Yes, NOVA Is Flawed. But It Can’t Be Ignored.

DIALOGUE

Food Technology Magazine | Article

Job Ubbink

Allen S. Levine

Categorizing foods is not an easy task. Depending on ingredients, foods with similar names can have different nutritional values, palatability, and flavor characteristics. That was one of the reasons for the establishment of standards of identity in U.S. food law.

Foods are also classified to assess their healthfulness and fit within a healthy diet. Carlos Monteiro and colleagues in 2009 introduced a system known as NOVA, which classifies foods into four categories, ranging from unprocessed to mi…

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In This Article

  1. Diet and Health
  2. Food Ingredients and Additives
  3. Food Processing & Packaging

About the Authors

Job Ubbink, PhD, is professor and head of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota and a member of IFT’s Food Chemistry Division.
Allen S. Levine, PhD, is a past vice president of research at the University of Minnesota and professor emeritus of food science and nutrition.
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