GLOSSARY

Minimally Processed Food undergoes limited changes for preparation, preservation or safety while retaining its basic identity. In NOVA, this category generally involves processes without adding salt, oil or sugar. Packaging or factory production alone does not determine the category.

Washing, cutting, freezing, drying or pasteurising can improve safety or storage without necessarily turning a food into a complex industrial formulation. Plain frozen vegetables and pasteurised milk are examples. Both the production method and added ingredients need to be considered when classifying a product.

NOVA distinguishes four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods and ultra-processed foods. It focuses on the nature and purpose of processing. It is not a direct score for a product's protein, fibre or every aspect of its health effects.

Processing covers a broad spectrum and does not by itself establish that a food is unhealthy. Cooking pulses makes them easier to eat and canning improves access, while large additions of salt or sugar can reduce the nutritional quality of some products. The result depends on the process, final composition, amount eaten and dietary context.