An Overlap Between "Ultraprocessed" Foods and the Preexisting Nutrient Rich Foods Index?

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Food Classification Systems
• Public Health Nutrition

Background:

• The NOVA classification categorizes foods based on processing level, with
• ultra-processed
• foods being a key focus.
• Nutrient Rich Food (NRF) indices provide a quantitative measure of food nutrient density.
• Existing NRF indices (e.g., NRF_n.3) use positive (nutrients) and negative (undesirable components) subscores.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the NOVA food classification system with established Nutrient Rich Food (NRF) indices.
• To evaluate whether NOVA categorization is primarily based on processing or nutrient content.
• To determine the added value of the NOVA scheme compared to NRF metrics.

Main Methods:

• Assigned 378 foods from a food frequency questionnaire to NOVA categories.
• Scored these foods using multiple NRF indices (NRF_n.3).
• Compared NOVA category assignments with NRF scores, analyzing the influence of specific nutrients.

Main Results:

• NOVA category assignments strongly correlated with the content of saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium.
• NRF scores were significantly influenced by nutrient density and the content of fat, sugar, and salt.
• Nutrient-rich foods were sometimes misclassified by the NOVA scheme.
• Ultra-processed foods and culinary ingredients generally received lower NRF_n.3 scores.

Conclusions:

• The NOVA classification scheme's basis is largely determined by nutrient content (fat, sugar, sodium), not solely processing.
• The NOVA scheme offers minimal advantage over pre-existing NRF nutrient profiling models.
• Observed associations between NOVA categories and health outcomes may be attributable to NRF nutrient density metrics.