FOOD-RATING SYSTEMS IN
GROCERY STORES
TWO NEW SYSTEMS Aggregate
Nutrient Density Index (ANDI)
Created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, chief medical officer of Eat Right America.
NuVal Nutritional Scoring System
Developed under leadership of Dr. David Katz, director of Yale Prevention Research Center.
ANDI Rates mostly
whole foods Does include
some processed Score is on a
scale of 1-1,000 Currently, only
implemented at Whole Foods Market
WHERE DO THESE NUMBERS COME FROM? Beneficial
nutrients (fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) in relation to calories.
Comparison of nutrient values of various foods in equal calorie portions to create 1-1,000 scale.
http://www.eatrightamerica.com/nutritarian-lifestyle/Measuring-the-Nutrient-Density-of-your-Food
ANDI APPROACH Reflects nutritional
values of low-calorie, high-nutrition foods.
Healthy foods, such as nuts, have lower ratings due to high fat content.
Idea is to get people more excited about higher rated foods that are usually passed by in grocery stores.
PROS CONS Easy to
understand Color-coded chart
shows rank of which foods are best
Ranks whole foods
Takes micronutrients into account
Does not take healthy fats into account-Walnuts which have healthy sterols and stanols have a low rating due to high fat content.
Implemented only at Whole Foods
Does not include many processed foods
Scale of 1-1,000 may seem difficult (most scales are on 1-100, foods ranked at 300 may seem good, but it is only equivalent to 30 or a 3 on a 100 or 10 point scale)
NUVAL SYSTEM Rates whole
foods Rates many
more processed foods in relation to ANDI.
Score is on a scale of 1-100.
Currently implemented at Kroger and Meijer.
WHERE DO THESE NUMBERS COME FROM?
Factors that have a positive impact on health (vitamins, minerals, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids)
DIVIDED BY Factors that have a
negative impact on health (sodium, sugar, saturated and trans fats)
MULTIPLIED BY “Weighting Coefficients”
(food’s impact on various health conditions: obesity, heart disease, diabetes)
NUVAL APPROACH Focus for
shoppers is on trading up within categories.
Encourages the challenge of choosing the best trade ups.
PROS CONS Easy 1-100 scale Canned products can
score as high as 100, not just fresh products.
Implemented in more accessible stores such as Kroger and Meijer
Takes healthy fats and findings of health benefits from food sources into account
Focus on trading up instead of just making healthy choices
Puts saturated fat and trans fat in the same category.
Full-fat dairy products have a much lower rating because of this
May lead customers to buy more processed foods just because the rating seems high
WHICH FOOD IS THE TRADE UP? Reduced Fat
Cheez-Its Nabisco Ritz Bits
Crackers with Cheese
REDUCED FAT CHEEZ-ITS Rating of 23 Has higher iron
and vitamin values and lower fat.
Ritz Bits Rating:7
WHICH FOOD IS THE TRADE UP? Nabisco Nilla
Wafers Honey-Flavored
Teddy Grahams
HONEY TEDDY GRAHAMS Rating of 24 This is because
they are now made with whole grains while Nilla Wafers are filled with sugar.
Nilla Wafers Rating: 8
WHICH FOOD IS THE TRADE UP? Green Giant
Steamable Green Beans
Green Giant Spinach No Sauce
GREEN GIANT GREEN BEANS Rating of 100 Shows that not
just fresh vegetables have a perfect score.
Higher rating than spinach because spinach has a high sodium content
Green Giant Spinach Rating: 67
IN SUMMARY These systems are in a pilot stage They are something to be aware of in
case they are implemented in more stores in the future
The important thing is that clients are educated about which foods are best regardless of rating system.