What is an Ultra-Processed Food?

With 100% whole wheat, this bread looks like a good choice; until we see the number of chemical additives on the label

The guidance assumes a skill most shoppers don’t have

STUDY: Louie JCY, Public Health Nutrition 2026

STUDY TYPE: Commentary/narrative review

FUNDING: Independent

Summar

Dietary guidelines increasingly tell patients to limit ultra-processed foods, using the Nova classification, but can the average person can tell which foods to avoid?

Results

Across multiple countries, shoppers consistently misclassify foods, usually reading nutrient content (sugar, fat, additives) instead of Nova’s criteria. Foods perceived as healthy, like yogurt or wholegrain bread, get labeled “less processed” regardless of what’s in them.

The information that informs the NOVA classification are not visible to the consumer.

Unhealthy Foods in Disguise

 

Practice Implications

Until governments improve product labeling, what to do?

1. Simple solution: When purchasing packaged foods, choose items that are low in added sugar, sodium, and contain the fewest chemical additives.
2. More accurate (and fun) solution: Try the OpenFoodFactsapp. It scans UPC codes and ranks foods by their nutritional quality (how healthy the ingredients are) and NOVA score (how processed the product is). It gamifies the search.
3. Here are some snack food swaps to get patients started on the antidepressant diet.