Understanding Ultra-Processed Foods: An official classification

Understanding Ultra-Processed Foods: An official classification

After my supermarket revelation, I needed to understand exactly what I was looking for – and what I was trying to avoid. The term "ultra-processed food" gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? More importantly, how can you identify it when you're standing in a shop aisle with a product in your hand?

The NOVA Classification System

Scientists use something called the NOVA food classification system to categorize foods based on the extent and purpose of their processing. It divides foods into four groups:

• Group 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods – Fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, raw milk, nuts, seeds. These are foods in their natural state or with minimal processing like freezing, drying, or pasteurisation.
• Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients – Cold pressed oils, butter, sugar, salt, pasteurised milk. These are substances extracted from Group 1 foods or from nature, used in cooking to prepare Group 1 foods.
• Group 3: Processed foods – Canned vegetables, cheese, freshly baked bread, canned fish. These are made by adding Group 2 ingredients to Group 1 foods, using preservation methods like canning or bottling.
• Group 4: Ultra-processed foods (UPF) – Ready meals, soft drinks, mass-produced packaged breads, most breakfast cereals, biscuits, cakes, confectionery, margarine, instant soups and noodles. These are industrial formulations typically with five or more ingredients, including substances not commonly used in cooking on their own

Understanding this system helped me realise that not all processing is bad. Freezing vegetables, canning fish, or making cheese involves processing – but it's fundamentally different from creating a chicken nugget or a packaged cake that can sit on a shelf for months.