Someday soon, your grocery shopping list could look like this:
Breakfast cereal -- 40 points or higher.
Fish -- At least 80 points.
Cookies -- Anything over 10 points OK.
The numbers, which can range from 1 to 100, are nutritional value scores calculated on a new scale that the Rotterdam-based Price Chopper supermarket chain is introducing in all 117 of its stores.
The idea, say Price Chopper officials, is to help shoppers make healthy eating choices based on clear, meaningful information that is available for all the products that might go into their carts.
And while consumers will still want to include in their diets foods with a wide range of nutritional values, "the food industry is gaining momentum to make the food we sell healthier," said Neil Golub, president and chief executive of Golub Corp., which operates the supermarkets.
The rating scale Price Chopper selected was developed by a consortium of doctors and scientists who last year formed NuVal LLC, a joint venture of Griffin Hospital in Darien, Conn., and Topco Associates, a cooperative of food retailers and wholesalers.
Nutritional labeling and ingredient lists on packages are helpful, but they also can be confusing and don't always help a customer who is trying to compare similar products of different brands, Golub said during a news conference Wednesday at the GE Theater at Proctors.
"We need a simple scale, something we can use to really evaluate how good this product is," he said, holding up a box of cereal.
A display of various breakfast cereals set up for the event featured products ranging from a high score of 91 for plain Post Shredded Wheat to a low of 14 for Kellogg's Apple Jacks. Many cereals had scores between 20 and 40.
The NuVal system has some features in common with the Guiding Stars program introduced in 2006 by Hannaford Bros. Co., which rates edible items in its supermarkets with zero to three stars.
According to Hannaford, the Guiding Stars system is in place at more than 1,400 East Coast supermarkets, including the Hannaford, Food Lion and Sweetbay chains, all owned by Delhaize America.
But Price Chopper officials say they believe the NuVal system will provide more extensive information because it takes into account more nutrients and considers factors that can reduce a score, such as high sugar, salt or trans fat content.
NuVal also scores every product in a supermarket, permitting more comparisons between brands, while Hannaford's system does not mark every product, said Mona Golub, Price Chopper vice president and spokeswoman. The system was developed independently of food retailers and producers.
NuVal's founders, who attended the presentation, said they hope the system will help consumers make healthy choices with relatively little hassle and small, manageable steps.
"We are looking to change behaviors, but to do it in a way that people can sustain," said NuVal President Nancy McDermott.
Price Chopper already has posted scores for most products in its meat, produce, seafood, salty snack, cereal, cookie and vegetable categories.
McDermott said NuVal will score some 40,000 to 50,000 more products in coming months.
Price Chopper officials said the chain has spent about $200,000 to date to adopt the NuVal ratings, and will continue to add scores as new products are added.
Cathy Woodruff can be reached at 454-5093 or by e-mail at cwoodruff@timesunion.com. To see more of the Albany Times Union, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesunion.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Albany Times Union, N.Y. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, Albany Times Union, N.Y.