If you aren’t tuned into the natural sweetener buzz hitting the industry airwaves of late, you must have the dial set on slow-as-molasses easy listening. Stevia is almost here, folks, and it’s poised to make many a ripple across this bandwidth of food we call home.

Earlier today, I had the pleasure of sitting down with some of the top brass from PureCircle to hear all about the farm-to-formulation trail of their highly purified (97%) Stevia rebaudiana ingredient, rebaudioside-A (or simply reb-A, or perhaps rebiana ... we’ll see what FDA decides...).

To combine the attributes of all-natural, calorie-free and—the linchpin in this situation—FDA-GRAS in a sweetener 200x the sweetness of sucrose is no small feat, and the federal green light is expected any day now (the PureCircle sales and marketing guy today had his phone on vibrate during our meeting just in case the feds dropped a line...).

One development of particular note is the cooperative effort between PureCircle and a (currently unnamed) domestic flavor house in developing logical flavor-sweetener combinations that will be ready to drop into formulations from coast to coast. (And one flavor note: Although some plain-old stevia extracts have had a bit of a licorice note, today’s sample of reb-A had a notably clean taste.)

Stay tuned for more developments on this front. And let the natural sweetener battle begin.

Perhaps it’s simply the bounty that’s oft associated with summer that makes fall seem downright seasonal. Once a nip hits the air and leaves switch from flushly verdant green to colorfully crisp, seasonal fall foods creep atop my mind, instilling a craving for creamy squash soups, spiced cider and all foods comforting as the stark reality of impending winter lies await just ’round a chilly bend.

Seasonal, after all, is quite the buzzword these days as the Pollan-addled masses collectively cry for the retrospect simplicity of local and seasonal foods (I just read his most recent and, as usual, he intersperses rather sound logic with naïve, neo-Luddite Eeyoreisms—certainly recommended, if only for the reason that it’s best to know the consumer mind frame du jour...).

I recently fed my seasonal Jones at the excellent Soul restaurant in suburban Chicago (Clarendon Hills, of all places, which inexplicably sports a thriving fine-dining scene). As soon as the first sip of Chef Karen Nicholas’ silky Roasted Butternut Squash Purée hit my lips—slight hints of allspice and molasses amidst no short shrift of luxurious cream—I knew I was in seasonal heaven, and the earthy Forest Mushroom Risotto underpinning the Pan Seared Diver Scallops, redolent in unrepentant brown butter, instantly confirmed it.

A key consideration for product and chain-menu developers is how to effectively capitalize on the seasonal tendencies growing along our American foodscape without diluting the idea or adversely affecting the bottom line. The concept of seasonality has many layers, and several could likely prove profitable when successfully spun in the right direction. Certainly worth a few lingering fall moments of thought.

When I heard that Brian Wansink was going to Washington, I knew that we’d have some interesting initiatives in store, and the new MyPyramid approach to educating Mom and Dad about little Junior’s nutritional needs, which I read about this morning over my beloved A.M. joe, is one of ’em. I’m particularly interested in digging into proffered techniques to get toddlers more interested in a wide variety of foods—a sticking point for many of my toddler-towing peers (in my house we have some success with indefatigable offerings of whatever Mom and Dad are eating ... just because they made the scrunchy face the first dozen times doesn’t mean No. 13 won’t be lucky...).

Such initiatives are exactly what we should be positioning into the consumer’s line of sight. We need more positive reinforcement (eat this, try this) as opposed to negative (don’t eat this, don’t try this)—something that hit home as I recently read about the ridiculous bans on bake sales at schools as part of the nanny state secret nutrition police’s cabalistic crusade against the cupcake (it would be worthless to educate children, say the defeated, about the merits of occasional treats—parents, after all, have no control ... at least, for those who lack the energy or creativity to wield it ... or perhaps there’s too much monkey see, monkey do going on, with Mom and Dad overindulging and Junior getting psychological carte blanche to do the same...).

During the IFEC luncheon yesterday, a handful of food industry leaders discussed finer points related to sustainability inroads. One aspect that really stood out was Chris Koetke’s contention that any and all directions toward greening the industry—even vapid swipes at “greenwashing”—are valid and worthwhile. He suggested that just the fact that a company is thinking in such directions is a step in the right direction and could very well lead to more-concrete initiatives in the future. Certainly something worth pondering.

