Overall nutritional quality index explained

The overall nutritional quality index was a nutritional rating system developed at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in 2008. A proprietary algorithm assigned foods a score between 1 and 100 intended to reflect the overall nutritional value a portion of the given food provided.[1] The system was marketed commercially as NuVal by NuVal, LLC, a joint venture with Topco Associates.[2] Over 1600 grocery stores in the United States placed NuVal scores on product shelf tags next to the price.[3] [2] The commercial product was discontinued in 2017 amid accusations of conflicts of interest and criticism of NuVal LLC's refusal to publish the algorithm.[4] Either of which may have contributed to some inconsistencies in scoring where certain processed foods scored higher than, for instance, canned fruits and vegetables.[4]

Description

The algorithm considers thirty nutrient factors, like the relative portions of vitamins, sugar, saturated fat, and trans fats and the quality of the protein and fat,[5] and produces a score from one to 100. Higher scores represent greater overall nutritional value. However, the actual algorithm, including the relative weights of the nutrients, was never disclosed to the public.

Broccoli, blueberries, okra, oranges, and green beans were some foods that received the best score (100) while ice pops and soft drinks received the worst (1).

Selected NuVal scores

Food name ONQI
100
100
100
100
100
Green beans100
99
99
98
96
96
96
94
94
93
Red onions 93
Fresh figs91
Grapes 91
91
91
89
88
Atlantic salmon fillet 87
Atlantic halibut fillet 82
Catfish fillet 82
Cod fillet 82
Tilapia fillet 82
Oysters 81
Swordfish steak 81
Prawns75
75
Clams 71
Monkfish fillet 64
Milk (whole) 52
Scallops51
Turbot fillet 51
50
Tinned peas 49
Turkey breast (skinless) 48
Prunes45
Chicken breast (boneless) 39
39
36
35
Flank steak (Beef) 34
Turkey breast 31
31
Veal leg cutlet 31
30
30
Pork chop (boneless centre cut) 28
28
Lamb chops (loin) 28
28
Leg of lamb 28
Ham (whole) 27
Raisins26
Green olives24
23
23
Condensed cream of broccoli soup 21
Salted, dry-roasted peanuts21
18
17
Diet fizzy drinks 15
Non-streaky bacon 13
Pretzel sticks11
10
9
7
5
4
3
2
Crackers 2
Fizzy drinks 1
1

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Think you know what's good for you to eat? asks Emine Saner. Emine. Saner. 21 October 2008. 2019-10-27. the Guardian. 2018-09-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20180918091026/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/22/foodanddrink-healthandwellbeing. live.
  2. News: NuVal Nutritional Scoring System Will Debut in Major U.S. Chains This September. Informa Markets. PRNewswire via COMTEX. New Hope Network. Braintree, MA. 2019-10-27. 11 July 2008. 2019-09-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20190922151517/https://www.newhope.com/managing-your-business/nuvaltm-nutritional-scoring-system-will-debut-major-us-chains-september. live.
  3. Web site: Elaine. Watson. Goodbye NuVal… and good riddance?. FoodNavigator-USA. William Reed Media Inc.. 2019-10-27. 13 November 2017. 2020-08-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811153248/https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2017/11/13/Goodbye-NuVal-and-good-riddance. live.
  4. News: Yale researcher's ratings service discontinued. Yale Daily News. 2019-10-27. 2017-11-03. Amy. Xiong. 2019-10-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20191027055949/https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2017/11/03/yale-researchers-ratings-service-discontinued/. live.
  5. Web site: ONQI: The Science Behind The Scores. https://web.archive.org/web/20170722233846/http://www4.nuval.com/science. nuval.com. 2017-07-22. 2020-04-27. live.