The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s project to explore food processing has created some controversy of late.
Initially, the project was framed as ‘the next generation’ of the ‘Nova’ classification, with its lead researchers heavily criticising the original.
However, the branding was dropped, along with references to ‘ultra-processed foods,’ following criticism from a range of quarters, including more than 90 independent food scientists, as well as the original Nova’s creator, Carlos Monteiro, reports Reuters. By associating the project with the original Nova, critics said, the Novo Nordisk Foundation risked creating confusion, and even implying that the original Nova had been discredited.
In an open letter to its lead researcher Susanne Bügel, Monterio stressed the foundation had never had permission to use the name ‘Nova’, and that if they did so it would ‘cause chaos’. He was invited to join the project, but declined.
Nevertheless, while the Novo Nordisk Foundation has changed the branding, the project itself, which is a partnership with the University of Copenhagen, is still going ahead. The overall aim, stressed Bügel, has not changed.
What is the purpose of the project?
The purpose of the project, according to Bügel, is to look at the science of a food classification system involving nutrient content and processing.
The project will focus on different food processing methods, as well as the role of additives in health.
The foundation and the University of Copenhagen will work with leading researchers around the world. According to the foundation, it will focus on “health rather than the production process”.
“We should not make the same mistake as when we shamed fat, because we ended up promoting a diet with a high starch content that in effect works like sugar in the body. This turned out to be a bad solution for many people. Instead, our science should be as nuanced, rich and rewarding as a good meal!” said Arne Astrup, the foundation’s head of obesity and nutritional sciences.
Why is it seen as a conflict of interest?
The project has been criticised by some as representing a conflict of interest.
For example, Katherine Jenner from the Obesity Health Alliance, reports the FT, criticised the project for being developed by a foundation which has ties to Novo Nordisk, a producer of weight loss drugs. Such a company has an interest in high levels of obesity, according to Jenner, as it profits off treating it.
Monteiro himself also criticised the project, saying that nutritional guidelines should not be shaped by those with “a financial stake in diet-related diseases.”
Novo Nordisk responded by saying that it does not see a conflict of interest. “We are supporting a public research project that hopefully can create new knowledge on food and health and enable consumers to make healthy choices,” a spokesperson said.
It stressed that while the funding came from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the project itself would be carried out by independent researchers at the University of Copenhagen.
What is the Nova classification?
The Nova classification, first proposed in 2009 by Carlos Monteiro, is a classification system for the level of processing of food. It puts food into four groups.
Group 1: Minimally processed foods
The first group contains foods that have either not been processed or processed in very simple ways. It includes fruit, leaves, stems, seeds, roots, muscle, offal, eggs, and milk. They are processed in ways found in kitchens around the world.
Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients
The second group contains culinary ingredients that have some degree of processing, such as butter, oil, lard, sugar and salt.
Group 3: Processed foods
This group includes more significantly processed foods, such as canned or bottled vegetables or legumes; whole fruit preserved in syrup; tinned fish preserved in oil; some types of processed animal foods such as ham, bacon, pastrami, and smoked fish; most freshly baked breads; and simple cheeses with salt added. The processing often involves adding group two foods to group one foods.
Group 4: Ultra-processed foods
Processed almost exclusively using industrial techniques, ultra-processed foods include carbonated soft drinks; confectionery; mass produced packaged breads and buns, biscuits, pastries, cakes and cake mixes; margarine and other spreads; pre-prepared meat, cheese, pasta and pizza dishes; poultry and fish ‘nuggets’ and ‘sticks’; sausages, burgers, hot dogs and other reconstituted meat products; powdered and packaged ‘instant’ soups, noodles and desserts; baby formula; and many other types of product.
