NOVA reform: The flawed UPF classification system requires change
The NOVA classification – a framework for grouping edible substances together, based on the extent to which they have been processed – has been a source of controversy and heated debate, since its introduction in 2009.
Advocates celebrate its clear categorisation of food processing levels, making heavily-processed foods easy to identify.
“The NOVA-UPF screener, developed in Brazil, is a simple and quick tool to assess and monitor the consumption of these food products,” said a spokesperson for a recent study, analysing the NOVA system, published in the BioMed Central journal.
Meanwhile critics slam its oversimplification of a complex subject, saying it neglects to provide essential information to consumers.
"NOVA classification fails to demonstrate the criteria required for dietary guidance."
“NOVA classification fails to demonstrate the criteria required for dietary guidance – understandability, affordability, workability and practicality,” said a FoodDrink Europe spokesperson.
They even go so far as to say nutritious foods could be demonised under the current NOVA framework.
“The level of processing our food and drink undergoes does not determine the nutritional content of the final product,” they added.
So, could an updated version of the NOVA classification fix these issues, and would the food and beverage industry adopt it?
What will the next generation of NOVA look like?
For 15 years, the NOVA classification has been used as the common framework for grouping foods and beverages, based on the extent of the processing applied to them.
Now the Novo Nordisk Foundation is supporting a two-year project to develop the next generation of the NOVA classification.
Led by Professor Susanne Bügel at the University of Copenhagen, the project will run from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026, with the aim of restructuring the current system. And top of the list of requirements for the new system is the ability to take the nutritional content and food matrix of ultra-processed foods, into account.
What is the food matrix?
The food matrix refers to the chemical and physical components of food, as well as their molecular relationships, which affect how food is digested and metabolised by the body.
Ultra-processed foods have received strong criticism in recent years, with the World Health Organization releasing a damning report in June, directly comparing them to alcohol and tobacco in terms of damage to health. And earlier this month, a study from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, linked UPF consumption to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
As a result of this mounting negative attention, many in the food and beverage industry, who believe their products have been unfairly classified under NOVA, are keen to see reform.
Similarly, Professor Bügel’s team argues that, in terms of health perspectives, the NOVA classification is imprecise and can lead to misclassification, and an update is needed.
“This update should not only focus on misclassification but also on lack of evidence from intervention studies, as the main body of evidence is relying on observational studies,” says Professor Bügel. “Additionally, this project will focus on the mechanisms in order to elucidate more on the perspectives related to processing and nutritional value respectively.”
The ultimate aim of the project is to establish a viable alternative to the current NOVA system. But far from looking to criticise the team who created the NOVA classification, the team plans to include them in their work.
"An important aim of this project is to bring experts together and include both those who invented the original NOVA classification."
“An important aim of this project is to bring experts together and include both those who invented the original NOVA classification and those who have been critical,” says Professor Bügel.
What does this mean for the food and beverage industry?
This development will come as welcome news to many food and beverage brands who feel they have been unfairly penalised by the current NOVA system.
It could also spark a new reformulation trend, whereby brands up the nutritional content of their products, in order to be perceived more favourably by a new system that takes nutrient-value into account.
What is the NOVA classification?
The NOVA classification is a framework for grouping edible substances, based on the extent to which they have been processed. The term was established in 2009 by researchers at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Foods in the NOVA classification system are placed into one of four groups, as follows:
- Group 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
Examples include fruit, vegetables, milk, fish, pulses, eggs, nuts - Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients
This includes foods that are added to other foods rather than eaten by themselves, such as salt, sugar and oils. - Group 3: Processed foods
These are foods, which are made by combining foods from groups 1 and 2. They are altered in a way that home cooks could do themselves and include foods such as jams, pickles, tinned fruits and vegetables and homemade breads and cheeses. - Group 4: Ultra-processed foods
These typically contain five or more ingredients. They tend to include additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours. These foods generally have a long shelf life such as crisps, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavoured yogurts, instant soups.
