What is NOVA and why is it not a quality score?
NOVA groups foods by the extent and purpose of industrial processing. It is not a nutrient table and not a rating of a particular product. Explained from the source.
Author: Lulyo
On this page
Short answer
NOVA is a classification that groups foods by the extent and purpose of their industrial processing (Monteiro et al., 2019). It describes processing, not nutrient content, so belonging to a group is not by itself a quality score for a particular product.
Details
What NOVA is
In the commentary by Monteiro and co-authors (Public Health Nutrition, 2019), NOVA is described as a classification that groups foods according to the extent and purpose of industrial processing. The criterion is what was done to the food and why, not how much sugar, salt or any other substance it contains.1
Why it is not a quality score
Two things are easy to mix up: processing and nutrient content. NOVA is about the first. A group on its own does not say whether a product suits a particular child. For that you look at the ingredients, the child's age and sources, not at one group name.
How an ingredient list hints at it
The authors of the guide suggest a practical sign: whether the ingredient list includes classes of additives designed to make the final product more palatable or appealing.1 You can look up additives and their functions in the reference, and what E-numbers mean in What E-numbers mean.
Where NOVA stands on this site
The methodology page lists degree of processing (NOVA) among candidate criteria next to sugar, salt, additives and allergens. A rating is a methodological score of an ingredient list against published criteria, not a judgement of a product's overall quality. It shows which reasons apply to the list and links the sources. Try the ingredient list check. More on labels: How to read the ingredients on baby puree.
What we do not do here
We do not list the four NOVA groups. We opened only the short summary of the commentary this article draws on, so see the original for the full description. We do not rate specific products. This is not medical advice.
More questions
How can I spot ultra-processing in an ingredient list?
The authors of the practical guide suggest checking whether the list includes classes of additives designed to make the final product more palatable or appealing.
Does this site use NOVA?
The methodology page lists degree of processing (NOVA) among candidate criteria next to others; this article explains what NOVA is and is not. A rating always shows its reasons with sources.
Where can I read the original?
Monteiro et al., "Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them", Public Health Nutrition, 2019: linked under sources below. See it for the full description of the groups.
Sources
- Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them (opens in a new tab)Public Health Nutrition, 2019Back to the text
This summarises third-party sources and is not medical advice. We do not rate specific products or brands.