What is NOVA?
NOVA is a food classification system developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo. Unlike Nutri-Score, which focuses on nutrients, NOVA focuses on the degree and purpose of food processing.
The four NOVA groups
Group 1 — Unprocessed or minimally processed
Unprocessed foods or foods changed by processes such as drying, milling, freezing or pasteurization without adding salt, sugar or oil. Examples include fruit, plain milk and plain flour.
Group 2 — Processed culinary ingredients
Ingredients obtained from foods or nature for preparing meals, such as oil, butter, sugar and salt.
Group 3 — Processed foods
Foods made by adding culinary ingredients to minimally processed foods, such as vegetables preserved in brine or bread made from flour, water, yeast and salt. The actual formulation matters.
Group 4 — Ultra-processed food products
Industrial formulations characterized by substances rarely used in kitchens or additives serving functions such as flavouring or colouring. Ingredient count alone does not define this group.
Why processing matters
NOVA describes a different aspect of food from nutrient composition. Studies of dietary patterns cannot assign a personal health risk to a single product or prove that every product in a group has the same effects.
Polish context
Products sold by the same shop can belong to different NOVA groups. Check the particular formulation and available evidence; the retailer, packaging and ingredient count do not determine the group.
How TryVit presents NOVA
TryVit can show a recorded NOVA group as processing information. It is not converted into a low, moderate or high health-risk verdict. Missing or uncertain classification remains unresolved.