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A nutritional scoring system that Hy-Vee Inc. tested last fall at its Greater Des Moines stores will now help its customers throughout the Midwest eat healthier.

The West Des Moines-based supermarket chain has launched the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System, which assigns food products a number from 1 to 100 based on their nutritional value, with 100 being the most nutritious possible.

“When we’re in a position to make a difference in people’s lives, we should,” Hy-Vee CEO Ric Jurgens said in a press release. “This program has the potential to improve the health of our nation.”

Shoppers will find the scores on double-hexagon-shaped emblems on the shelf tags next to the price of the items scored. Hy-Vee’s 125 in-store dietitians will augment the program by answering questions about the scores or explaining the program in more detail.

Hy-Vee licensed the system from NuVal LLC, a Massachusetts group of nutrition and health experts that developed the quantitative scoring system. NuVal scores are obtained through an algorithm known as the Overall Nutritional Quality Index, which analyzes products for 30 nutrients.

Jurgens said an advantage of the program is that it is completely objective because it was developed by experts with no ties to food manufacturers or retailers.

Hy-Vee appears to be the first grocery chain in Iowa to offer such a nutritional rating system, said Jerry Fleagle, president of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. Nationally, at least three similar systems are available, and grocers are showing a lot of interest, he said. “The positive for NuVal is it’s really simple for consumers to understand, which is very important,” Fleagle said.

The scores will initially be available for more than a dozen food categories, including fresh produce, frozen and canned vegetables, cereal, juice, crackers and cookies. Categories will be continually added as scores become available, and the majority of foods will be scored by early 2010, Hy-Vee said.

Hy-Vee, which in 2008 recorded total sales of $6.2 billion, ranks among the top 30 supermarket chains in the country. It operates 225 retail stores in seven states.