NOVA system
A system that classifies foods into 4 groups by their degree of industrial processing, developed to tell unprocessed foods apart from ultra-processed products.
NOVA (which is a name, not an acronym) was created in 2009 by the team of Professor Carlos Monteiro at the University of São Paulo. Its distinctive feature is that it classifies by the nature of the processing, not by nutrient content (unlike Nutri-Score).
The 4 groups:
- Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
- Processed culinary ingredients
- Processed foods
- Ultra-processed foods
A fresh angle: NOVA and Nutri-Score are complementary, not competing. A food can have a good Nutri-Score (A) yet be ultra-processed (NOVA 4), as with some fortified cereals. Conversely, butter is NOVA 2 but would have a poor Nutri-Score. Using both together gives a complete picture.
Acknowledged limits (ANSES report, the French food safety agency): NOVA is sometimes subjective, does not measure the intensity of processes and classifies on the presence of additives without distinguishing how harmful they really are. A refined classification (such as SIGA, developed in France) sub-divides the groups further for greater precision.
Some countries build NOVA into their policies: Brazil recommends avoiding NOVA 4 foods, and France aimed for a 20% cut in ultra-processed food consumption (2018-2022).