Top Ten FAQ's

• Is your Vanilla Powder the whole bean ground up or just the seeds?

  Our Vanilla Powder consists of the whole bean ground up.

• I have concerns regarding the lauric acid content in coconut oil. What’s your take on this?

  Lauric acid constitutes about half of the content of coconut oil. Coconut oil is considered to be one of the most abundant sources of lauric acid, along with breast milk.

  Inside the body, lauric acid turns into ‘monolaurin’, which has antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiprotozoal attributes. It damages the lipid membranes in funguses, bacteria and viruses present in the body and consequently destroys them.

  Many people thus recommend monolaurin as an effective treatment against yeast and fungal infections like candida, athlete’s foot and ringworm, in addition to viruses like herpes, measles, flu, hepatitis C and even HIV.

  To this end coconut oil experts recommend 10 to 20 grams of lauric acid per day - this is equal to three tablespoons of Coconut Butter/Oil.

  Lauric acid has also been linked to raising cholesterol levels. However, it is important to note that while lauric acid does raise overall cholesterol levels, it increases the ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) more than the ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL).

• How do I open a wholesale account with Loving Earth?

  Please contact our customer service team who will be more than happy to talk you though the process.

• How can I open a wholesale account with Loving Earth?

  Please click on the 'Wholesale' tab on the top right corner of the website and fill out our wholesale application form.

• What's the difference between cocoa and cacao

  Cacao is the Latin way of saying cocoa but, just to be confusing, cacao is the bean from which cocoa is derived. Cocoa products are derived from roasting cacao beans, but as our products are not roasted in any way we stick with the name cacao.

• What does it mean when chocolate turns white?

  This is known as ‘blooming’. The cacao butter becomes separated from the chocolate due to extreme changes in temperature. Although the chocolate is perfectly fine to eat, the flavour will not be as intended.

  In such circumstances, please get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to replace your chocolate.

• I have concerns regarding the lauric acid content in coconut oil. What is Loving Earth's take on this?

  Lauric acid constitutes about half of the content of coconut oil. Coconut oil is considered to be one of the most abundant sources of lauric acid, along with breast milk.

  Inside the body, lauric acid turns into ‘monolaurin’, which has antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiprotozoal attributes. It damages the lipid membranes in funguses, bacteria and viruses present in the body and consequently destroys them.

  Many people thus recommend monolaurin as an effective treatment against yeast and fungal infections like candida, athlete’s foot and ringworm, in addition to viruses like herpes, measles, flu, hepatitis C and even HIV.

  To this end coconut oil experts recommend 10 to 20 grams of lauric acid per day - this is equal to three tablespoons of Coconut Oil.

  Lauric acid has also been linked to raising cholesterol levels. However, it is important to note that while lauric acid does raise overall cholesterol levels, it increases the ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) more than the ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL).

• When can I expect my order to arrive?

  We ship our products via Fastway and Australia Post. We endeavour to ship all orders within three working days of receiving them. If for some reason we are unable to do this we will contact you either by phone or email.

  Orders from Thursday and Friday may sit at a depot over the weekend – during the warmer months of the year, chocolate can melt. Please notify us if you’d like us to hold the order until Monday.

  Please refer to table below for approximate delivery times from the day the order is placed to when it should be received.

  Region	Delivery Timeframe
  Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne, Tasmania	4-6 business days
  Gold Coast, Brisbane, North NSW	5-8 business days
  Perth, North QLD	7-10 business days

• Why are some of your products not certified organic?

  The vast majority of Loving Earth products are Australian Certified Organic (ACO). This means that our foods and processing facility have been audited to the highest standards to achieve ACO certification; we comply with national and international standards for organic farming and processing. We currently have two products that are not certified organic by ACO:

  1) Gubinge from the Kimberley region. We are looking to get this certified by ACO as wild crafted, however the Nyul Nyul community need to get their land rights through the legal system before this can happen - a lengthy process.

  2) Vanilla Bean Powder from Indonesia. The powder is ground using beans sourced from a number of organic growers on various Indonesian islands. The multiple origins of the beans therefore makes the certification process quite complex. However, you can be assured that organic farming methods and standards have been carefully maintained and adhered to throughout the growing and processing of our Vanilla Powder. 

• Is your Vanilla Powder the whole bean grouped up or just the seeds?

  Our Vanilla Powder consists of the whole bean ground up.

• Is Loving Earth's Coconut Butter/Oil extra virgin?

  Yes, our Coconut Butter/Oil is extra virgin. Organic coconut flesh is crushed, pressed and centrifuged in order to achieve extra virgin oil. You can read about the full process here  - Loving Earth Blog.

• What is the difference between Balinese and Peruvian cacao powder and butter?

  Both varieties have their own distinct idiosyncrasies and identity. Different growers, climate conditions, soil structures and the variety of crops grown in the area give each a unique flavour.

  The Peruvian cacao powder has a lower fat content (12%) and higher ORAC score than the Balinese cacao powder which as about 25% fat content.  The reason Balinese cacao powder has a higher fat content is because the temperature has been controlled to less than 45ºC in the press, so not as much pressure can be used. With Peruvian cacao powder much more pressure is used, generating heat so the temperature can get up to 60ºC in the press, but due to the increased pressure there is less fat in the finished product and therefore more antioxidants.

• How moch lauric acid is in your Coconut Butter/Oil?

  Lauric acid makes up for 44 – 57% of Coconut Oil's fatty acid profile.