The issue of food labelling has always been a tricky one. The traffic-light system, introduced last year by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), shows at a glance the amount of sugar, salt and fat in a particular product, but so far it is voluntary for food producers, plus it requires some work and prior knowledge on the consumer's part. The food industry wants to keep the Guideline Daily Amount system, which shows the percentages of GDA of salt, sugar and fat each portion contains, but health campaigners say this is too complex. Early next year, a study comparing the two is due to report to the FSA. Meanwhile, in the United States a new system could change the way food is labelled for ever.
Dr David Katz, a nutritionist and the former director of medical studies in public health at Yale University, who now runs the university's Prevention Research Centre, is the brains behind the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI), commercially known as the NuVal system. The idea is simple - the higher the score given to a foodstuff, the more nutritious it is. So, broccoli scores the highest, at 100 (as do blueberries, oranges and green beans) while ice pops and fizzy drinks get only one point. Foodstuffs score high for dense amounts of nutrients such as vitamins and protein, but lose marks if they also contain baddies including added sugar, salt, saturated or trans fats. Lobster, for example, scores lower than tinned peaches because it is fairly high in sodium and doesn't provide as much Omega 3 fats as other fish. The crackers, which score a shocking two points, are "saltine" crackers, a generic American white-flour cracker with added salt, sugar and trans fat. "Empty calories," says Katz.
So far, three supermarket chains in the US have adopted ONQI, with another 15 to 20 companies planning to get involved next year. Katz hopes that it will eventually be used in up to 7,000 stores across the country.
Katz came up with ONQI when he and a number of other nutritionists were invited by the US secretary of health to submit one idea each to combat obesity. Katz wanted to create a single measure of nutritional quality and apply it to every food product sold in supermarkets (research and ONQI score allocation is ongoing). When the government didn't take him up on his proposal, Katz got funding to develop it from a local hospital (no investment from the food industry was involved).
"I have long been aware that it's all very well giving people advice when they come to see me, but it can be difficult for them to follow in the real world," he says. "You say to people, 'Eat a healthy diet,' or 'Eat a Mediterranean diet,' but nobody chooses a diet, they choose foods. You're in the bread aisle in a supermarket and you know that wholegrain bread is more nutritious, but you're bombarded with so many different types vying for your attention - 'fortified with vitamins', 'good source of fibre'. It is hard to translate all that into a good choice."
It isn't about following a diet, Katz adds.
"If I were to ask you to list three highly nutritious foods, you might say spinach, blueberries and broccoli. Does that mean you can only eat those foods and be healthy? No. The ONQI guides you towards the most nutritious foods in any given category, but the message of balance and variety in your diet is still relevant".
The good, the bad and the really unhealthy
Yale University's Overall Nutrional Quality Index (scores out of 100)
Broccoli 100
Blueberries 100
Okra 100
Orange 100
Green Beans 100
Pineapple 99
Radish 99
Summer squash 98
Apple 96
Green cabbage 96
Tomato 96
Clementine 94
Watermelon 94
Mango 93
Red onions 93
Non-fat milk 91
Fresh figs 91
Grapes 91
Banana 91
Avocado 89
Oatmeal 88
Atlantic salmon fillet 87
Blackberries 83
Cod fillet 82
Raw almonds 82
Iceberg lettuce 82
Raw pecans 82
Rocket 82
Brown rice 82
Snapper 82
Milk (1% fat) 81
Oysters 81
Prawn 75
Couscous 72
Clams 71
Raw pistachios 70
Unbuttered, unsalted popcorn 69
Canned tuna in oil, drained 67
Monkfish fillet 64
Vegetarian split-pea soup mix 63
Instant oatmeal 61
Canned pineapple in juice 60
White rice 57
Sodium-free sparkling water 56
Milk (2% fat) 55
Canned kidney beans 53
Milk (whole) 52
Scallops 51
Pasta 50
Canned peas 49
Prunes 45
Vanilla yoghurt 43
Orange juice 39
Skinless chicken breasts 39
Canned peaches in light Syrup 37
Lobster 36
Flank steak (beef) 34
Dried apples 34
Tomato juice 32
Condensed split-pea soup
with ham 32
Minced sirloin 30
Chicken drumstick 30
Enriched white bread 29
Whole chicken with skin 28
Leg of lamb 28
Ham (whole) 27
Raisins 26
Hamburger (75% lean) 25
Apple chips 24
Coconut 24
Green olives 24
Pork baby back ribs 24
Bagel 23
Condensed tomato soup 23
Peanut butter 23
Sherbet 23
Reduced-fat sour cream 22
Condensed cream of
broccoli soup 21
Salted, dry-roasted peanuts 21
Instant chocolate pudding 20
Fried egg 18
Swiss cheese 17
Diet fizzy drinks 15
Non-streaky bacon 13
Pretzel sticks 11
Dark chocolate 10
White bread 9
Salami 7
Hot dog 5
Cheese puffs 4
Milk chocolate 3
Apple pie 2
Crackers 2
Fizzy drinks 1
Popsicle 1
For more food scores visit nuval.com
