Nuval, the nutrition rating system that scores product from 0-100, announced this week the addition of a fourth supermarket chain as a partner – United Supermarkets, LLC of Lubbock, Texas, which operates 50 stores under the United Supermarkets, Market Street, and Amigos United names. Only 6 of the stores will be launching NuVal initially, beginning in March 2010. The rest will roll out during the remainder of 2010.

NuVal, originall called ONQI,  is a nutrition rating system developed by Dr. David Katz and other prominent scientists and nutrition experts in order to help shoppers make healthier choices at the supermarket. We explained the system and compared it to the (R.I.P) Smart Choices Program here.

NuVal is currently available at Price Chopper, Hy-Vee, and Meijer supermarkets in 19 states and over 500 supermarkets, according to company.

Coinciding with the PR, the NuVal website has been redesigned and it also includes a game called “Nutrition by the Numbers” where players have to rank 3 products by their NuVal score.

What you need to know:

This is a a small win for the NuVal licensing company, that had expected to be in thousands of supermarkets by this time when the program was announced last year. Nuval has yet to gain entry into one of the larger chains such as Kroeger, Publix, or Safeway.

We recently asked a NuVal board member why this is, but got a general answer that there is “a lot of work in progress.”

Here are a few thoughts on why NuVal is not as far ahead as it expected:

1. NuVal is not sponsored by food manufacturers, as Smart Choices was, and therefore its scores do not show on product packages. They appear on shelf tags together with the prices. Our sources tell us that this is causing a logistical nightmare as products are arranged on different shelves, prices change, and employees are not always aware of the new labeling.

2. NuVal’s competitors, especially Smart Choices and Guiding Stars, as well as individual efforts by some chains, have divided the industry, making it very hard for any player to gain substantially.

3. The recent inquiries by the FDA into “front of pack” nutrition labels may also have supermarkets sitting on the sidelines, waiting to see if a federally mandated standard will render existing systems useless or illegal.

4. Lastly, some supermarkets may find themselves in a conflict of interest. On one hand, providing consumers with more nutrition information is a good thing to do and builds loyalty. On the other, it may create a loss in revenue because customers will now buy less of the profitable junk foods and beverages. These profit-centers occupy substantial real estate in all modern supermarkets.

What to do at the supermarket:

Whether your local supermarket is participating in a nutrition labeling program or not, you can still make sound choices. The best advice is to buy minimally processed foods, with short, understandable ingredient lists. Make sure you get plenty of fruits and vegetables, limit your snacks to a very few, and opt to drink tap water instead of soft drinks.

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One of the hottest trends right now in food marketing is informing consumers that the animal product they are purchasing was derived from an animal that was humanely raised and treated.This includes, dairy, eggs, poultry, beef, pork, and other meats.

Since there is no FDA definition for “humane”, each processor is free to associate this and similar terms with its products. As a result, factory farms have magically become animal friendly. And “no antibiotics” conjures an idealic Garden of Eden for bovines. The truth, of course, is far from that.

What’s an ethical shopper, or one attempting to lessen the plight of lower beings, to do?

What you need to know:

Luckily the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has information to help you make decisions. Their website categorizes the various humane labels based on their REAL humaneness, not marketing. While “cage free” eggs are a good option, this label does not mean the chickens were free range. Also, it is not verified by a third party.  A better option is “Certified Organic”.  The best labels are the following:

“Certified Humane” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork)
“American Humane Certified” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork)
“Animal Welfare Approved” (dairy, eggs, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, beef, lamb, pork, rabbit)

In addition, WSPA publishes an annual report, where they rank the top grocers based on animal friendly products. Whole Foods is the leader, but Publix,  Kroger, and Hy-Vee have a good showing as well.

WSPA even put together a helpful FAQs Page.

What to do at the supermarket:

Unfortunately for consumers and animals, humane foods tend to cost more, especially the organic variety. For many people there is a clash between the will to eat more humanely and their pocketbooks. Each family should decide what works best for them, but at least you should be informed about what you are or aren’t getting.

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Consumer Reports’ upcoming May issue will include an extensive report on supermarkets. [subscription required]

The good folks at CR surveyed over 32,000 shoppers across the nation to come up with a ranking of the 59 largest chains.

The ranking criteria used:
- Service level
- Quality of perishables such as meat and produce
- Price level
- Cleanliness

Unfortunately, overall nutritional quality of foods sold was not a criteria.

