What are Ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed foods are those that are nothing like their original form. , salt, fats and additives.
Ultra-processed foods are products that are made in an edible industry from substances derived from other foods. They are typically loaded with added sugars, salt, fat, and various food additives for flavor, color, and longer shelf life.
Ultra-processed foods for example are pizzas, hamburgers and other fast food dishes, but so are many others that you find in any supermarket: soft drinks and other sugary or sweetened beverages, refined cereals, French fries and other snacks, sweets, pastries , desserts, sugary or sweetened dairy, processed meats, sausages, cookies, precooked dishes, energy or diet bars, etc.
It is important that we know how to differentiate all these products from other foods that are also processed, but are well processed. This is the case of extra virgin olive oil, artisan cheeses, canned fish, vegetables or legumes, frozen fish or vegetables, etc.
What is the NOVA system?
Nutrition has become one of the great concerns of the day to day. Health authorities never tire of repeating to us that a healthy and balanced diet is the best tool to prevent health problems.
But the food industry has evolved so much that we need new systems that classify food. To really know what we are eating and the consequences it can have for our body.
We know that the food industry has evolved so much that we need new systems that classify food globally. All consumers need to know that they are actually eating and the consequences it can have on their bodies.
For this reason the NOVA system classification was created. The NOVA system was developed in 2010 at the School of Public Health of the University of Sao Paulo.
It is a system that classifies foods by their degree of processing, ignoring the nutrients they contain. That is, it informs you how much a product is processed. 🥫
There are studies where they show that if you consume four daily servings of ultra-processed foods, it is related to 62% of the greater risks for all causes of mortality.
How are the ultra-processed foods of the NOVA system classified?
The NOVA system is a food classification model that considers four categories of products: unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods.
From the least processed such as frozen blueberries to the ultra-processed ones, some fried egg-flavored potato chips (true, there are those chips). After several systems developed in several countries, NOVA has become the most widely used and standardized tool.
The NOVA system recognizes 4 levels of processing:
🥦 Group 1 – Unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
That is to say, natural foods, such as vegetables, animal meat, fish, eggs or milk. Minimally processed foods are also included. For example, that have been chopped, roasted (like coffee), blanched, pasteurized (like milk), refrigerated, or frozen. The objective of this processing is to facilitate its preparation or improve its conservation.
In this group would enter the fresh foods.
🧂 Group 2 – Processed culinary ingredients
Processed culinary ingredients belong to this group. They are products extracted or refined from other products such as vegetable oils, animal fats, starches or sugar. Salt is also included in this group.
They are foods that are not consumed on their own. Its objective is to give palatability, greater acceptance or enrich meals.
We also include in this group foods that combine two products, such as butter with salt, as well as vinegar, a product of the fermentation of grapes.
🧀 Group 3 – Processed foods
From this group we already enter processed foods.
They are products normally processed with group 2 products (salt, sugar …). These products usually contain between 2-5 ingredients.
We are talking about canned vegetables, salted nuts, canned meat or fish, smoked or salted, cheeses, fruits in syrup and alcoholic beverages such as wine, cider and beer.
🍩 Group 4 – Ultra-processed foods and beverages.
In this group it is about ultra-processed foods, that is, we put the rest of the foods that we normally find in the supermarket, the bad ones of the group.
Industrial products with more than 5 ingredients in general, which usually contain group 2 products and many more food additives.
In addition, they are subjected to unnatural processes such as hydrogenation, extrusion, grinding. In other words, less healthy for your health. We have to avoid this group as much as possible.
What should we eat?
Once the classification of the NOVA system is clear, the NOVA System offers us a series of recommendations to lead a diet as healthy as possible:
- Get used to consuming Group 1 foods and make it the basis of our diet. Above all, those of plant origin.
- Use ingredients from Group 2 to a lesser extent than those from Group 1, as your objective must be to season.
- Minimize your consumption of foods from Group 3. In the case of eating them, do so in combination with those from Group 1.
- Avoid Group 4 foods. This way we will reduce the intake of salt, sugar or saturated fat.
The evidence between the relationship of processed food consumption and health increases every day. Many studies have shown the relationship between ultra-processed and cancer risk; For every 10% increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods, the risk of suffering from some type of cancer increases by 12%. ☠
It is important to consume the maximum number of times products that are classified in group 1, as for the foods of groups 3 and 4, the less, the better.
What are the ultra-processed most consumed?
More and more ultra-processed foods are being consumed, in many studies it is observed that ultra-processed foods in energy intake tripled between 1990 and 2010.
Among the most consumed ultra-processed foods are, in the first place, processed meats (that is, sausages, hamburgers, ham, etc.), which account for 17% of ultra-processed foods.
In second place, and with 14%, are sugary drinks (that is, soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, etc.)
The bakery is the third most successful group of ultra-processed products.