Spudman May/June 2023 - 22

Where do chips and fries fit?
Defining ultra-processed foods
Let's face it - the
POTATOES USA
Bonnie Johnson,
MS, RDN, Director of
Nutrition and Industry
Relations
world of nutrition
can be confusing,
and the ongoing
debate about ultraprocessed
foods
is no exception.
Despite the lack of
consensus among
U.S. nutritionists
about the definition
of a UPF, the buzz
around this topic
continues. More
frustrating is that even though most
chips and fries do not meet the widely
used definition of UPFs, they are often
mentioned in a story or shown in an image
alongside articles about UPFs.
It is possible to correct this misinformation
when armed with an understanding of the
definition of UPFs and the argument as to
why chips and fries should not be the " poster
child " for the movement.
While numerous definitions of UPFs
float around the nutrition community, the
one that gets the most attention is the
NOVA Food Classification system designed
at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, at
the Center for Epidemiological Studies
in Health and Nutrition, School of Public
Health1
. NOVA was developed in 2010 to
help people " group foods according to
the extent and purpose of the processing
they undergo. " Food processing identified
by NOVA involves physical, biological
and chemical processes that occur after
foods are separated from nature and
before they are eaten or used in preparing
dishes and meals.1
From those considerations, foods are
grouped into four categories, listed in the
above box.
Unfortunately, the NOVA system
contradicts itself in more than one
example. For instance, " fatty, sweet,
savory, or salty packaged snacks " can
be interpreted to include potato chips;
however, many unflavored varieties include
only three simple ingredients: potatoes,
oil and salt, which meets the definition
of Group 3. Moreover, potatoes (Group 1)
22
Spudman * May/June 2023
Food is grouped into categories
Group 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed
* Unprocessed or natural foods come directly from plants or animals and are
not altered before they are eaten.
* Minimally processed foods have been cleaned, ground, dried, fermented,
pasteurized, or frozen.
* Examples: natural, packaged, cut, chilled or frozen vegetables, fruits,
potatoes, and other roots and tubers.
Group 2: Oils, fat, salt and sugar (aka processed culinary ingredients)
* These are food ingredients made from Group 1 " natural foods " by pressing,
grinding, crushing, pulverizing, or refining. NOVA acknowledges that these
are used in homes and restaurants to season and cook food to create varied
and delicious dishes and meals.
* Examples: butter, oil, salt.
Group 3: Processed foods
* Processed foods are manufactured by using salt, sugar, oil, or other
substances (Group 2) added to natural or minimally processed foods (Group 1)
to preserve or make them more palatable. Most processed foods have two or
three ingredients.
* Examples: canned or bottled legumes or vegetables preserved in salt (brine)
or vinegar; fruits in sugar syrup; freshly made cheeses; freshly-made
(unpackaged) bread made of wheat flour, yeast, water, and salt.
Group 4: UPF
* Ultra-processed foods are " industrial formulations made entirely or mostly
from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch, and proteins),
derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats and modified starch), or
synthesized in laboratories from food substrates or other organic sources
(flavor enhancers, colors, and several food additives used to make the product
hyper-palatable). Manufacturing techniques include extrusion, molding, and
preprocessing by frying. Beverages may be ultra-processed. Group 1 foods are
a small proportion of, or are even absent from, ultra-processed products. "
* Examples: fatty, sweet, savory, or salty packaged snacks; ice creams;
carbonated soft drinks; sweetened and flavored yogurts; chocolate milk.
are a significant proportion of chips and
fries, which contradicts the definition of
UPF. In some cases, examples of UPFs like
ice cream, chocolate milk, and flavored
yogurts also meet the definition of Group 3
as they only contain three ingredients and
a significant proportion of Group 1 foods.
With this information, writers and
editors who mention or use images of
chips and fries in stories about UPFs can
be asked to correct the content. If you
see misinformation or would like more
information about media corrections,
contact Bonnie Johnson at Bonnie@
PotatoesUSA.com.
REFERENCES
1
Monteiro, C.A., Cannon, G., Lawrence,
M., Costa Louzada, M.L. and Pereira
Machado, P. 2019. Ultra-processed foods,
diet quality, and health using the NOVA
classification system. Rome, FAO.
https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf
Spudman May/June 2023

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