Doctors’ Group Endorses NuVal System

ROSEANNE HARPER

BRAINTREE, Mass. — NuVal, a nutritional scoring system currently used in more than 500 supermarkets in 18 states, has received official endorsement from The American College of Preventive Medicine here.

Price Chopper, Schenectady, N.Y.; Hy-Vee Stores, West Des Moines, Iowa; and Meijer, Grand Rapids, Mich., are among grocery chains using the NuVal system in all of their stores. United Supermarkets, Lubbock, Texas, is set to launch the system in selected stores in March, and then roll it out to all stores later in the year.

Last week, United Supermarkets’ health and wellness marketing manager, Alicia Brown, commented on the significance of the group’s endorsement.

"The endorsement of NuVal by the American College of Preventive Medicine speaks highly of the science behind the program as well as its legitimacy as a means to pursuing a healthier lifestyle. Our company is extremely pleased to be a NuVal partner," Brown told SN.

The NuVal system, developed in 2008 by scientists and doctors as part of a joint venture between Topco Associates and Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., gives scores ranging from 1 to 100 to all food products — including perishables — for their nutrient value. The closer to 100, the better the product’s nutrient value.

This marks the first time an independent medical/public health organization with national stature has endorsed a non-federal nutrition guidance system, said Dr. David Katz, director and co-founder of the Yale Prevention Research Center, and one of the principal creators of the NuVal system.

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