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 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
See also
- Nutrient density
References
- Saner, Emine (21 October 2008). "Think you know what's good for you to eat? asks Emine Saner". the Guardian. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
- "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. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
- Watson, Elaine (13 November 2017). "Goodbye NuVal… and good riddance?". FoodNavigator-USA. William Reed Media Inc. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
- Xiong, Amy (2017-11-03). "Yale researcher's ratings service discontinued". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
- "ONQI: The Science Behind The Scores". nuval.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-22.