Perhaps the next big thing in low-calorie sweeteners: the stevia plant. A NY Times article says it “sounds too good to be true: it is a natural substance that is 300 times sweeter than sugar and yet contains no calories.” But the FDA has not approved it as a food additive, despite two petitions, and so it is sold as a “dietary supplement” instead. But the word is spreading and sales are rising. People grow the plants or buy the powders. Will it hit the mainstream or continue along as a “supplement”? As with most things, the dollar signs will have to be there.