New tool transforms nutrition data into actionable insights to help create better food products for people and the planet
ALSIP, IL – September 16, 2026– As food manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers place greater on the nutritional quality of the food supply, Griffith Foods today introduced its Nutrient Density Calculator, a scientific tool designed to help companies measure and improve the nutritional quality of finished food products.
The Nutrient Density Calculator leverages Dr. Adam Drewnowski’s Nutrient Rich Foods Index, a validated nutritional profiling model cited in more than 1,000 studies, to provide an objective assessment of a product’s nutritional value.1 Griffith Foods’ nutrition experts work directly with customers to evaluate finished products, identify opportunities for improvement, and translate nutritional insights into actionable formulation decisions.
“Nutrient density gives food manufacturers a way to think about nutrition as part of innovation, not simply as an outcome to measure,” said Dr. Adam Drewnowski. “The Nutrient Density Calculator takes the Nutrient Rich Food Index further by showing how changes to ingredients and recipes can improve the nutritional quality of a finished product, while capturing the incremental progress that happens through reformulation. This makes nutrient density a practical tool for innovation—not simply a way to assess a product after it has been developed.”
The launch comes at a pivotal moment for the food industry. Federal regulators are advancing efforts to advance nutritional regulations, food labeling, and target highly processed foods and food dyes, while consumers are simultaneously expecting food companies to offer products that deliver optimal taste, convenience, and meaningful nutritional value – and that is the challenge for food manufacturers.
Griffith Foods’ commitment to nutrition goes beyond responding to regulatory changes or evolving consumer expectations. The Nutrient Density Calculator is rooted in the company’s broader ambition to create a more nutritious and sustainable portfolio and bring more nourishing products to consumers. Guided by its purpose to “Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World,” Griffith Foods is investing in solutions that help make better food possible at scale – combining its expertise in nutrition, culinary innovation, and product development to help customers create foods that nourish people and the planet.
The approach looks beyond a single nutritional attribute; customers can use the calculator to:
- Identify trade-offs across nutrients and understand how individual formulation changes affect overall nutritional quality.
- Validate nutritional impact by quantifying improvements to a finished product.
- Guide formulation and reformulation with clear nutritional targets for new and existing products.
- Understand market implications by assessing how formulation changes may translate across other nutrient profiling and front-of-pack systems.
- Support product positioning with objective data that can help communicate nutritional improvements.
The tool can be applied to both new product development and reformulation of existing products. For example, Griffith Foods worked with a European foodservice customer to reformulate a popular sandwich, using culinary, nutrition and sensory expertise to evaluate each component and identify opportunities to improve its nutritional profile without compromising taste. The resulting product had 12% less saturated fat, 22% less sugar and 25% less salt, while increasing fiber by 131% — improving its Nutri-Score rating from D to B and showed improvement using the Nutrient Density Calculator. Improvement in both scores demonstrates how science-based nutritional assessments can translate into meaningful improvements in finished products without compromising the taste consumers expect and love.
Griffith Foods also evaluates products against other regional nutrition profiling systems such as HFSS and Health Star Ratings, which will assist manufacturers in understanding how nutritional decisions can affect products across different markets.
For manufacturers, these developments underscore a broader shift: nutrition is increasingly becoming a product-development consideration from the beginning of the formulation process, rather than an issue addressed at the end.
“Nutrition is becoming a significant measure of product performance, but improving nutrition is rarely as simple as changing one ingredient,” said Jackie Schulz, Senior Director of Global Nutrition at Griffith Foods. “Our Nutrient Density Calculator provides customers with a clearer, science-based view of the nutritional quality of their finished products and helps them understand the trade-offs that come with reformulation. That allows our teams to work alongside customers to develop products that are nutritious, desirable, and built for the future.”
The Nutrient Density Calculator is the latest addition to Griffith Foods’ product portfolio that focuses on bringing together ingredient solutions, nutrition expertise, and culinary innovation to help customers increase nutrient density without compromising the taste and experience consumers expect. The Nutrient Density Calculator also reflects Griffith Foods’ broader commitment to its 2030 Aspirations to create a more nutritious and sustainable portfolio and advance solutions that make better food possible at scale.
For more information about Griffith Foods’ Nutrient Density Calculator and Nutrition capabilities, visit here.
About Griffith Foods
Griffith Foods is a global product development partner helping food companies meet the evolving needs of consumers with high-quality, culinary driven, customized products. Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois, USA, Griffith Foods is a family-owned business known for collaborative innovation guided by its purpose to “Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World.” Operating in over 40 countries across six continents, Griffith Foods employs more than 5,000 people, including over 40 chefs and 340 food scientists, who work together to create solutions that nourish people, planet, and communities. The company’s product capabilities include seasonings, sauces, dressings, coating systems, and alternative protein solutions. Griffith Foods’ primary areas of focus include Foodservice, Food Manufacturers, Protein Processors, and Retail. For more information, visit www.griffithfoods.com
