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What Is The NOVA Classification System?
NOVA is a way of grouping foods according to the nature, purpose and extent of the processing used to make them. It was developed by researchers led by Carlos Monteiro and is widely used in research on ultra-processed foods.
The key idea is simple: a food’s processing history can matter. NOVA does not start with calories, sugar, fat, salt, protein or front-of-pack claims. It starts with the food itself, the ingredients used, and the role those ingredients play in the finished product.
One of the most common misconceptions about UPFs is that all processing is bad. In reality, many everyday foods are processed without being ultra-processed. The important question is not simply whether a food has been processed, but what type of processing has been used and what ingredients have been added.
How No More UPF uses NOVA
We use NOVA as the starting framework for product audits. The NOVA group is the classification. Any wider comments about nutrition, price, marketing or how a product might fit into someone’s diet are separate context.
NOVA at a glance: the four processing groups
| Group | Name | Simple description | Typical UK examples | No More UPF meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unprocessed or minimally processed foods | Foods close to their original form. |
|
Not UPF
Usually the foundation of a whole-food pattern. |
| 2 | Processed culinary ingredients | Substances extracted from foods or nature and used in cooking. |
|
Not UPF
An ingredient, not usually a ready-to-eat food. |
| 3 | Processed foods | Group 1 foods with salt, oil, sugar or similar culinary ingredients added. |
|
Not UPF
Processed, but not necessarily an industrial formulation. |
| 4 | Ultra-processed foods | Industrial formulations, often with additives or substances rarely used in home kitchens. |
|
UPF
Likely NOVA Group 4 when the whole formulation supports that verdict. |
The processing continuum
Natural or minimally changed
Food remains close to its original form.
Culinary ingredients
Ingredients used to cook, season or prepare food.
Processed from foods
Group 1 foods with Group 2 ingredients added.
Industrial formulation
Multiple ingredients, often with cosmetic additives.
How this fits together
NOVA Classification
Explains the nature, purpose and extent of processing.
No More UPF Methodology
Explains how we apply NOVA to real supermarket products.
Product Audits
Show the method in action using current labels and category context.
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What NOVA Is Not
NOVA is about food processing. It is not a full diet-quality score, medical assessment or nutrient profile. A food can be high in sugar, salt or saturated fat without automatically being NOVA Group 4. A food can also be fortified, high-protein, low-calorie or organic and still be ultra-processed.
This is why No More UPF keeps classification and context separate. The classification tells readers which NOVA group a product appears to belong to. Context can then explain nutrition, marketing claims, category norms, uncertainty or practical swaps.
Plain English version
NOVA answers: how has this food been made? It does not fully answer: is this the best food for me, my budget, my allergies, my culture, my medical needs or my whole diet?
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NOVA Group 1: Unprocessed Or Minimally Processed Foods
Group 1 includes foods that are eaten in their natural state, plus foods that have been changed in simple ways to make them edible, safe, storable or practical to cook with. These changes can include washing, chilling, freezing, drying, grinding, pasteurising, fermenting without alcohol, cutting or removing inedible parts.
The key idea is that the original food is still recognisable after processing. It does not turn the food into an industrial formulation with cosmetic additives or substances rarely used in home kitchens.
COMMON UK EXAMPLES
Everyday Foods
Fruit, vegetables, potatoes, rice, oats, dried lentils, eggs, plain milk, plain yoghurt, fresh meat, fish, herbs and spices.
MINIMAL PROCESSING
Still Group 1
Category matters because bread, cereals, yoghurts, plant milks, protein bars and ready Frozen peas, bagged salad, pasteurised milk, plain rolled oats, dried beans, ground coffee and plain frozen fruit can still fit Group 1.
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NOVA Group 2: Processed Culinary Ingredients
Group 2 is made up of ingredients extracted from Group 1 foods or from nature. These are not usually eaten on their own as a meal. They are used in kitchens to season, cook and prepare dishes.
Group 2 ingredients matter because they can be used in home cooking, in processed foods, and in ultra-processed formulations. Their presence alone does not automatically make a finished product ultra-processed.
