The best way to understand NOVA is to see it in action. These side-by-side comparisons show how the same type of food can range from minimally processed to ultra-processed — and what ingredients make the difference.
Bakery sourdough
Ingredients: Wheat flour, water, salt, sourdough culture
Supermarket sliced white
Ingredients: Wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, vegetable oil, soya flour, emulsifiers (E471, E472e), preservative (calcium propionate), flour treatment agent
Both are bread, but the supermarket loaf contains emulsifiers and preservatives that extend shelf life — additives you'd never use at home.
Plain natural yoghurt
Ingredients: Whole milk, live cultures
Strawberry flavoured yoghurt
Ingredients: Yoghurt, sugar, strawberry purée (3%), modified maize starch, flavourings, colour (carmine), acidity regulator
Plain yoghurt is minimally processed. The flavoured version adds modified starch, flavourings, and colourings — turning a simple food into an ultra-processed one.
Porridge oats
Ingredients: 100% rolled oats
Chocolate cereal
Ingredients: Rice, sugar, cocoa, glucose-fructose syrup, palm oil, salt, flavouring, emulsifier (soy lecithin), vitamins
Oats are a single whole ingredient. The cereal contains industrial sugars, flavourings, and emulsifiers — despite being marketed as a breakfast staple.
Fresh chicken breast
Ingredients: Chicken breast
Chicken nuggets
Ingredients: Chicken (45%), wheat flour, vegetable oil, water, modified starch, salt, dextrose, yeast extract, flavourings, raising agents
Fresh chicken is a whole food. Nuggets contain modified starch, yeast extract (a flavour enhancer), and added sugars — the chicken content drops to under half.
Homemade tomato soup
Ingredients: Tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper
Instant cup soup
Ingredients: Maltodextrin, tomato powder (8%), sugar, salt, palm oil, modified starch, yeast extract, flavourings, colours
Homemade soup is whole ingredients. The instant version's first ingredient is maltodextrin (a starch-derived filler), with actual tomato at just 8%.
Classify any food
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