Halloween is fraught with the perils of cavity-inducing candies and tempting treats. Lip-smacking sour gummies, ooey gooey caramel and the lingering indulgence of hard candies and fruit chews can get to the best of us, but these sugar-laden delights wreak havoc on our oral health. Even after candy is swallowed, the traces of sugar coupled with bacteria in the mouth create enamel-eroding acid. Yet there is a glimmer of semi-good news for the cavity conscious: dark chocolate.

Chicago: Forty-eight million Americans define themselves as “foodies,” and 29 million are further categorized as members of a highly involved, seriously culinary group (Packaged Facts). In the August issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists, contributing editor A. Elizabeth Sloan explored the current “foodie” trend in America and the consumer behaviors driving it.  

The botanical name for the cacao tree is Theobroma cacao, which translates to “food of the gods.” In the recent issue of Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists contributing editor Tara McHugh explains the steps taken to create our modern day version of the food of the gods: dark chocolate.

Two-thirds of consumers eat a wider variety of ethnic cuisines now versus five years ago (National Restaurant Association, 2015), in particular foods and ingredients from Asia—everything from sushi, matcha tea to gochujang, fish sauce and ghee.

As 2015 starts to wind down, world-renowned food scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are already predicting trends for 2016. As they do, here are some hints as to what you can expect see in grocery stores and on your dinner table:

Recent issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) features Contributing Editor A. Elizabeth Sloan’s insights on the top food trends for 2015. Sloan gathers data from a multitude of industry resources to come up with the following trends.