Hy-Vee Introduces ‘FoodHealth Score’ to Illinois, Iowa Shoppers

Hy-Vee's latest collaboration is aiming to bring "nutrition-transparency" to customers via a simple, easy-to-read score that looks at the relative healthiness of everyday products.

Hy-Vee announced their collaboration with the FoodHealth Company to adopt their "FoodHealth Score" in their stores, for the benefit of their shoppers. The FoodHealth Score is the "industry standard nutrition-transparency metric," per a press release from Hy-Vee.

READ MORE: The Dyersville Hy-Vee Has Officially Completed its Rebrand

What is the FoodHealth Score?:

The FoodHealth Score is a 1-100 scoring system that allows customers to compare the nutritional value of certain foods across the spectrum. Everything from a box of cereal to a cucumber is given a score based on its nutrient density and ingredient quality, per the press release.

A score of 50 marks "the midpoint:" foods with a higher number trend healthier, while foods with a lower score are less healthy. In addition to the score, FoodHealth provides insights to explain how/why a particular food got that score. They also provide "Better-For-You Options," which promote healthy alternatives to customers.

All About Access and Information:

Hy-Vee President Aaron Wiese explained this partnership with the FoodHealth Company:

With the implementation of the FoodHealth Score in our app, we want to make healthy food options more accessible and transparent. This tool builds upon the dietitian and pharmacy services we already offer and adds to our holistic ‘food is medicine’ approach that we provide to our customers. Now more than ever before, we have the resources available to best serve individuals in their health journey - Hy-Vee President Aaron Wiese, per the press release

READ MORE: Nutritionist Dr. Marion Nestle Has Food Advice for Iowans

This move appears synonymous with political and cultural attitudes towards unhealthy ingredients in our foods. The push to eliminate red dyes, the condemnation of ultra-processed foods, and the promotion of beef tallow have all been hot topics in the zeitgeist over the last year.

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Here's a wild factoid too: nearly 60% of grocery dollars spent go to foods that are meant to be consumed on occasion. I write that as someone who brought 10 containers of ramen the other day when I went shopping. Research from NielsenIQ shows that more than 75% of shoppers say food transparency directly influences "their trust and loyalty to a grocery brand," per Hy-Vee's press release.

Read more about Hy-Vee's collaboration with the FoodHealth Company on Hy-Vee's website.