Q: Why was it developed?
A: The NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System was developed as a direct response to America’s troubling health trends – rapidly rising rates of obesity and diabetes in both the adult and child populations, and increasing rates of heart disease in adults. A team of recognized nutrition and medical experts – led by Dr. David Katz of the Yale Prevention Research Center – advocated the development of an independent and simplified nutritional scoring system as a vehicle to improve public health. Funded by Griffin Hospital – a non-profit community hospital and teaching affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine located in Derby, CT, and home to the Yale -Griffin Prevention Research Center – this team worked for two years to develop the patent-pending Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI™) algorithm, which converts complex nutritional information into a single, easy-to-use score. Q: Was the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System developed for a specific retailer, manufacturer, or company?
A: No. The team that designed the ONQI™ algorithm was entirely funded by Griffin Hospital, with a simple mandate guided by public health concerns, and without support from manufacturers or other parties interested in promoting certain foods. Griffin Hospital then partnered with Topco Associates LLC to create a joint venture company, NuVal LLC, to bring the public health benefits of the ONQI algorithm to the consumers through the NuVal™ System. NuVal LLC has created programs for retailers and manufacturers wishing to make the Nuval ™ System available to their customers. Q: Who developed the NuVal™ System and its underlying technology?
A: A team of recognized nutritional and medical experts from leading universities and health organizations drove the development of the ONQI™ algorithm as a tool for improving public health in the face of America’s troubling health trends. Funded by Griffin Hospital, a non-profit community hospital and teaching affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine, located in Derby, CT, and home to the Yale -Griffin Prevention Research Center, this team – led by Dr. David Katz – worked for two years, to develop the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI™) algorithm, which powers the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System. Q: How was the expert development panel chosen?
A: Members of the Yale University – Griffin Hospital Prevention Research Center identified the relevant areas of expertise – from nutritional biochemistry to cardiovascular epidemiology – required to best inform the overall project. With the goal of establishing a panel of roughly 10-15 experts, the Prevention Research Center members identified candidates in each of the necessary disciplines based on their reputation, prior collaborative work, and contributions to scientific literature. After a thorough selection process, the final panel of experts from leading North American universities and health organizations was convened. Its members included: David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP; ONQI Chair
Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center
Expertise: general nutrition; preventive medicine; public health Keith Ayoob, EdD, RD
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Expertise: pediatric nutrition Sonia Caprio, MD
Yale University School of Medicine
Expertise: pediatrics Erick Decker, PhD
University of Massachusetts
Expertise: food science Leonard Epstein, MD
University of Buffalo
Inventor of the Traffic Light Diet
Expertise: traffic light food labeling; weight control David Jenkins, MD, PhD
University of Toronto
Inventor of the Glycemic Index
Expertise: nutritional biochemistry; diabetes; insulin metabolism; glycemic effects of food Francine Kaufman, MD
University of Southern California
Past President of the American Diabetes Association
Expertise: pediatric endocrinology Robert Kushner, MD
Northwestern University
Expertise: general internal medicine; dietary counseling; weight management Ronald Prior, PhD
Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, USDA HNRC Expertise: nutritional biochemistry; micronutrients Rebecca Reeves, PhD, RD
Baylor College of Medicine
Past President, American Dietetic Association
Expertise: general dietetics Barbara Rolls, PhD
Pennsylvania State University
Author of Volumetrics
Expertise: appetite control; weight management; satiety Sachiko St. Jeor, PhD, RD
University of Nevada
Expertise: cardiovascular disease; general dietetics Walter Willett, MD, DrPH
Harvard University School of Public Health
Expertise: nutritional epidemiology Q: Who is Dr. David Katz?
A: Dr. David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP is Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at Yale University School of Medicine and a nationally recognized authority on nutrition, weight control, and the prevention of chronic disease. Dr. Katz led the scientific expert panel that developed the ONQI™ (Overall Nutritional Quality Index) algorithm, which powers the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System. Dr. Katz also is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board, which oversees the ongoing management of the ONQI™ algorithm. Q: How was the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System developed?
A: The development of the NuVal™ System began with a team of nutrition and medical experts – led by Dr. David L. Katz – who advocated the development of a independent and simplified nutritional scoring system – the Overall Nutritional Quality Index or ONQI™ – in response to troubling health trends – namely rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Funded by Griffin Hospital, a non-profit community hospital and teaching affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine, located in Derby, CT, and home to the Yale -Griffin Prevention Research Center, the project team established a mission to:

