The NOVA Food Classification Framework

Have you noticed that Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) is THE hot topic in nutrition lately? | Clemence Cleave RNutr

Understanding NOVA’s Four Food Categories

Developed by Carlos Monteiro and colleagues at the University of São Paulo in 2009, the NOVA classification organizes foods based on the extent and purpose of industrial processing (en.wikipedia.org). The four groups are:

  1. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes
  2. Processed culinary ingredients: e.g., oils, salt, sugar
  3. Processed foods: e.g., canned fruit, cheese, freshly baked bread
  4. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs): industrial formulations with multiple ingredients and additives, often hyperpalatable, with little or no intact whole foods.

What Makes Category 4: Ultra‑Processed Foods?

UPFs are industrial products composed of:

  • Multiple ingredients, including sugars, hydrogenated oils, protein isolates
  • Additives for flavor, color, texture, shelf-life (e.g., emulsifiers, sweeteners)
  • Industrial processes such as extrusion, molding, pre-frying, complex packaging

They often contain minimal whole-food content, are ready-to-eat/drink, aggressively marketed, and engineered to be hyperpalatable.

Why UPFs Matter: Evidence from the Literature

1. Widespread Consumption

UPFs now account for over half of total calorie intake in countries like the US (≈58%) and the UK (≈57%).

2. Links to Poor Diet Quality & Chronic Disease

UPF intake strongly correlates with:

  • Obesity and weight gain: People consuming UPFs consume ~500 kcal more/day, leading to rapid weight gain
  • Cardiometabolic risk: Meta‑analyses confirm associations with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and CVD
  • Cancer and mortality: Elevated risks include breast, colorectal, head/neck cancers; a 15% increase in all-cause mortality at high UPF intake

3. Mechanistic Insights

  • Poor nutrient profile: High in sugars, fats, sodium; low in fiber/protein → dysregulated appetite, glycemic swings, inflammation
  • Processing/adduct effects: Additives and packaging may disrupt gut microbiota and provoke chronic inflammation; metabolic studies are ongoing

4. Reliability & Limitations

  • The NOVA system shows high inter-rater reliability for categorizing foods (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  • Some express concerns over definition imprecision, potential misclassification, and being driven by social signals rather than biochemistry

Public Health & Policy

The NOVA framework has inspired:

  • Brazilian dietary guidelines, advising “avoid ultra-processed foods”
  • Adoption by international bodies: PAHO, WHO, French & Canadian public health nutrition policies (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  • Calls for regulation: Front-of-package warnings, UPF taxes, ad restrictions, reformulation – despite industry resistance

Conclusion

Category 4 (UPFs) in the NOVA system encapsulates industrially formulated, additive-rich products consciously crafted for convenience and palatability—far removed from whole foods. A robust and growing body of high-quality studies links UPFs to obesity, cardiometabolic disease, cancer, mental illness, and increased mortality. While debate persists about processing versus nutrient composition, the evidence supports reducing UPF consumption as a public health priority. NOVA remains a transparent, reliable, and widely used lens through which to evaluate and regulate modern food environments.

Citations

Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Moubarac JC, et al. Ultra‑processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition. 2019.

Lane MM, Gamage E, Du S, et al. Ultra‑processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: Umbrella review of epidemiological meta‑analyses. BMJ. 2024;384.

Isaksen IM, Dankel SN. Ultra‑processed food consumption and cancer risk: Systematic review and meta‑analysis. Clinical Nutrition. 2023.

Chen Z, Khandpur N, Desjardins C, Wang L, Monteiro CA. Ultra‑processed food consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2023;46(2):e28–e37

Lockyer S, Spiro A, Berry S, He J, et al. Best practices for applying the NOVA food classification system. Nature Food. 2023

‘Ultra‑processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes’. BMJ. 2023

‘Ultra‑processed foods: how functional is the NOVA system?’. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Nature). 2022.

Articles

  • The New York Times: “Ultraprocessed foods are linked to poor health. But scientists are only beginning to understand why.” References recent mechanistic research and cautions nuanced interpretation. facebook.com+1facebook.com+1

  • Wired: “Fat, Sugar, Salt … You’ve Been Thinking About Food All Wrong.” Covers NOVA history, Monteiro’s motivations, and clinical trials. wired.com

  • People.com: “Ultra‑Processed Foods Linked to Preventable Deaths, According to New Study.” Details a global cohort linking increased UPF intake to a rise in all‑cause mortality. people.com+1en.wikipedia.org+1

  • Daily Telegraph (Australia): Coverage of a BMJ umbrella review linking UPF intake to risks in 32 conditions. dailytelegraph.com.au

  • EatingWell: “I’m a Dietitian, and These Are the Processed and Ultra‑Processed Foods I Eat Every Day.” Offers practical nuance around certain UPFs. eatingwell.com

APPLICATION

Apply the Perfact filter for UPF foods based on criteria provided by the NOVA Scientific Team: http://nova.perfact.co/ 

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