Hot stuff for 2005: next month rings in a new year, bringing with it plenty of never-before-seen...

The low-carb fad that swept the U.S. market in 2004 sparked the launches of more than 3,100 new food and beverage items through late November. But the trend has begun to wind down, leaving the door open to new developments in 2005, ranging from beverages in metal bottles and new types of disposable products, to allergy-free foods and indulgent pet items.

Some trends industry watchers are following for 2005, according to Productscan Online (www.productscan.com), a database published by Datamonitor, include:

Aluminum bottles: Already a hit of Godzilla-size sta