Q: What is the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System?
A: The NuVal™ System is a food scoring system that allows consumers to see – at a glance – the nutritional value of the food they buy. Q: What does a NuVal™ Score tell me?
A: The NuVal™ System scores food on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the NuVal™ Score, the higher the nutrition. Q: Is the NuVal™ System a diet?
A: No, it is a food scoring system that allows people to understand and compare the nutritional value of the foods they buy and consume. It is a tool a shopper can easily use to make more nutritious food choices. The NuVal™ System is not a diet or substitute for a doctor’s advice about health conditions. Q: Are NuVal™ Scores different for adults and children? Men and women?
A: The same NuVal™ Scores pertain to everyone over the age of two years old. The System is based on the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are published jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Guidelines provide authoritative advice for people two years and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases. Since the Dietary Guidelines for Americans exclude infants and toddlers under the age of two, so does the NuVal™ System. Q: How does the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System compare to other nutrient profiling systems?
A: We realize other nutrition ranking systems are being promoted in the marketplace and we believe it is important for you to understand how the NuVal™ System differs.

• It is truly independent. The team of recognized nutrition and medical experts that developed the ONQI™ algorithm behind the NuVal™ System was entirely funded by Griffin Hospital without support from manufacturers or other parties interested in promoting specific foods. Ownership and ongoing oversight of the algorithm remains in the hands of Griffin Hospital.
• It provides complete and easy-to-use nutritional guidance. The NuVal™ System summarizes the overall nutritional value of food into a single number. Our 1-100 scoring range enables consumers – at a glance – to see and compare the nutritional value of the foods they buy.
• It uses a robust scoring model. The NuVal™ System considers more than 30 different nutrients and nutrition factors – and their impact on health outcomes – to determine a food’s Score, so it gives a robust and fair account of a food’s true nutritional value.
• It applies to all products in a grocery store. Our goal is to score 100% of the 50,000+ products in the average grocery store – including private label products. And because the NuVal™ System applies the same criteria to all foods and beverages, consumers are able to compare the nutritional value of products both within and across food categories.
• It links price and nutrition. For every product on the shelf, consumers can see and compare (side by side on the same tag) exactly what they’re paying for how much nutrition. This is a key benefit to consumers as the economy squeezes family budgets.