WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (January 5, 2026) — Midwestern grocery retailer Hy-Vee, which operates more than 280 grocery stores across eight Midwestern states, announces its collaboration with the FoodHealth Company to bring the FoodHealth Score — the industry standard nutrition-transparency metric — to Hy-Vee shoppers.
The FoodHealth Score is a 1–100 scoring system that enables customers to compare the nutritional value of individual foods across the spectrum. Each product — from a box of cereal to a head of lettuce — receives a score based on its nutrient density and ingredient quality. The score reflects how closely household food choices align with dietary patterns proven to lower chronic disease risk. A score of fifty marks the midpoint — foods above it trend healthier; below it less so. Hy-Vee customers can find the scoring system when shopping online or using the Hy-Vee mobile app.
“The grocery store is one of the most important health-care environments in America,” said Samantha Citro Alexander, FoodHealth Company’s chief executive and founder.
“With this launch, shoppers can feel confident that Hy-Vee is truly a partner in their health.”With the partnership, Hy-Vee customers also gain access to FoodHealth Score Insights, which are explanations showing why an item scores the way it does based on nutrient density and ingredient quality, as well as Better-For-You Options, which offer healthier alternatives for customers to review. These features are designed to make informed decision-making easier and more intuitive.
“With the implementation of the FoodHealth Score in our app, we want to make healthy food options more accessible and transparent,” said Aaron Wiese, Hy-Vee’s president.
“This tool builds upon the dietitian and pharmacy services we already offer and adds to our holistic ‘food is medicine’ approach that we provide to our customers. Now more than ever before, we have the resources available to best serve individuals in their health journey.”
Growing national momentum — from the push to eliminate red dyes to broader calls for regulating ultra-processed foods — signals a new era of public and private accountability. Nearly 60% of grocery dollars spent go to foods that are meant to be consumed only on occasion, according to the FoodHealth Company’s Health of America’s Grocery Carts report released in collaboration with NielsenIQ. Research from NielsenIQ also shows that more than 75% of shoppers say food transparency directly influences their trust and loyalty to a grocery brand.
About Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee Inc is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 560 business units across nine Midwestern states with sales of more than $14 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise, and superior customer service. Hy-Vee was recently named one of the top grocery stores in America by USAToday. The company’s more than 70,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit hy-vee.com.
About FoodHealth Co
FoodHealth Co is a nutrition intelligence company redefining how we understand food and its impact on the body. Through its clinical research-backed FoodHealth Score, the company provides data tools that help consumers make better choices, retailers curate smarter shelves, and brands design with health in mind. With real-world integrations into major grocery chains, FoodHealth Co believes that the future of health is food. Formerly known as bitewell, the company is headquartered in San Francisco.