Also on the panel were Steve Schimoler, who introduced attendees to Local Crop (anyone who finds themselves in Cleveland must stop by Crop for a taste—highly recommended—and Dante, the chef and the restaurant, is a pleasure, as well); Christopher Moyer, representing NRA’s sustainability drive; and Dan Farrell from Bon Appétit, who centered on “farm to fork.” All delicious food for thought.

It’s not the nebulous reality of the bogeyman that should prompt a cold shudder and heart jump aflutter. Neither romanticized vampires nor demonized witches can muster up a fright once historical reality comes to light. But fear, indeed, the all-too-real lurking goblins you’ll see on this politically charged All Hallows Night.

Yes, Halloween takes on new meaning during big election years, and maybe it’s just a sign of my dissonant sardonic edge dulling with age, but terror strikes new forms in my mind’s eye these economically weary days.

But (at least in my allergy-free household), there’s nothing to fear about the (likely melamine-free) chocolate (that mysteriously disappears from my sons’ stashes...) and (likely trans-fat-free) pizza—a huge day for denizens of za—that will delight in the wake of many a fright this foreboding night.

There are plenty of other nights of the year to sit shuddering, shrouded in undefined fear of political lies and tainted food and Bear Sterns. (Oh my!)

For the last couple of days I’ve thrown myself into the (largely healthy) ingredient and educational showcase that is SupplySide West. Vegas is bright and clear—and so is the industry, for the most part. Despite current economic rumblings ’round these parts of late, everybody has to eat, and innovation continues to flourish along the supply chain. Educational sessions digging into the consciousness of the often-contradictory consumer, ultra-cutting-edge ingredient research, and more have rounded-out interesting ingredient investigations on the show floor. And of course, Vegas always manages to entertain (and satiate—seems like there’s a dozen new restaurants every time I return to this urban anomaly ... Vegas is quite the playground, and my favorite angle is definitely edible; even ran into Mario Batali last night on my way up for some much-needed horizontal time ... the combination of red ponytail, chef’s coat and orange crocs was unmistakable).

Some ingredients and detected trends of note: marine omega-3s aplenty (improved stability, varied sources, ingredients that combine them with other nutrients, etc.), a steady spotlight on antioxidants (and the higher ORAC the better) and cool emerging ingredients like kokum, nopales and Indian gooseberry (granted, I’m a sucker for strange fruit...). Even the baobab (which I commented on recently) has shown its face in a couple of spots. And did I mention cosmeceuticals galore? Beauty from within is quickly shaping up as the next big thing—and creating an entirely new product category in the process.

Well, the sun is just beginning to peek across the horizon in this strange desert oasis we call Vegas. Time to swing back into the SupplySide thing with a series of sessions on deck this morning highlighting insight from members of the Research Chefs Association and then back onto the show floor for more nugget mining. Stay tuned.

In recent years, products like coffee and tea have dramatically transformed in the marketplace. Not only are many more types of quality coffee and tea available to consumers, but their scope of use now runs the gamut—from a huge range of RTD bottled and canned beverages to use in an increasing number of foods. To think about something like tea as little more than steeped Camellia sinensis is decidedly old-fashioned.

I continue to see examples of product and menu developers including tea and its constituent components—from the functional (even for kids now) to just plain flavorful and fun. The latter sometimes dips a sideways toe into rapidly flowing stealthy healthy waters, putting the “fun” back into “functional”—and, personally, I just love those energy tea drinks (I’m a confirmed tea geek with dozens of types—mostly traditional, not herbal (although a pinch of pomegranate "tea" has been sneaking into my Arnold Palmers of late...)—in my pantry, and have also been known to linger in the energy-drink aisle ... a marriage made in hyperdrive heaven...).

One highly useful (and free!) R&D tool we provide in our ever-expanding virtual home away from printed home is the Food Product Design eBook series. A recent entry, “Matcha: The Mother of All Green Tea,” brought to us by Aiya, dips into the reigning emperor of green teas, matcha, and all of its healthy, invigorating properties. Key points covered include a brief history and overview of matcha (including background, cultural importance and defining characteristics, and available matcha ingredients) and technical insight into the healthy properties of its constituent antioxidants (like EGCG) and amino acids (like L-theanine), as well as formulation suggestions (I particularly like the idea of seeing more mochi ice creams—mochi applications seem to be picking up steam of late, and “matcha mochi” has such a nice ring to it...).

Swing your way through the eBook and see what brews up. Highly recommended reading for anyone investigating the commingled realm of tea and health-and-wellness food and drink.