What Makes a Food 'Ultra-Processed'? Understanding the NOVA Classification System
The NOVA food classification system divides foods into four distinct groups based on processing level
Did you know the average American consumes over 60% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods?1 Yet many of us struggle to identify exactly what makes a food "ultra-processed." With so many nutrition claims on packaging these days, it can be hard to know which foods are truly healthy. That's where the NOVA classification system comes in - a simple but powerful tool that helps us understand how processed our food really is.
When I first started paying attention to food processing levels, I was shocked to discover that many products marketed as "healthy" were actually highly processed. A granola bar I'd been eating daily had over 30 ingredients, most of which I couldn't pronounce! This realization sparked my journey to create a tool that would make identifying ultra-processed foods easier for everyone.
Beyond "Processed" vs. "Unprocessed"
For years, we've heard that processed foods are bad and whole foods are good. But the reality is more nuanced. Not all processing is harmful - after all, cooking is a form of processing! What matters is the type and degree of processing, and that's exactly what the NOVA system helps us understand.
Developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, the NOVA classification has become the most widely used scientific system for categorizing foods based on processing.2 Unlike traditional systems that focus only on nutrients, NOVA looks at what happens to food before it reaches your plate.
The spectrum of processing: from minimally processed whole foods to ultra-processed products
The Four NOVA Categories
NOVA divides all foods into four distinct groups based on the nature, purpose, and extent of processing.3 Let's break them down:
Group 1: Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods
These are natural foods altered by processes like cleaning, removing inedible parts, drying, crushing, or pasteurization. The key point is that nothing is added – no salt, sugar, oils or other substances.
Examples: Fresh fruits and vegetables, dried beans, nuts, meats, milk, eggs, herbs, and spices.
Group 2: Processed Culinary Ingredients
These are substances obtained directly from Group 1 foods or from nature by processes like pressing, refining, grinding, or drying. They're rarely eaten by themselves and are mainly used to prepare and cook Group 1 foods.
Examples: Salt, sugar, honey, vegetable oils, butter, and lard.
Group 3: Processed Foods
These are relatively simple products made by adding Group 2 ingredients (like salt, sugar, or oil) to Group 1 foods. Most processed foods have two or three ingredients and are recognizable as modified versions of the original foods.
Examples: Canned vegetables, fruits in syrup, cheese, freshly made bread, and canned fish.
Group 4: Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)
This is where things get interesting. Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch, proteins), derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats, modified starch), or synthesized in laboratories (flavor enhancers, colors, and other additives used to make the product hyper-palatable).
The key characteristic of ultra-processed foods is that they contain ingredients you wouldn't find in a typical home kitchen.
Examples: Packaged snacks, cookies, ice cream, candy, mass-produced breads, breakfast cereals, energy bars, sodas, flavored yogurts, and ready-to-heat meals.
How to Spot an Ultra-Processed Food
The easiest way to identify an ultra-processed food is to check the ingredients list. Look for these telltale signs:
- A long list of ingredients (often more than 5)
- Ingredients you don't recognize or can't pronounce
- Additives with numbers (E-numbers in Europe) or chemical-sounding names
- Multiple types of sugar (corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, etc.)
- Refined oils, especially hydrogenated or interesterified oils
- Flavor enhancers, colors, emulsifiers, and stabilizers
- Protein isolates and modified starches
Transitioning from ultra-processed to minimally processed foods can dramatically improve your diet quality
Why Does the NOVA Classification Matter?
Research has consistently linked higher consumption of ultra-processed foods with increased health risks. According to recent studies, ultra-processed foods now make up approximately 73% of the US food supply4 and account for about 60% of calorie intake in the average American diet.1
Higher consumption of UPFs is associated with increased risks of:
- Obesity and weight gain5
- Type 2 diabetes6
- Heart disease7
- Cancer8
- Depression9
- All-cause mortality (risk of death from any cause)10
A groundbreaking 2019 study published in Cell Metabolism found that people eating ultra-processed foods consumed about 500 more calories per day than when they ate minimally processed foods, even when meals were matched for calories, sugars, fat, fiber, and macronutrients.11
The Practical Challenge: Identifying UPFs While Shopping
While the NOVA system is scientifically sound, applying it in the real world can be challenging. Reading every ingredient list while grocery shopping is time-consuming, and many ingredients are unfamiliar to most shoppers.
This is precisely why I created the UPF Detector app. By simply scanning a barcode, you can instantly know whether a food is ultra-processed according to the NOVA classification. It takes the guesswork out of shopping and helps you make healthier choices without needing to become a food scientist.
Finding Balance in the Real World
It's important to note that the NOVA system isn't about creating fear or suggesting you must eliminate all processed foods. Most of us will include some ultra-processed foods in our diets occasionally. The goal is awareness and moderation.
Nutritional science increasingly suggests that focusing on reducing ultra-processed foods might be more important than obsessing over specific nutrients like fats or carbs. By understanding the NOVA system, you're equipped with a powerful framework for making better food choices.
Identify Ultra-Processed Foods Instantly
Ready to easily spot ultra-processed foods while shopping? Download the UPF Detector app today and take the guesswork out of grocery shopping.
"After using UPF Detector for just two weeks, I realized that over 70% of my usual grocery items were ultra-processed. The app has completely changed how I shop!"
— Sarah T., App User
References
- 1. Martinez Steele E, Baraldi LG, Louzada ML, et al. (2016). "Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study." BMJ Open, 6(3):e009892.
- 2. Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Moubarac JC, et al. (2018). "The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing." Public Health Nutrition, 21(1):5-17.
- 3. Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Lawrence M, et al. (2019). "Ultra-processed foods, diet quality, and health using the NOVA classification system." Rome: FAO.
- 4. Baldridge AS, Almeida VBP, Fallon C, et al. (2019). "Ultra-processed Foods in the U.S. Food Supply: A Critical Review." Public Health Nutrition, 22(15):2704-2713.
- 5. Elizabeth L, Machado P, Zinöcker M, et al. (2020). "Ultra-Processed Foods and Health Outcomes: A Narrative Review." Nutrients, 12(7):1955.
- 6. Srour B, Fezeu LK, Kesse-Guyot E, et al. (2020). "Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes among participants of the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort." JAMA Internal Medicine, 180(2):283-291.
- 7. Srour B, Fezeu LK, Kesse-Guyot E, et al. (2019). "Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé)." BMJ, 365:l1451.
- 8. Fiolet T, Srour B, Sellem L, et al. (2018). "Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort." BMJ, 360:k322.
- 9. Gómez-Donoso C, Sánchez-Villegas A, Martínez-González MA, et al. (2020). "Ultra-processed food consumption and the incidence of depression in a Mediterranean cohort: the SUN Project." European Journal of Nutrition, 59(3):1093-1103.
- 10. Rico-Campà A, Martínez-González MA, Alvarez-Alvarez I, et al. (2019). "Association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and all cause mortality: SUN prospective cohort study." BMJ, 365:l1949.
- 11. Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. (2019). "Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: An inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake." Cell Metabolism, 30(1):67-77.e3.