Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 21, 2013
• Invested on: February 13, 2015

For his contributions as a nutrition scientist committed to helping Canadians make informed food choices.

David Jenkins is one of our nation’s foremost authorities on nutrition. A Canada Research Chair and professor at the University of Toronto, he is best known as the inventor of the glycemic index, a dietary management tool used globally to compare the effect of different foods on blood sugar levels. He has also made influential discoveries related to fibre and other food components that hold fundamental implications for heart health. Committed to ensuring that nutrition science improves the lives of Canadians, he has played a key role in the development of healthier consumer food products.