The NOVA classification is a system that sorts food according to the intensity of the transformation to which it has been subjected. And it is especially useful for distinguishing health friends and enemies. It is divided into 4 levels, from natural and unprocessed foods to ultra-processed foods. The ultraprocessed foods are mostly junk food - or junk food, or HFSS (High In Fats, Sugar and Sodium). Namely foods with nutritional profiles unbalanced, whose diffusion and frequency of consumption today represents the first cause of the epidemic of obesity, malnutrition and related diseases that afflict the planet (cd Global Syndemic).
NOVA classification
The system NOVA classification was developed by a research group of the University of Sao Paulo, which fine-tuned and redefined it in the final version in 2016. (1)
NEW collectively defines the processes as'the physical, chemical and biological processes that affect various foods once they are separated from nature and before they are consumed or used in the preparation of dishes. '
4 categories of food
NEW distinguishes four categories of food:
1) unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Water falls into it, 'edible parts of plants (seeds, fruits, leaves, stems, roots)', fungi and algae. But also the simpler products of animal origin, such as eggs, milk, unprocessed meats,
2) ingredients for home cooking. They are the basic foods for the preparation and seasoning of foods. Oils and fats, vinegar and salt, sugar, aromatic herbs and spices, etc.
3) processed foods (processed food). Foods consumed daily are part of this group. Bread, pasta, cheeses, meats and fish in the simplest processes, vegetable preserves,
4) ultraprocessed foods (ultra-processed food). Snack rich in fats, added sugars and / or salt, sweets, sugary drinks. Without neglecting sausage and other products made with mechanically separated meats and preservatives other than salt (eg nitrites, sorbates), ready meals.
Ultraprocessed foods
Foods ultraprocessed are distinguished by the presence of substances foreign to domestic food preparations. Food additives and processed ingredients, extracted from simple foods (e.g. casein, whey, gluten) or obtained from further manufacturing processes (e.g. hydrogenated fats and oils, hydrolyzed proteins, modified starches, invert sugar).
This is it the category of foods to avoid and exclude from the diet of one's own and loved ones to protect health. Since these are foods with unbalanced nutritional profiles, which expose consumers of all ages to excessive intakes of fats and / or saturated fats, simple sugars and / or sodium, as well as chemicals used as food additives (or residues as technological adjuvants) . With consequent serious risks of premature mortality from any cause, already amply demonstrated in the scientific literature.
Ultraprocessed and serious health risks. Scientific studies
They recall in summary, some short scientific reviews that we have already published, on the correlations between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and serious health risks. Which materialize in the greater risk of contracting serious and chronic non-communicable diseases (Non-Communicable Diseases, NCDs):
- cardiovascular disease and premature mortality,
- non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver, NAFL) and its degenerations,
- genetic modification and premature cell aging,
- alteration of DNA and the immune system, acute inflammation, acceleration of diseases such as arteriosclerosis and type 2 diabetes,
Public health vs. Big food
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) considers the NOVA classification as a useful tool to guide the nutritional policies. With the aim of promoting the consumption of fresh and healthy food, possibly local and from agroecology, underlines the FAO.
WHO (World Health Organization, also known as WHO, World Health Organization) in turn has been calling for years the adoption of nutritional profiles suitable to distinguish balanced foods from junk food. Already since 2016 WHO complaint the advertising of the junk food, underlining the danger to public health e invoking its restrictions. Besides soda tax the taxation of sugary drinks.
Big food instead it continues to interfere with the authorities responsible for the protection of public health, as seen. For the express purpose of continuing unhindered the sale of junk food around the world. Since produce junk food with bad ingredients such as palm oil (otherwise destined for automotive biodiesel) allows for unparalleled profits.
A POP disgrace (Profit Over People), a NOVA hope.
Dario Dongo and Marta Singed
Footnotes
(1) On the NOVA classification see Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB et al. (2016). 'NOVA, the star shines bright - Food classification. Public health '. World Nutrition, Volume 7, Number 1-3, January-March 2016. https://worldnutritionjournal.org/index.php/wn/article/view/5/4
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
A professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic studies on food and has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
