Overall nutritional quality index

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.[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

Food name ONQI
Spinach 100
Broccoli 100
Blueberries 100
Okra 100
Orange 100
Green beans 100
Pineapple 99
Radish 99
Summer squash 98
Apple 96
Green cabbage 96
Tomato 96
Clementine 94
Watermelon 94
Mango 93
Red onions 93
Fresh figs 91
Grapes 91
Banana 91
Milk (skimmed) 91
Avocado 89
Oatmeal 88
Atlantic salmon fillet 87
Atlantic halibut fillet 82
Catfish fillet 82
Cod fillet 82
Tilapia fillet 82
Oysters 81
Swordfish steak 81
Prawns 75
Shrimp 75
Clams 71
Monkfish fillet 64
Milk (whole) 52
Scallops 51
Turbot fillet 51
Pasta 50
Tinned peas 49
Turkey breast (skinless) 48
Prunes 45
Chicken breast (boneless) 39
Orange juice 39
Lobster 36
Pork tenderloin 35
Flank steak (Beef) 34
Turkey breast 31
Veal chop 31
Veal leg cutlet 31
Beef tenderloin 30
Chicken drumstick 30
Pork chop (boneless centre cut) 28
Chicken wings 28
Lamb chops (loin) 28
Bacon 28
Leg of lamb 28
Ham (whole) 27
Raisins 26
Green olives 24
Bagel 23
Peanut butter 23
Condensed cream of broccoli soup 21
Salted, dry-roasted peanuts 21
Fried egg 18
Swiss cheese 17
Diet fizzy drinks 15
Non-streaky bacon 13
Pretzel sticks 11
Dark chocolate 10
White bread 9
Salami 7
Hot dog 5
Cheese puffs 4
Milk chocolate 3
Apple pie 2
Crackers 2
Fizzy drinks 1
Popsicle 1

[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "ONQI: The Science Behind The Scores". nuval.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2020-04-27.