Nutritional rating systems

It compares available carbohydrates gram-for-gram in foods to provide a numerical, evidence-based index of postprandial (post-meal) blood sugar level.

[citation needed] Guiding Stars is a patented food-rating system which rates food based on nutrient density with a scientific algorithm.

[citation needed] Nutri-Score is a nutrition label guide recommended by the European Commission and World Health Organization.

[3] It is a 5-color nutrition label selected by the French government in March 2017 for display on food products to facilitate consumer understanding of nutrient composition.

[4][5][6] It relies on the computation of a nutrient profiling system derived from the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency score.

[14] Marketed as NuVal, it was widely adopted in United States grocery stores before it was discontinued in 2017[14][13] amid accusations of conflicts of interest and for its refusal to publish the scoring algorithm.

[15] Launched late in 2009, the Smart Choices Program (SCP)[16] was a rating system developed by a coalition of companies from the food industry.

The program was discontinued in October 2009 after sharp criticism for including products such as Froot Loops, Lucky Charms, and Frosted Flakes as Smart Choices.

[17][18] On August 19, 2009, the FDA wrote a letter to SCP manager saying: "FDA and FSIS would be concerned if any FOP labeling systems used criteria that were not stringent enough to protect consumers against misleading claims, were inconsistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, or had the effect of encouraging consumers to choose highly processed foods and refined grains instead of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

SCP Chair Mike Hughes said: "It is more appropriate to postpone active operations and channel our information and learning to the agency to support their initiative.