Oh, the whims of a fickle health-food population. It appears that we'll never know just what to expect from them.

Is "natural" sugar finding popularity among health food consumers? With the rising sales behind natural sugar soft drinks, and the growing consumption of smaller portioned treats made with the real stuff (instead of artificial sweeteners), it might just might be so.

It used to be that butter was all we ate. Then it was margarine. Then it was anything but margarine.

Then sugar became the bad guy and artificial sweeteners were "in."

But the current trend towards the consumption of goods sweetened with good, old fashioned, real sugar indicates a desire to take the science out of our food, and put the taste back in it.

Regardless of taste, the trend seems to be one of reduced use of things like, crystalline fructose and other sweeteners.

What's next, bacon?

In order to appeal to consumers who are concerned about calorie content, candy makers and snack manufacturers have found a successful means of marketing their treats in smaller portions, whether it's in the 100-calorie pack or simply smaller versions of popular goods.

So, should savvy food manufacturing companies be doing the same?

It depends on your customers' demands.

For instance, kids don't usually care what's in their goodies, while adults, and particularly women, definitely do.

Diabetics definitely need non-sugar options, and those who follow strictly healthy lifestyles often do the same.

If you're following the cost of sugar, the good news is that sugar prices are set to start falling soon, so opting for a natural sugar product may be even more viable for many manufacturers very shortly.

Just don't wait too long, or you may miss the sugar resurgence and be rushing to cash in on that bacon craze that's on the horizon. Yum.

If you're into food or food distribution, chances are you're aware of the whole slew of accusations recently leveled at corn syrup.

There are claims floating around - all unproven mind you - that corn syrup is responsible for everything from obesity to cancer to headaches.

But whether or not it's true, companies who have publicly switched from corn syrup to sugar are enjoying a noticeable boost in sales and profits.

Just ask PepsiCo. The release of Pepsi Throwback, and its tremendous popularity, has led many food manufacturers to question whether or not they should switch from corn syrup to sugar too.

Pepsi Throwback is a "time-limited retro version of Pepsi" that has the natural sugar taste of the 1960s and 1970s (in the '80s almost all soda companies switched to corn syrup).

Groovy.

So, is there any difference between Pepsi Throwback and their current beverage?

Only the price. And their customers don't seem to care.

Some people do say that Pepsi Throwback has a sweeter, more distinctive flavor, but taste tests haven't been definitive.

And whether it's sugar or corn syrup, the calories are almost the same.

So should you make the jump to sugar instead of corn syrup? That depends on your client base as well as your product. Corn syrup is less expensive than sugar, and many manufacturers would lose a lot of revenue by making the shift.

However, if yours is a health-conscious client base, then you could stand to make a tidy profit by switching to natural sugar. Many consumers today will willing spend more on a product they feel is more "natural" or healthy for them.

In this case switching to natural sugar won't cost more, and could in fact boost revenue.

So, you can look at it like a combination of 1960s food manufacturing with modern day health consciousness.

And that's both groovy, and sweet.

In the wake of recent studies regarding sodium and American heart health, big name food corporations and distributors are cutting or reducing salt in their most popular products.

Here's why - as it says at the Chicago Tribune, major food corporations like Sarah Lee Corp., Kraft, and ConAgra Foods are working to cut back on salt so as to minimize the health problems inherent to too much sodium intake.

There are many reasons why they're doing this, but the question is: do people really want it?

It turns out that people actually like salt. Numerous studies have found that foods with lower sodium content are often found to be less appealing to the public.

So the trick is seems like find salt alternatives that appeal to consumers' palettes.

This brings up the issue of making food without salt, which is often part of the chemical reaction necessary for leavening, food preservation, and more. Altering production lines to accommodate lower salt varieties can be challenging.

So, how can--and should--food manufacturers cut back on salt? Right now it appears that only a small portion of the public is actively seeking lower-sodium alternatives. Regardless, food ingredients suppliers like us are well aware of the trend and have various salt alternatives for you to try for your production line.

When it's time to offer low-sodium alternatives to consumers who'll be watching their salt intake (and how you use salt in your products) when they shop and dine out, it may take some experimentation, but good alternatives are available.

Just when we thought that we'd figured out the story on sugar prices, there's a new player in the game.

Well, technically the EU isn't a new player, but their decision to export higher quantities of sugar this year is a new play on a market usually dominated by Brazil, Thailand, and Australia.

Historically the EU has been limited in their exportation of sugar by the World Trade Organization, but in response to the sugar shortage we've been facing in the last 6 months and more, they've decided to send more.

In fact, in a move that BusinessWeek predicts will definitively impact worldwide sugar prices, the EU approved the export of 500,000 metric tons of sugar above the WTO's annual limit.

Now, that's a lot of sugar cubes and soda pops!

Brazil, Thailand, and Australia have asked the EU to abandon their plan to ship the extra sugar, no doubt influenced by the fact that they'll lose money on the subsequent lowering of sugar prices.

However, whether or not the WTO will do anything hasn't been addressed, particularly with sugar prices double their usual rates.

It's still too early to say what effect this will really have on sugar prices, and it's likely to start to push sugar prices down a bit, even if it doesn't make the price bubble "pop."

If you're in food manufacture or distribution, you're likely aware of the ongoing saga surrounding sugar prices as it's been unfolding in recent months.

To make a long story short, sugar prices are currently double their standard, their highest in 29 years, due in part to the sudden sugar supply shortage coming out of Brazil and India.

Both countries, the world's largest and second largest sugar exporters respectively, suffered bad weather that have disrupted crops. Rumors of "rust" or sugar cane mold, have been circulating as well, but at this point only appear to be campfire horror-stories designed to leave a sour taste in your mouth.

But if Businessweek is correct in its analysis of sugar prices, your overhead could begin dropping in the latter half of 2010.

Brazil's next sugar-cane harvest will start in May, and in India, imports will more than double to 6 million tons.

This recovery of India's crop alongside the improved production coming out of Brazil is predicted to bring wholesale sugar prices back down to normal by the end of the year.

And that's something very sweet to look forward to.