Patter Matters — NOVA

The term "ultra-processed food" has entered mainstream conversation in recent years, carried by a growing body of research linking it to a range of health outcomes. But the term is used loosely, and the concept behind it is often misunderstood. Understanding what ultra-processed food actually means — and why the distinction matters — requires looking past the marketing language and into the science. The NOVA Classification System The most widely used framework for thinking about food processing is the NOVA classification system, developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo. NOVA divides foods into four groups based on the...