7 Ultraprocessed Food Myths, Debunked
‘Ultraprocessed’ does not necessarily mean unhealthy.
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Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) continue to be vilified as a category without regard for nutrient-density, self-shelf stability and cost. As of now, the main system used to classify varying levels of processed food is called NOVA. Below is a brief overview of the NOVA classifications used for processed foods, and seven common myths about UPFs debunked.
What Is the NOVA Classification System?
The NOVA classification system groups foods based on the extent and purpose of industrial processing, and places them in one of four categories.
Group 1 - Minimally Processed Foods and Unprocessed Foods: Naturally occurring foods with no addition of salt, sugar, oils or fats. Examples include milk, meat, eggs, fish, poultry, plain unsweetened yogurt, beans, fresh, frozen or dried fruits and vegetables, oats, grits, pasta, rice.
Group 2 - Processed Culinary Ingredients: Food products from Group 1 that have been processed by pressing, refining, grinding and/or milling; they are used in home and restaurant kitchens to prepare, season and cook Group 1 foods. Examples include vegetable oils, butter, vinegar; salt, sugar and molasses from cane or beet; honey extracted from combs and syrup from maple trees.
Group 3 - Processed Foods: Food products made by adding sugar, oil and/or salt to create simple products from Group 1 foods with increased shelf life or enhanced taste. Examples include canned vegetables, fruits and beans; some salted or sugared nuts and seeds; salted, cured or smoked meats; canned fish; fruits in syrup; cheese and freshly made bread.
Group 4 - Ultraprocessed Foods: Industrially created food products made with the addition of multiple ingredients that may include some Group 2 ingredients as well as additives to enhance the taste and/or convenience of the product, such as hydrolyzed proteins, soy protein isolate, maltodextrin, high-fructose corn syrup, stabilizers, flavor enhancers, non-sugar sweeteners and processing aids such as stabilizers and bulking and anti-bulking agents. Examples include commercially produced breads, rolls, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, breakfast cereals, soy burgers, hummus, tofu, baby formula, protein powder, flavored yogurts, ready-to-heat meals (like frozen pizza), soft drinks and candy.
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Myth: All ultraprocessed foods contain empty calories.
Dr. Keith Ayoob, EdD, RD, FAND, Emeritus Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and owner of Cut to the Chase Nutrition explains that the most widely used definition of UPFs is the NOVA classification system which groups nutritious, nutrient-dense foods like tofu, flavored yogurt and nut butters as UPFs, and puts them in the same category as candy and sugary soda. “It’s absurd, makes no common sense but also no scientific sense,” Ayoob says. Plus, this method confuses consumers, when what is needed is clarity about processed foods.
Myth: If your diet is mostly made up of ultraprocessed foods, it can’t be healthful.
According to Julie Hess, PhD, research nutritionist at USDA Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, “In my lab’s research, we use the NOVA system to determine how ‘processed’ foods are. However, since there are not clear guidelines to applying NOVA, my lab works with external collaborators to determine which foods are considered ‘ultraprocessed’ according to NOVA.” In 2023, Hess and team’s first publication on the topic showed that a menu with 91-percent of its calories coming from UPFs could meet recommendations from the 2020-2025 dietary guidelines for Americans for a healthy dietary pattern. Hess adds, “This publication includes several foods that are nutrient-dense but that our external collaborators determined to be ‘ultraprocessed’ according to NOVA. These foods include canned black beans, rye bread, nonfat milk, ground turkey, tofu, canned fruit and shredded cheese.” As such, Hess says that the NOVA system rates many nutrient-dense foods as ultraprocessed.
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Myth: Eating less-processed foods is inherently healthier than eating more-processed foods.
In October 2024, Hess and team published a follow up study that indicated that a diet made up of less-processed foods was not necessarily healthier than one with mostly UPFs. “This study also included preliminary investigations into potential differences in cost and shelf stability with more- and less-processed diets,” says Hess. The study compared a “Western” menu comprised of mostly less-processed foods to one of more-processed foods, and found that the less-processed menu offered comparable diet quality to the more-processed menu, but was more expensive and less shelf-stable.
Myth: Eating any ultraprocessed foods can lead to negative health consequences, like type 2 diabetes.
“Researchers have found that different groups of UPFs have different health effects,” says Elizabeth M Ward, MS, RDN, nutrition consultant and co-author The Menopause Diet Plan, A Natural Guide to Managing Hormones, Health, and Happiness. A 2023 study published in Diabetes Care looked at the diets of 71,871 women from the Nurses’ Health Study, 87,918 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II and 38,847 men from the Health Professional Follow-Up Study. Researchers found that people who ate the most UPFs were about 50-percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. However, Ward points out that researchers found that UPFs including whole grain bread and cereals, fruit-based products, packaged sweet snacks and desserts, and yogurt and dairy-based desserts actually reduced type 2 diabetes risk. Ward adds, “The system used to classify foods as processed – NOVA – lumps together highly nutritious foods, such as tofu, peanut butter and packaged whole wheat bread, that have positive effects on health with low-nutrient options including carbonated drinks, snack chips and store-bought cookies, which do not.”
Further, Richard Mattes, MPH. PhD, RD, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science at Purdue University points out that no causal relationship exists between eating UPFs and adverse health outcomes. As of now, only one randomized control trial (RCT) has been published on this issue which lasted four weeks with only 20 individuals using extreme exposure. The study showed a brief increase in calories due to an increased intake of UPFs at an in-patient environment (in a metabolic ward) making it difficult to generalize these results to living in a day-to-day environment. As such, you can’t say with certainty that UPFs are the reason for chronic illness.
Myth: Removing all ultraprocessed foods from the diet is safe, effective and ethical.
Some people believe that removing 100-percent of UPFs from our food supply is the answer. However, according to Mattes, “Removing UPFs from the diet will increase foodborne illness,” since preservatives make a food ‘ultraprocessed.’ As such, food-insecure people and single parent households will be disproportionately negatively impacted since foods will be more expensive and less convenient,” Mattes says. Plus, removing UPFs will lead to an increase in food waste.
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Myth: Homemade foods are inherently better for you and cost less than foods purchased commercially.
A 2024 published study found that the more-processed diet had comparable nutritional quality compared to a less-processed diet, and cost over 30-percent less. Ayoob says the takeaway from this study is: “The NOVA system is a processing and ingredient index. It’s not a food quality index and implying it is simply adds to consumer confusion.”
Bottom Line: The term ‘ultraprocessed foods,’ as currently defined by the NOVA system, is highly confusing for the public because there is no consistent or easy-to-apply definition. A clear definition of ultraprocessed foods and how to categorize a food’s nutrient-density is needed before deeming all UPFs as healthful or not.
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