *1 Lakanto S Syrup's sweetening ingredient *2 Comparison with sugar under 5°C conditions for Lakanto S Syrup

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About the AskDoctors Evaluation Service Provided by M3 Inc., which operates 'm3.com,' Japan's largest professional site for healthcare professionals with over 90% (over 350,000) of Japanese doctors registered. The service involves evaluation of products and services by registered doctors, and the mark is awarded only when certain standards are met. Products that consider health are objectively evaluated based on the wisdom and experience gained from doctors' daily consultations and treatments.

AskDoctors Research Institute

About Saraya Co., Ltd. Saraya Co., Ltd. aims to realize a richer and more fruitful global society with 'Hygiene,' 'Environment,' and 'Health' as its core business pillars. Since its establishment in 1952, the company has been developing and providing products and services such as detergents, disinfectants, and foods for both general households and professional settings. For household products, it offers items including hand sanitizers, the environmentally friendly 'Yashinomi Detergent' series, the additive-free soap 'Arau.baby' series for infants, and the plant-derived sweetener 'Lakanto S' series originating from monk fruit.