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. The system was marketed commercially as NuVal by NuVal, LLC, a joint venture with Topco Associates. Over 1600 grocery stores in the United States placed NuVal scores on product shelf tags next to the price. The commercial product was discontinued in 2017 amid accusations of conflicts of interest and criticism of NuVal LLC's refusal to publish the algorithm. Either of which may have contributed to some inconsistencies in scoring where certain processed foods scored higher than, for instance, canned fruits and vegetables.
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, 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 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
See also
Nutrient density References
External links Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center Gut Health Test