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The NOVA classification system is a framework that classifies foods according to the extent and purpose of the processing they undergo, rather than primarily by their nutrient content. It divides foods into four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods (Monteiro et al., 2010; Monteiro et al., 2019).
Within nutritional psychology, the NOVA classification is important because it shifts attention from isolated nutrients to the level of food processing itself — a dimension increasingly linked to reward-system activation, compulsive eating, mood, and other diet-mental health outcomes. This makes it a foundational tool for studying and communicating how modern food environments shape psychological functioning.
Author and reviewer
Editorial responsibilityReferences and further reading
- Monteiro, C. A., Levy, R. B., Claro, R. M., de Castro, I. R. R., & Cannon, G. (2010). A new classification of foods based on the extent and purpose of their processing. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 26(11), 2039–2049. View source
- Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Moubarac, J. C., et al. (2018). The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing. Public Health Nutrition, 21(1), 5–17. View source
How to cite this entry
Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology. (2026). The NOVA classification system. The Center for Nutritional Psychology.
https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/encyclopedia/the-nova-classification-system/Know a term that belongs in the Encyclopedia?
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