KITCHEN INGREDIENTS
Typical Group 2 foods
Oils, butter, sugar, salt, vinegar, honey, starches and other ingredients used to cook or season foods.
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION
Oil is not automatically UPF
Using rapeseed oil, olive oil, butter, sugar or salt does not by itself make a food ultra-processed. The whole formulation still matters.
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NOVA Group 3: Processed Foods
Group 3 foods are usually made by adding Group 2 ingredients, such as salt, oil or sugar, to Group 1 foods. The purpose is often preservation, flavour, safety or making the food more enjoyable.
These foods are processed, but not necessarily ultra-processed. This is one of the most useful distinctions for shoppers: processed does not automatically mean UPF.
COMMON EXAMPLES
Processed, not automatically UPF
Plain cheese, tinned fish, canned vegetables, simple bread, salted nuts, fruit in syrup and fermented foods can fit Group 3 depending on their ingredients.
LABEL CLUE
Shorter, recognisable formulation
A Group 3 product is usually recognisable as a modified version of a Group 1 food, with ordinary culinary ingredients added.
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NOVA Group 4: Ultra-Processed Foods
Group 4 foods are industrial formulations. They are usually made from combinations of ingredients, including substances rarely used in home cooking and additives used to shape flavour, colour, texture, sweetness, shelf life or mouthfeel.
In practical label-reading terms, NOVA Group 4 markers can include:
- flavourings
- emulsifiers
- sweeteners
- colours
- modified starches
- protein isolates
- maltodextrin
- glazing agents
- texture agents
These markers need to be interpreted in the context of the whole product. One ingredient alone does not always decide the classification.
COMMON EXAMPLES
Often NOVA Group 4
Soft drinks, many sweets and crisps, instant noodles, many protein bars, many flavoured yoghurts, many ready meals, and many mass-produced packaged baked goods.
LABEL CLUE
The label still decides
We do not classify a whole category by reputation alone. We check the ingredient list and formulation before giving a product verdict.
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Common Grey Areas
Some foods are easy to place. Others need more care because similar-looking products can fall into different NOVA groups. Bread, breakfast cereals, yoghurts, plant milks, ready meals and protein products are common examples.
BREAD
Simple loaf or industrial formulation?
Flour, water, salt and yeast may point to a processed food. Emulsifiers, flavourings, humectants or other cosmetic additives may move a loaf into NOVA Group 4.
YOGHURT
Plain or dessert-like?
Milk and cultures are different from a flavoured product with sweeteners, flavourings, colours, thickeners or dessert-style formulation.
PLANT MILKS
Category needs care
Some contain mainly water, a plant ingredient and salt. Others include oils, gums, emulsifiers, flavourings, sweeteners or fortification systems.
PROTEIN FOODS
Protein claim does not decide
Protein isolates, flavour systems, sweeteners and texture agents can be NOVA clues, but the full product still needs checking.
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How This Links To Our Product Audits
The NOVA groups explain the framework. Our methodology page explains how No More UPF applies that framework to real products. Product audits then show the method in action using current labels, category context and a strict verdict-first format.
If a product is nuanced, we still lead with the NOVA verdict. Any extra explanation sits separately as a “What To Know” note so readers can see the difference between classification and interpretation.
WHERE TO GO NEXT
Explore Specific Foods, Ingredients and Audits
OUR METHOD
See how we classify products
NEW TO UPFS?
Read the Beginner’s Guide
NEXT SKILL
Learn how to read food labels
EXAMPLES
Browse product audits
SOURCES
Further Reading & References
This page is based on published NOVA guidance and UK evidence-review context. It is an educational guide, not medical advice.
For a full list of the research and institutional sources that underpin this approach, see our Beginner’s Guide to Ultra-Processed Foods.
- Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, Moubarac JC, Louzada MLC, et al. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition. 2019.
- Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Lawrence M, Louzada MLC, Machado PP. Ultra-processed foods, diet quality, and health using the NOVA classification system. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2019.
- Martinez-Steele E, Khandpur N, Batis C, Bes-Rastrollo M, Bonaccio M, et al. Best practices for applying the Nova food classification system. Nature Food. 2023.
- Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. SACN statement on processed foods and health. GOV.UK. 2023.