The Supply Shift: Issue #3
Why nutrient density is the new currency in CPG product innovation
Product innovation has always been tied to consumer preference, centered primarily around taste, cost, and brand alignment.
But increasingly, it starts with a deeper question: What is this ingredient doing for my health?
Welcome to the rise of health-driven markets—where brands aren’t just competing on flavor, cost, or brand loyalty, but on metabolic value.
Nutrient density is having a moment (and it’s long overdue)
For decades, nutrition was defined by absence: low-calorie, low-fat, low-sugar, low-sodium.
But that narrative is shifting toward presence—nutrients, compounds, and bioavailability that improve health, not just reduce harm. People are looking for foods that:
Improve energy and mental clarity
Support gut health and immune function
Reduce risk of chronic disease (and healthcare bills)
Good taste that they know is natural
And they’re willing to pay for it. A lot.
A 2023 Deloitte study found that consumers are 2–3x more willing to pay premiums for foods they believe to be “healthy” versus foods simply labeled “sustainable.” (Deloitte, 2023)
That’s not just a market trend.
Even the U.S. administration sees this as an opportunity. A vocal war on “Big Ag” and a push for a return to nutrient-dense food systems is one of the top priorities for the newly minted Health and Human Services department.
From buzzword to claim
The phrase “nutrient-dense” is becoming prolific. But few brands can define it, let alone prove it. That’s changing.
New methods in metagenomics, food testing, and biological impact scoring are making it possible to:
Quantify nutrient density across key crops and proteins
Connect farming practices to nutritional profiles
Create science-backed differentiation at the ingredient and SKU level
This isn’t just about health claims. It’s about building trust—and eventually, building margin.
Why CPGs are starting here
For innovative CPGs, nutrient density is no longer a niche interest—it’s a business case. Here’s why:
1. Consumers are confused but curious.
More people are tracking blood sugar, inflammation, and gut health—but don’t trust the labels. Verified nutrient density offers clarity.
2. Retailers are pushing functional.
Grocery chains and natural retailers are increasingly curating based on health-forward formulations, not just clean labels. Trusting the quality of foods means more adoptable eating habits.
3. Nutrition is bigger than carbon.
In 2023, the voluntary carbon market was worth ~$2–3 billion.
The U.S. spends over $1 trillion annually on nutrition-related disease (Think Global Health, 2022).
Even a small shift in sourcing strategy—from carbon to health—represents a massive opportunity. If CPGs could tap into a mere fraction of the healthcare market, it transforms their business model.
How farming meets function
Nutrient density isn’t just a label issue. It’s a supply chain issue. Who cares about a label if the actions behind it don’t mean anything?
Regenerative agriculture and sustainable practices like:
Reduced tillage
Extended rotations
Diverse diet in livestock systems
Timing of harvest and storage
…can have measurable impacts on nutrient levels, antioxidant activity, and functional compounds.
This means brands can start tying on-farm practices directly to the health impact of their products. Luckily for them, these same practices are the ones they’ve been investing in for sustainable claims.
This means the lift to stand behind nutrient density claims isn’t as far as one might expect.
That’s product innovation from the ground up.
Where this goes next
Expect CPGs to pilot ingredient-level nutrient scoring, especially in categories like grains, oils, proteins, and plant-based foods.
Look for early certification schemes (think ISO 14064) or voluntary verification systems (Regenified) to emerge as standards.
And watch for retailers and health-focused platforms to start using nutrient density as a filtering mechanism for sourcing and placement.
Closing thought
If sustainability gave us the language of carbon, health will give us the language of nutrition. For those who read this far, metabolic performance will become synonymous with value - for people AND planet.
Verified nutrient density won’t replace sustainability goals—but it will reshape how companies invest in impact and increase brand value.
In the next decade, the brands that win won’t just have the lowest-emissions…
They’ll be the ones that can confidently say:
“Our product makes people better—and here’s the data to back it up.”