When we hear the term ultra-processed food, it is easy to imagine that every food in this category is equally unhealthy.
It is not that simple.
Ultra-processed foods form a very broad group. They include products such as sugary drinks, confectionery and packaged snacks, but can also include some packaged breads, breakfast cereals and other foods with very different nutritional profiles.
A single classification does not make all these foods nutritionally equivalent.
Some ultra-processed foods contain large amounts of added sugar, sodium or saturated fat and provide relatively little fiber or other valuable nutrients.
Others may contain whole grains, fiber, protein, vitamins or minerals.
This distinction is increasingly important when interpreting research on ultra-processed foods.
Large studies show that people who consume greater amounts of ultra-processed foods overall tend to have higher risks of several adverse health outcomes, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death.
But these studies do not show that every individual food classified as ultra-processed carries the same risk.
In fact, research examining different categories of ultra-processed foods suggests that their associations with health can differ.
So what should we take from this?
The NOVA classification can help us understand how extensively foods have been processed and formulated. But it should not replace looking at the food itself.
Its ingredients, fiber content, added sugars, sodium, type of fat and nutritional value still matter.
Most importantly, the overall dietary pattern matters.
There is an important difference between occasionally eating an ultra-processed product within an otherwise nutritious diet and having ultra-processed foods make up a large proportion of everyday food intake.