1. Develop an algorithm that measures the overall nutritional quality of individual foods and beverages and apply it across all food categories
2. Simplify the output of the algorithm into an easy-to-use scoring system
3. Put the scores – and the nutritional data behind them – directly into the hands of consumers as a potentially powerful means to improve health

The ONQI team worked for two years, referring to the most comprehensive science available. Committed to the highest standards of rigorous development, the ONQI project adhered to a stringent development process that included:

• Engagement of a multidisciplinary team of nutrition and public health experts
• Avoidance of conflicts of interest
• Isolation of the development effort from any outside or commercial influence
• Reliance on objective sources of data to the extent possible
• Transparency of methods
• A fully iterative process, with consensus-based decision making

Q: Who controls the ONQI™ algorithm behind the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System?
A: The ONQI™ algorithm is, and will continue to be, owned and managed by Griffin Hospital and the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Comprised of nutritional and medical experts, many of whom played a key role in the initial development of the ONQI™ algorithm, the SAB is responsible for making timely adjustments to the algorithm as scientific advancements and changes in food supply conditions make appropriate. The SAB will also help coordinate and oversee ongoing testing of the ONQI™ algorithm and its influence. Q: Who is NuVal LLC?
A: NuVal LLC is a joint venture formed in 2008 by Topco Associates LLC and Griffin Hospital, a non-profit community hospital and teaching affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine, located in Derby, CT, and home to the Yale -Griffin Prevention Research Center. NuVal LLC was created to bring the public health benefits of the ONQI algorithm to consumers through the NuVal™ System. NuVal LLC has created programs for retailers and manufacturers wishing to make the Nuval™ System available to their customers. NuVal LLC is based in Braintree, Mass., and is the exclusive licensor of the ONQI™ (Overall Nutrition Quality Index) algorithm from Griffin Hospital. Q: Who is Topco and what is its role in the development and rollout of the NuVal™ System?
A: Topco Associates is a privately held cooperative of retailers and wholesalers that provides innovative solutions for its food industry member-owners and customers. Topco leverages the collective volume of its member companies and customers to help them maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace by reducing costs and providing access to business-building opportunities. Topco has partnered with Griffin Hospital to create NuVal LLC to bring the public health benefits of the ONQI™ algorithm to consumers through the NuVal™ System. NuVal LLC has created programs for retailers and manufacturers wishing to make the Nuval™ System available to their customers. Q: Who is Griffin Hospital?
A: Griffin Hospital, a not-for-profit subsidiary of Griffin Health Services Corporation, is a non-profit community hospital and teaching affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine, located in Derby, CT, and home to the Center for Disease Control-funded Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center. The research efforts of the Center are intended to measurably improve the standard of health and quality of life of the communities it serves and to develop innovative approaches to health promotion and disease prevention that will directly benefit the public’s health. Griffin Hospital has received national acclaim for creating a facility and approach to patient care that provides an exceptional patient experience and superior clinical outcomes. Griffin Hospital funded the development of the ONQI™ algorithm, which it continues to own and manage. Griffin Hospital has partnered with Topco Associates LLC to create NuVal LLC to bring the public health benefits of the ONQI™ algorithm to consumers through the NuVal™ System. NuVal LLC has created programs for retailers and manufacturers wishing to make the Nuval™ System available to their customers.