King Soopers Launches NuVal Nutritional Scoring System

The NuVal Nutritional Scoring System is now available at all King Soopers stores, a division of Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co., one of the world’s largest supermarket retailers.

Intended to guide consumers to the most nutritious foods on store shelves, the NuValTM Nutritional Scoring System gives virtually all foods sold at King Soopers stores a score from 1 to 100; the higher the score, the better the food’s overall nutrition. Scores are posted on supermarket shelf tags right next to the price to make it easy for consumers to compare the overall nutrition of the foods they buy at a glance.
“NuVal tags along with the support of our Nutrionists, Pharmacists and the screenings that will be available in store will benefit our customers and associates who are looking to make healthier choices,” said Russ Dispense, president of Denver-based King Soopers.

NuVal is now the only nutrition ranking system that has been adopted by supermarkets from “coast-to-coast” across America, as NuVal Scores can now be found in more than 1,500 grocery retail stores nationwide, with more supermarkets ready to launch later this year, according to NuVal.

Consumers shopping at any of King Soopers’ 140-plus locations across Colorado will be able to compare the nutrition of the foods they buy as easily as they compare price.

Using the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System, King Soopers’ customers can:

• Discover the more nutritious products in a store. Consumers wanting to know what cereals (or crackers or cookies) have more nutrition only need to take a look at the NuVal scores and choose the higher number.
• Be able to “act like an expert,” using the knowledge and research of more than a dozen of the country’s best nutrition experts, who spent two years creating the ONQI (Overall Nutritional Quality Index), the scientific engine used to determine NuVal scores.
• Get more nutrition for their budget, as they can now compare items side-to-side and determine which product offers the better value, not just in price, but in nutrition as well. For instance, consumers may find that some varieties of frozen or canned vegetables score the same as fresh produce on the NuVal Scale.
• Be able to better compare name brand to store brand products. In many instances, consumers will learn that a store’s private label item is just as nutritious as the more expensive national one.

NuVal scores are calculated for a wide variety of categories, including meat, seafood, poultry, salty snacks, milk, yogurt, vegetables (fresh, frozen and canned), cereal, bread, cookies, soft drinks, and crackers.

King Soopers, operates 141 stores in Colorado.