Table 1.

The Nova classification system: Definition and examples of each Nova food group

Food groups and definition	Examples
1 Unprocessed or minimally processed foods Unprocessed foods are those obtained directly from plants or animals (such as green leaves and fruits, or eggs and milk) and purchased for consumption without having undergone any alteration following their removal from nature. Minimally processed foods are unprocessed foods that have been submitted to cleaning, removal of inedible or unwanted parts, fractioning, grinding, drying, fermentation, pasteurization, cooling, freezing, or other processes that do not add substances to the original food. The purpose of minimum processing is to preserve foods and make it possible to store them and, sometimes, also to reduce the stages of food preparation (cleaning and removing inedible parts), to facilitate their digestion, or to render them more palatable (grinding or fermentation).	•Natural, packaged, cut, chilled or frozen vegetables, fruits, potatoes, cassava, and other roots and tubers •Bulk or packaged white, parboiled and wholegrain rice •Whole or separated corn •Grains of wheat and other cereals that are dried, polished, or ground as grits or flour •Dried or fresh pasta made from wheat flour and water •All types of beans •Lentils, chickpeas, and other legumes •Dried fruits, fruit juices fresh or pasteurized without added sugar or other substances •Nuts, peanuts, and other oilseeds without salt or sugar •Fresh and dried mushrooms and other fungi •Fresh and dried herbs and spices •Fresh, frozen, dried beef, pork, poultry, and other meat and fish •Pasteurized, “long-life” and powdered milk •Fresh and dried eggs •Yogurt without sugar •Tea, herbal infusions, coffee, and tap, spring, and mineral water
2 Processed culinary ingredients These are substances extracted from unprocessed foods or from the nature itself using processes such as pressing, grinding, crushing, pulverizing, and refining. The purpose of processing is to obtain ingredients used in home and restaurant kitchens to season and cook unprocessed or minimally processed foods and to create with them varied and enjoyable dishes such as soups and broths; salads; rice and bean dishes; grilled or roasted vegetables and meat; and homemade breads, pies, cakes, and desserts.	•Plant oils •Coconut and animal fats (including butter and lard) •Table sugar, maple syrup (100%), molasses, and honey •Table salt
3 Processed foods These are relatively simple products manufactured essentially with the addition of salt or sugar or other substances of common culinary use, such as oil or vinegar, to unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Breads made with wheat flour, yeast, water, sugar and salt, or other ingredients used in culinary preparations are classified in this group. Processed foods also include alcoholic drinks produced by the fermentation of group 1 food items. The purpose here is to prolong the durability of foods and to modify their palatability.	•Canned and bottled vegetables, legumes, or fruits •Salted nuts or seeds •Salted, smoked, or cured meat or fish •Canned sardine and tuna •Cheeses •Wine, beer, and cider •Breads that comply with the processed food definition
4 Ultraprocessed foods Food products made up from several ingredients (formulations) including sugar, oils, fats, and salt (generally in combination and in higher amounts than in processed foods) and food substances of no or rare culinary use (such as high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, modified starches and protein isolates). Group 1 foods are absent or represent a small proportion of the ingredients in the formulation. These are food and drink products whose manufacturing involves several stages and various processing techniques and ingredients, many of which are used exclusively by industry. The purpose of processing is to create durable, accessible, convenient, and highly palatable, ready-to-drink, ready-to-eat, or ready-to-heat products typically consumed as snacks or desserts or as fast meals, which replace dishes prepared from scratch. Alcoholic beverages produced by fermentation of group 1 food items followed by distillation and eventual addition of sugars or other substances are also classified in this group. Breads and baked goods become ultraprocessed products when, in addition to wheat flour, yeast, water, sugar, and salt, their ingredients include substances that are not used in culinary preparations, such as hydrogenated vegetable fat, whey, emulsifiers, and other additives.	•Confectionery •Soft drinks, energy drinks, sweetened juices, and powders for juices •Dairy drinks •Sausages, chicken and fish nuggets or sticks •Pre-prepared frozen dishes •Dried products such as cake mix, powdered soup, instant noodles, ready-to-eat seasonings •Packaged snacks •Ready-to-eat cereals and cereal bars •Sugar substitutes, sweeteners, and all syrups (excluding 100% maple syrup) •Breads and baked goods that comply with ultraprocessed food definition