Question 1

What is this for?

Accepted Answer

Finding candidate ingredients by what they contribute: the highest-protein options in a category, the lowest-sodium alternatives, the strongest fiber sources. It is a formulation shortlist rather than a nutrition ranking of foods in general.

Question 2

Does a high ranking make an ingredient a good choice?

Accepted Answer

No. Rank is per 100 g of the ingredient, not per gram you can actually use. A spice may top a mineral ranking and contribute nothing at its inclusion level, while a bulk ingredient at 40 percent of the formula carries the panel. Always read a ranking against realistic inclusion.

Question 3

Will a high-ranking ingredient let me make a claim?

Accepted Answer

Not by itself. Nutrient content claims are assessed on the finished food per reference amount, not on an ingredient, and the disqualifying levels in 21 CFR 101.13(h) apply to the finished product too. Use the Claim Validator on the final formulation rather than inferring a claim from an ingredient.

Question 4

Are these values comparable across categories?

Accepted Answer

Treat cross-category comparisons carefully. Dried and fresh forms of the same food differ by their water content alone, so a dried item will outrank its fresh equivalent on almost every nutrient per 100 g without being nutritionally different once rehydrated. Compare like with like, or compare on a dry-matter basis.

Nährstoff-Ranking-Tool