Dr David Katz, a nutritionist and former director of medical studies in public health at Yale University, has devised a new food labelling system, known as the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI), or the NuVal system, the Guardian has reported.

The ONQI gives a score from 1 to 100 to a foodstuff, according to how nutritious it is. Foods score high if they contain dense amounts of nutrients, but lose points for sugar, salt or saturated fat content.

According to the system, fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, blueberries, green beans, okra and oranges score maximum points, while fizzy drinks and crackers score poorly.

So far, according to the Guardian, three supermarket chains in the US have adopted ONQI, while another 15-20 companies are reportedly planning to adopt the system next year.

Dr Katz stated that the system was the result of an attempt to simplify nutritional guidelines and create a single measure that could be applied to every food product sold in the supermarket.