The top 5 supermarket chains for 2009 are:

1. Wegmans
2. Trader Joe’s
3. Publix
4. Raley’s
5. Harris Teeter

Whole Foods Market came in 8th, penalized heavily for its high prices, while Walmart came in third from last. Although it scored OK on prices, the other parameters were very weak.

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Why do all supermarkets seem the same?

Whether Safeway, Walmart, Shoprite or Publix, there’s a certain format they all adhere to. According to a recent article in the Economist:

It is because they are all versed in the science of persuading people to buy things—a science that, thanks to technological advances, is beginning to unlock the innermost secrets of the consumer’s mind.

And that science says that the fresh produce section should be near the entrance of the store and the first place shoppers begin their route despite the fact that

For shoppers, this makes no sense. Fruit and vegetables can be easily damaged, so they should be bought at the end, not the beginning, of a shopping trip. But psychology is at work here: selecting good wholesome fresh food is an uplifting way to start shopping, and it makes people feel less guilty about reaching for the stodgy stuff later on.

In fact, shopping is an irrational activity:

People tell market researchers and “focus groups” that they make rational decisions about what to buy, considering things like price, selection or convenience. But subconscious forces, involving emotion and memories, are clearly also at work.

The article goes on to describe elaborate monitoring systems that discern shoppers’ tastes and “moment of truth” when reaching out to put a product in the shopping cart.

While the science is certainly impressive, the end result is people buying products their bodies don’t necessarily need, and paying heftily for the pleasure of doing so.

What you need to know:

Americans spend an average of 24 minutes shopping at the supermarket, and 7 minutes more at the checkout counter. During that time the supermarket tries to achieve a a balancing act – Exposing the consumer to as many products as possible without ticking her off.

The supermarket would like to increase the “dwell time” and have people stay even longer at the store. They employ good lighting, tempting aromas, promotions, calming music, and anything else they can think of to keep you lazily pushing your cart along all the aisles.

Any technology that ultimately gets a consumer to spend more money at a supermarket or on a specific brand, will be quickly embraced by vendors and manufacturers.

What to do at the supermarket:

Say no to autosuggestion and consumer psychology by knowing what to expect when you go shopping.

Prepare a shopping list in advance.

Stay away from those aisles with little or no nutritional products.

Shop on a full stomach so you won’t be tempted by the aromas from the in house bakery.

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A recent presentation at health.com dished out the grocery chains most focused on improving consmers’ nutrition and health. Here’s a quick rundown on the list:

1. Whole foods, 279 stores nationwide – the “Rolls Royce” of healthy eating.
2. Safeway, over 1,700 stores nationwide – is in the midst of a huge transformation which includes pumped up produce departments, and “O Organics”, the largest packaged organic brand in the US.
3. Harris Teeter, 176 stores in the Southeast – over 600 fruits and vegetables in the produce department, shelf tags with nutrition info.
4. Trader Joe’s, 300 stores – small selection, no big brands, healthy foods from around the world.
5. Hannaford, 165+ stores in the Northeast – largest certified-organic supermarket in the region, promoting healthy choices through its Guiding Stars program.
6. Albertson’s (Part of SuperValu), 529 stores in the West – house brand organics 15% cheaper than elsewhere, Healthy Eaters program lets kids tour the store with a registered dietitian. Recently introduced Nutrition iQ program, which uses simple color-coded labels to highlight nutritional benefits.
7. Food Lion, 1,300 stores in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic – the larger chain sister of Hanaford
8. Publix, 952 stores in the Southeast – adding more organic. At Peak program educates consumers on which produce is most at season.
9. Pathmark, 141 stores in the Mid-Atlantic – largest retailer of locally grown produce in the Northeast
10. Super Target, 239 stores in 21 states, primarily Texas and Florida – mini markets with healthier snack alternatives.

What to do at the supermarket:

Shopping at one of these healthy supermarkets does not automatically mean you are eating healthy. Shopping at Wal-Mart does not mean the opposite either. Don’t be blinded by organic – organic candy is still candy. So wherever you go grocery shopping remember a few simple rules:

- try to stick to the store perimeter – fruits, vegetable, dairy and meat, and grains
- look for products with short ingredient lists
- don’t automatically believe health claims on packages – read the nutrition label

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