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
editThe 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.[4]
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).[1]
Selected NuVal scores
editSee also
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References
edit- ^ a b c Saner, Emine (21 October 2008). "Think you know what's good for you to eat? asks Emine Saner". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
- ^ a b "NuVal Nutritional Scoring System Will Debut in Major U.S. Chains This September". New Hope Network. Braintree, MA: Informa Markets. PRNewswire via COMTEX. 11 July 2008. Archived from the original on 2019-09-22. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
- ^ Watson, Elaine (13 November 2017). "Goodbye NuVal… and good riddance?". FoodNavigator-USA. William Reed Media Inc. Archived from the original on 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
- ^ a b c Xiong, Amy (2017-11-03). "Yale researcher's ratings service discontinued". Yale Daily News. Archived from the original on 2019-10-27. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
- ^ "ONQI: The Science Behind The Scores". nuval.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2020-04-27.