Summary
Processed foods play an important role in achieving both food and nutrition security. However, in recent years, there has been increased concern about the health effects of food processing, in large part because of the emergence of the Nova food classification system. Nova classifies all foods into one of four groups purportedly based entirely on the extent to which they have been processed. Recommendations to limit intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF) (group 4) are based primarily on observational studies showing that their intake is associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Nearly all plant milks and the entire new generation of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs), which are made using concentrated sources of plant protein, are classified as UPFs. This classification may deter the
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