OnCo
termsTerm

Ultra-processed food (NOVA group 4)

aka UPF, NOVA classification

Industrially formulated products made mostly from extracted or synthesised ingredients (soft drinks, packaged snacks, reconstituted meats, many ready meals). High intake is linked with obesity and, in cohorts, with more cancer.

NOVA classifies foods by degree and purpose of processing rather than nutrient content; group 4 products typically contain additives, are energy-dense and hyper-palatable, and displace whole foods. Cohort associations with cancer are replicated but graded 'suggestive'; criticisms include classification unreliability and confounding by socioeconomic status. Policy interest is high (front-of-pack warnings in Chile and Mexico, school food rules).

Category
Nutrition & lifestyle

Connected

6top

Pages like this

not linked directly; found by shared links