Processed food classification and Indian diet

Processed food refers to any raw agricultural food that has been changed from its original state. According to the Department of Agriculture, this can include washing, cutting, drying, grinding, boiling, freezing, pasteurizing, packaging, or adding ingredients. This means that not all processed foods are unhealthy or the same. The NOVA system classifies foods into four categories: NOVA 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods These are natural foods or foods changed only through basic preparation methods such as washing, cutting, drying, grinding, boiling, freezing, or pasteurizing. Indian examples include dal, rajma or chana, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and plain milk or dahi. NOVA 2: Processed culinary ingredients These are ingredients extracted from foods and mainly used in cooking, but they are not usually eaten alone. Examples include mustard oil, groundnut oil, ghee, jaggery or sugar, and salt. NOVA 3: Processed foods These are foods made by adding salt, sugar, or oil to whole foods. Examples include paneer, pickle or achar, papad, salted roasted chana, and simple whole-wheat bread. NOVA 4: Ultra-processed foods These are industrial packaged foods that often contain additives, refined starches, flavors, colors, emulsifiers, or long ingredient lists. Indian examples include instant noodles, Kurkure or chips, cream biscuits, packaged cakes or pastries, and frozen samosa, paratha, or tikki. The main point is that processed food exists on a spectrum. The foods to limit the most are NOVA 4 ultra-processed foods, because these are the most heavily altered and usually contain long ingredient lists and industrial additives. A simple rule is: the more natural the food and the shorter the ingredient list, the better.