Food Density & Specific Gravity to Weight Converter
Convert food volume and density/specific gravity to weight in grams and ounces.
You can override manually.
1 cup ≈ 240 mL
Uses 240 mL per cup.
Direct density entry.
SG × 1 g/mL = density.
Calculated from volume × density.
1 oz = 28.3495 g
For nutritional labeling, always use your lab-measured density at the reference temperature (often 20 °C).
Formulas used
density (g/mL) = specific gravity (SG) × 1 g/mL
weight (g) = volume (mL) × density (g/mL)
volume (mL) = cups × 240
weight (oz) = weight (g) ÷ 28.3495
Specific gravity is just a normalized density. This makes it easy to compare batches of the same product.
Common food densities
| Food | Density (g/mL) | Specific gravity | 1 cup (240 mL) → g |
|---|
Values are typical; check supplier or lab data for critical applications.
Why a food density converter?
In food science, recipes and production sheets often give volume (mL, cups, ladles) while lab analyses and nutritional labels require weight. If your product has a specific gravity different from water (for example syrups, yogurts, beverages with pulp), you must apply the right density to get a correct weight.
Food density vs nutrient density
Food density here means physical density (mass per unit volume). This is different from nutrient density, which describes how many nutrients you get per unit of energy or food weight. We focus on the physical/technological part used in R&D, QA and industrial kitchens.
FAQ
1. My product is aerated (e.g. whipped cream). Which density should I use?
Use the density of the whipped product (after air incorporation), not the base mix. Measure 100 mL and weigh it.
2. Why is flour so light compared to water?
Flour traps air and is not a liquid, so 1 cup of flour weighs much less than 1 cup of water. That’s why density-based converters are essential in baking.
3. Can I reverse the calculation?
Yes: if you know the weight and density, volume (mL) = weight (g) ÷ density (g/mL). You can temporarily overwrite the volume field to see the effect.
Formula (LaTeX) + variables + units
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density (g/mL) = specific gravity (SG) × 1 g/mL weight (g) = volume (mL) × density (g/mL) volume (mL) = cups × 240 weight (oz) = weight (g) ÷ 28.3495
- No variables provided in audit spec.
- NIST — Weights and measures — nist.gov · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures - FTC — Consumer advice — consumer.ftc.gov · Accessed 2026-01-19
https://consumer.ftc.gov/
Last code update: 2026-01-19
- Initial audit spec draft generated from HTML extraction (review required).
- Verify formulas match the calculator engine and convert any text-only formulas to LaTeX.
- Confirm sources are authoritative and relevant to the calculator methodology.