Table 1.

NOVA food system classification according to levels of processing.

Group	Definition	Examples
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods	Unprocessed foods are natural foods that are edible parts of plants or animals. Minimally processed foods are natural foods altered for preservation or storage. Also include meals cooked at home or in restaurant kitchens as dishes or meals.	Seeds, fruits, vegetables, leaves, stems, roots, meat, eggs, milk, frozen vegetables, legumes.
Culinary ingredients	Substances derived from minimally processed foods or from nature by processes to obtain durable products that are suitable for use in home and restaurant kitchens to prepare, season, and cook. They are not meant to be consumed by themselves.	Salt, sugar, oils, butter.
Processed foods	Contain two or three ingredients and are recognizable as modified versions of unprocessed or minimally processed foods. They are edible by themselves or, more usually, in combination with other foods.	Bottled vegetables, canned fish, fruits in syrup, cheeses, and freshly made bread.
Ultraprocessed products	Made from substances derived from foods and additives, with little if any intact natural ingredient. They have a long list of ingredients, and many are derived from further processing of food constituents, such as hydrogenated or inter-esterified oils, hydrolyzed proteins, soya protein isolate, invert sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup. Include additives to imitate or enhance the sensory qualities (e.g., sodium monoglutamate) to create more convenient (ready-to-eat) and attractive products.	Soft drinks, cereal bars, breakfast cereals, industrial bread, sweet or savory packaged snacks, reconstituted meat products, pre-prepared frozen dishes, fast food, powder mixes, ready-to-eat food.