What is UPF?
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations made primarily from substances extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories, with little or no whole foods.
The NOVA Classification
The NOVA food classification system categorizes foods into four groups:
Group 1: Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods
Natural foods altered by processes such as removal of inedible parts, drying, crushing, grinding, fractioning, filtering, roasting, boiling, pasteurization, refrigeration, freezing, placing in containers, vacuum packaging, or non-alcoholic fermentation.
Group 2: Processed Culinary Ingredients
Substances obtained directly from Group 1 foods or from nature by processes such as pressing, refining, grinding, milling, and spray drying.
Group 3: Processed Foods
Products made by adding salt, oil, sugar, or other Group 2 ingredients to Group 1 foods, using preservation methods such as canning and bottling, and, in the case of breads and cheeses, using non-alcoholic fermentation.
Group 4: Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF)
Industrial formulations typically with five or more ingredients. Besides salt, sugar, oils, and fats, ingredients include food substances not commonly used in culinary preparations, such as modified starches, hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, and classes of additives whose purpose is to imitate sensorial qualities of unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
Why Should You Care?
Research has linked high consumption of ultra-processed foods to:
- Increased risk of obesity
- Higher risk of cardiovascular diseases
- Greater risk of type 2 diabetes
- Increased risk of certain cancers
- Poor mental health outcomes