How to spot ultra-processed food at a glance

The ten-second field test

Flip the product over and read the ingredient list. If you see any of the five markers below, it is ultra-processed under NOVA Group 4. If you see none of them, it is probably Group 1, 2, or 3.

1. Cosmetic additives. Colours, flavours (including "natural flavour"), emulsifiers, thickeners, non-sugar sweeteners, and gloss agents. See the additives reference.
2. Industrial ingredients not used in home kitchens. Hydrogenated or interesterified oils, invert sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose, glucose–fructose syrup.
3. Protein isolates and hydrolysates. Whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, hydrolysed vegetable protein, pea protein isolate.
4. Modified starches. Modified corn starch, modified tapioca starch, resistant maltodextrin.
5. Non-sugar sweeteners. Aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame-K, saccharin, steviol glycosides, monk fruit extract.

These markers come from the decision rule Monteiro's team published in Public Health Nutrition in 2019 and reaffirmed in the PAHO/FAO NOVA reference documents. A single marker is sufficient; there is no threshold count.

Why the marker test works

NOVA groups foods by the purpose of the processing, not the quantity. The five markers above only appear in products that have been reformulated for industrial-scale palatability, shelf life, and cost — the definition of Group 4. Home cooks do not use protein isolates, hydrogenated oils, or non-sugar sweeteners; food scientists do. That is why a single marker is decisive.

Front-of-pack signals that also predict Group 4

You can often skip the ingredient list entirely. Any of the following on the front of a package makes Group 4 status close to certain:

• Health claim such as "high protein", "high fibre", "fortified", or "with added vitamins".
• "Diet", "light", "zero sugar", or "no added sugar" (typically implies non-sugar sweeteners).
• Fun-shaped or animated pack aimed at children.
• Shelf life longer than a few weeks at ambient temperature (bread, dairy, cured meat).
• Marketed as a "meal replacement", "protein bar", or "snack".

Foods that look processed but usually aren't Group 4

• Canned beans and tomatoes in water/brine. Group 1 or 3 depending on added salt.
• Frozen vegetables and fruit. Group 1.
• Plain cheeses, butter, and traditionally cured meats. Group 3.
• Dried pasta made only from flour and water. Group 3.
• Wine, beer, and unsweetened yoghurt. Group 3.

How NakedCalorie automates the test

The app tokenises every ingredient string, maps each token to a knowledge-base entry, and applies the five-marker rule automatically. A product's NOVA group appears on the scan result alongside the calorie count and the list of Group 4 markers detected. For the underlying framework see the NOVA hub, and for what the research says about Group 4 intake see the ultra-processed overview.