Made in USAWe solved how to make healthy sugar scalable and affordable — turning abundant plant material into tagatose and other rare sugars with natural enzymes. Real sweetness that bakes, cooks, and caramelizes like sugar, built for the everyday food the whole world eats.
We created Bonumose to commercialize Dr. Daniel Wichelecki's breakthrough enzymatic technology that produces affordable, delicious, healthy tagatose. Since then, we've developed methods to produce allulose, allose, D-mannose and more.
Our vision: to earn a place among the world's most trusted food ingredient manufacturers — improving public health while creating value for customers, owners, suppliers and employees.
Tagatose is a rare sugar: it occurs in nature, but only in tiny amounts in fruits and grains. It's not artificial and doesn't taste weird — it tastes nearly identical to table sugar, with no bitter notes or aftertaste.
It has technical properties similar to regular sugar, so it easily replaces — fully or partially — traditional sweeteners in foods and beverages, and it blends beautifully with high-intensity sweeteners like stevia.
Available for over 15 years — yet it stayed rare and expensive, locked away in labs and premium products. Until now.
Sweetness is only one of sugar’s virtues. Like sugar, tagatose provides bulk and structure, reduces water activity to prevent spoilage, lowers the freezing point for smoother ice cream, caramelizes, and much more.
Recent decades have shown us the cost of sweetness in risk for dental caries and chronic disease. Sweetness is not bad, but too much table sugar may be.
Tagatose is metabolized on a completely different path — which is exactly why it does so much good. Here's what that means for you, in plain language.
Because most of it reaches your gut intact, tagatose feeds the good bacteria living there. It's a prebiotic — keeping you regular and supporting digestion, without the chalky taste of a supplement.
Glycemic index: 0–100 scale
With a glycemic index of just 3, tagatose barely moves your blood sugar. Studies even show it can improve long-term blood-sugar control in people with mild Type 2 diabetes — which is why both the FDA and EFSA recognize its glycemic benefits.
At 1.5 calories per gram, tagatose has 38% of sugar's calories. And because it ferments in your gut, it gently triggers the "I'm full" hormones that help you stop reaching for more.
The bacteria that cause cavities can't feed on tagatose the way they feed on sugar. It's one of very few sweeteners the FDA permits to make an anti-cavity claim.
Beyond blood sugar, research shows switching to tagatose can improve cholesterol balance and may reduce buildup in the arteries.
Backed by a bibliography of 96 peer-reviewed studies and patents. Read the science yourself (PDF) →
Tagatose isn't just not bad for you. It's actually good for you. Decades of peer-reviewed research point to wide-ranging benefits across gut, dental, metabolic, and cardiovascular health.
“Tagatose, the sugar used to sweeten this food, unlike other sugars, may reduce the risk of dental caries.”21 C.F.R. § 101.80
“Consumption of foods/drinks containing D-tagatose instead of sugar induces a lower blood glucose rise after their consumption compared to sugar-containing foods/drinks.”Commission Regulation (EU) No. 432/2012
We begin with plant starch — corn, wheat, cassava — an abundant, low-cost feedstock that grows worldwide.
Our proprietary enzymes — proteins, not chemicals — rearrange the starch's molecular structure into tagatose with high yield and purity.
The result is pure tagatose crystals — visually and physically identical to regular sugar, ready for every food system.
The same crystal that bakes, browns and caramelizes like sugar — but with a glycemic index of 3 and 38% of the calories.
We created Bonumose to commercialize Dr. Daniel Wichelecki's breakthrough enzymatic technology that produces affordable, delicious, healthy tagatose — and have since developed methods to produce allulose, allose, D-mannose and more.
30 years of entrepreneurial experience as a founder, investor, adviser and lawyer. He practiced law for 11 years and co-founded an animal food technology company. He holds Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Virginia.
LinkedIn →Inventor of Bonumose's novel enzymatic pathway for low-cost tagatose production and the processes behind our portfolio of rare sugars. He holds degrees in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a PhD in Biochemistry (University of Illinois).
LinkedIn →Talks and interviews with our team about tagatose and the #goodsugar movement — plus selected press coverage.
Press releases and stories about Bonumose and good-for-you sugar.
Granulated tagatose — tastes like sugar, acts like fiber. Spoon-for-spoon in coffee, baking and everyday recipes.
Yes. Tagatose is GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). It also has an FDA-approved health claim for dental caries reduction — a very high bar that requires robust clinical evidence. It has been studied in humans for over 25 years with a strong safety profile.
Tagatose has a glycemic index of just 3 (compared to 68 for table sugar) and clinical trials have shown it can actually improve blood sugar control in people with mild Type 2 diabetes. That said, as with any dietary change, people managing diabetes should consult their healthcare provider before significantly changing their sweetener intake.
No. Tagatose is not an artificial sweetener — it's a real sugar that occurs naturally. It tastes very close to table sugar (about 90% as sweet), with no bitter aftertaste, no cooling effect, and no chemical sensation. It also behaves like sugar in cooking and baking — providing bulk, structure, browning, and caramelization.
Yes, for the most part. Tagatose measures and behaves like sugar in most recipes. It caramelizes and browns faster, so be mindful of baking time and temperature. It provides the same bulk and structure as sugar. Because it's about 90% as sweet, you may want to add a little extra for very sweet recipes, though most people use it 1:1 without any adjustments. Try it yourself with our tagatose recipes →
Both are rare sugars with little to no impact on blood sugar, but they have different strengths. Tagatose (GI 3) is about 90% as sweet as sugar, provides 1.5 kcal/g, and has approved health claims from both the FDA and EFSA, along with documented prebiotic and dental benefits. Allulose (GI ~0) is around 70% as sweet as sugar and is considered essentially calorie-free under FDA labeling guidelines. Both are excellent alternatives to sugar — the best choice depends on your specific needs and application.
Yes. With a glycemic index of 3 and minimal absorption in the small intestine, tagatose does not meaningfully raise blood glucose or insulin — which is the core criterion for keto compatibility. Many keto practitioners count tagatose as a net-zero or very low net carb. You can find tagatose on Amazon.
Interested in the #goodsugar movement, or a career helping make good-for-you sugar more affordable? We always love hearing from people who share our interest in food for health.