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The NOVA classification of foods has four groups [1], with the definition of Ultraprocessed as > Formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial us
by abdullahkhalids 3y ago
The NOVA classification of foods has four groups [1], with the definition of Ultraprocessed as
> Formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, made by a series of industrial processes, many requiring sophisticated equipment and technology (hence ‘ultra-processed’). Processes used to make ultra-processed foods include the fractioning of whole foods into substances, chemical modifications of these substances, assembly of unmodified and modified food substances using industrial techniques such as extrusion, moulding and pre-frying; use of additives at various stages of manufacture whose functions include making the final product palatable or hyper-palatable; and sophisticated packaging, usually with plastic and other synthetic materials. Ingredients include sugar, oils or fats, or salt, generally in combination, and substances that are sources of energy and nutrients that are of no or rare culinary use such as high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, and protein isolates; classes of additives whose function is to make the final product palatable or more appealing such as flavours, flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, and sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling, and glazing agents; and additives that prolong product duration, protect original properties or prevent proliferation of microorganisms.
The FAO also recommends that law should mandate that ultraprocessed food be labelled as such.
In the meantime, you can also just search for a particular food item on Openfoodfacts to see its classification. For instance, Nutella [2] is ultraprocessed.
[1] https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/CA5644EN.pdf https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/CA5644EN.pdf
[2] https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/3017620422003/nutella-ferrero https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/3017620422003/nutell...
- JohnFen 3y agoThat definition seems very broad to me. Broad enough that I question how meaningful it is.
- GeoAtreides 3y agoFrom the OP's first citation: >The NOVA food classification system with its identification and definition of ultra-processed foods is the one that by far has been most applied in the scientific literature Seems like the NOVA food classification it's good enough for the actual experts in the field. I suspect _they_ find it quite useful and meaningful.
- JohnFen 3y agoProbably so, but it seems too broad to be useful to me. It seems to include quite a lot of stuff that doesn't seem bad. This means any warning messages based on it aren't useful to me. Of course, I may just be too ignorant of the subject to properly understand, in which case such warning labels should also come with some sort of educational effort.
- abdullahkhalids 3y agoPlease read Table 1 from the FAO definition. There is a world of difference between Group 1 and Group 4. Personally, I can go around labeling my own food intake, and I estimate that at least 80-90% of my calories are not from ultraprocessed sources.
- rs999gti 3y agoBroad enough to drive legislation and lawsuits right through it
- tedunangst 3y agoI think homemade jam would tick nearly all those boxes.
- GeoAtreides 3y agoCan you please expand on that? Because if I remember correctly, at least in Eastern Europe jam is made by boiling fruits with sugar, simmered down until it thickens. What boxes is exactly homemade jam ticking?
- abdullahkhalids 3y agoIndeed. If you don't add the sugar, its group 1: minimally processed. If you add industrially made sugar (a group 2 item), it becomes group 3: processed.
- marcus0x62 3y agoThis commercial jam[0] is made with exactly the same ingredients as would be used to make home-made jam. It is Nova Group 4. The problem with the group 4 definition is it is a mix of things that are genuinely harmful, things that are completely irrelevant to the health of a given food item, and broad, vague definitions that could be used to describe almost any prepared food item as “ultra-processed” if one were so inclined. 0 - https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0096619217939/organic-strawberry-spread-kirkland-signature https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0096619217939/organi...
- abdullahkhalids 3y agoI make jam at home. I usually just heat the fruit (strawberries, raspberries etc) alone, with not even added sugar. That's group 1. If I add sugar, it becomes group 3. If I did add pectin for some reason, it becomes group 4. Yes, I agree that group 4 is very broad, but I think as an initial attempt its good. Breaking things down into further groups is going to confuse people a lot more, especially because there are no distinct categories here. Too much overlap. Just asking people to eat less of group 4 is a much more reasonable public health objective.
- rs999gti 3y agoTofu and cheese meet all of these requirements.