Each year it seems that one botanical or other natural/healthy ingredient steals the show. Past champions have included fish oil, St. John's wort, hoodia, melatonin, etc. For 2009, stevia looks like the big winner. Granted, there are still regulatory hurdles, but with the muscle of companies like Coca-Cola, Cargill, Pepsi and others behind it, those hurdles seem to be getting lower. Another indication is the media coverage. In fact, it was media coverage that really drove the sales explosions for those ingredients listed above. Click here to see an article about stevia in today's LA Times.

Of more concern than the regulatory hurdles is the potential for industry to make mistakes like it did with St. John's wort and other ingredients. Once the market takes off, some will be tempted to take regulatory or quality short cuts, which damages the market for everyone. Let's hope industry has learned from past mistakes and can handle this opportunity properly.

Recognizing that stevia is hot topic right now, we have developed a pre-conference workshop on the subject to take place Oct 22, 8:30 - 11:30 am at SupplySide West in Las Vegas. The event is titled "Stevia Update: Regulatory Status, Market Potential and Product Development", and it is only $25 thanks to sponsorships from Blue California, MTC Industries, and SweetLeaf Sweetener. To learn more or to register, click here.