Short answer

When designing food products, prioritize whole, minimally processed ingredients and consider the full lifecycle impact, including nutritional value, resource use, and waste generation, to promote both human health and environmental sustainability.

Field: Resource Management
Source: Public Health Nutrition (2017)
Method: Commentary/Review of existing evidence
Evidence: Strong effect

The NOVA food classification system highlights that ultra-processed foods, due to their industrial formulation and pervasive marketing, negatively impact both human health and the sustainability of global food systems. This resource management research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in Public Health Nutrition. Using Commentary/review of existing evidence, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing food products, prioritize whole, minimally processed ingredients and consider the full lifecycle impact, including nutritional value, resource use, and waste generation, to promote both human health and environmental sustainability.

Study

Resource ManagementHigh ImpactStrong effect

Reducing ultra-processed food consumption improves food system sustainability and public health outcomes

Public Health Nutrition · 2017

Key Findings

01The NOVA system effectively classifies foods based on processing level, identifying ultra-processed foods as a distinct category.
02Ultra-processed foods are formulations of cheap industrial ingredients and additives, designed for hyper-palatability, long shelf-life, and convenience, promoting overconsumption.
03These products are energy-dense, high in unhealthy fats, refined starches, free sugars, and salt, while being poor in protein, fiber, and micronutrients.
04Ultra-processed foods dominate food supplies in high-income countries and are increasingly prevalent globally.
05Displacement of minimally processed foods by ultra-processed products is linked to unhealthy dietary profiles and diet-related non-communicable diseases.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When developing a new food product, use the NOVA classification system as a design constraint to ensure the product falls into the 'minimally processed' or 'processed culinary ingredients' categories, rather than 'ultra-processed'.

Project actions

01When designing a food-related product or system, consider the NOVA classification to assess the processing level of ingredients.
02Analyze the environmental impact (resource use, waste) of different food processing levels for your design project.
03Explore how packaging design can influence consumer choices towards healthier, less processed food options.

Method & Evidence

AimTo outline the NOVA system of food classification and present evidence that it effectively addresses the quality of diets, their impact on malnutrition, and the sustainability of food systems, particularly focusing on ultra-processed food and drink products.

MethodCommentary/Review of existing evidence

ProcedureThe authors reviewed accumulated evidence from various countries regarding the NOVA food classification system, specifically focusing on the characteristics and impacts of ultra-processed foods on diet quality, malnutrition, and food system sustainability.

ContextGlobal food systems, public health, and the UN Decade of Nutrition (2016-2025) in support of Sustainable Development Goals.

Variables

IVLevel of food processing (as per NOVA classification)

DVImpact on human health (e.g., nutrient profile, disease risk) and food system sustainability (e.g., resource use, waste generation)

CVN/A (review paper)

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Provides a comprehensive overview of the NOVA classification system.
+Synthesizes evidence from multiple countries on the impact of ultra-processed foods.
+Connects food processing directly to global health and sustainability issues.

Limitations

This paper is a review, so it doesn't present new experimental data. The 'crisis' claim is a strong opinion based on the evidence presented.

Reliability & validity

As a commentary, its reliability comes from the authors' expertise and the breadth of evidence reviewed. Validity is high in its conceptual framework (NOVA) but relies on the validity of the underlying studies it references. The 'world crisis' claim is a strong interpretation, which might be debated.

Think critically

How might government policies or technological innovations in food production influence the prevalence and design of ultra-processed foods in the future?

Design Principles

"Sustainable Food Design: Design food products and systems that minimize processing, maximize nutritional value, and reduce environmental impact across their entire lifecycle."

This insight is crucial for design engineering students as it links product design (food formulation, packaging, marketing) directly to global resource management challenges, public health, and sustainable development goals. It emphasizes the designer's responsibility in creating products that consider their full lifecycle impact.

What This Means for Your Design

Highly processed foods, like many snacks and ready meals, are bad for our health and also bad for the planet because of how they're made and marketed. We need to design food better.

How to use in your project

1.In Criterion A (Identification of a problem), you could identify the problem of increasing ultra-processed food consumption and its impact on health/environment.
2.In Criterion B (Design brief), you could propose designing a product or system that promotes consumption of minimally processed foods.
3.In Criterion C (Analysis of existing products), analyze existing food products using the NOVA classification and discuss their sustainability and health impacts.
4.In Criterion D (Development of a solution), justify material choices and processing methods based on sustainability and health principles derived from this insight.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The UN Decade of Nutrition (2016-2025) highlights the critical need for sustainable food systems. Research by Monteiro et al. (2017) emphasizes the role of the NOVA food classification system in identifying ultra-processed foods as a major contributor to unhealthy diets and unsustainable practices. These products, characterized by industrial formulations and aggressive marketing, are linked to malnutrition and significant environmental impact. This underscores the importance for designers to prioritize minimally processed ingredients and sustainable production methods to address global health and resource management challenges.

Source

Public Health Nutrition

The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and the trouble with ultra-processing

journal · 2017

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about reducing ultra-processed food consumption improves food system sustainability and public health outcomes?: When designing food products, prioritize whole, minimally processed ingredients and consider the full lifecycle impact, including nutritional value, resource use, and waste generation, to promote both human health and environmental sustainability. Evidence: Public Health Nutrition (2017).
Why does "Reducing ultra-processed food consumption improves food system sustainability and public health outcomes" matter for design?: This insight is crucial for IB Design Technology students as it links product design (food formulation, packaging, marketing) directly to global resource management challenges, public health, and sustainable development goals. It emphasizes the designer's responsibility in creating products that consider their full lifecycle impact.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing food products, prioritize whole, minimally processed ingredients and consider the full lifecycle impact, including nutritional value, resource use, and waste generation, to promote both human health and environmental sustainability.
What were the main findings?: The NOVA system effectively classifies foods based on processing level, identifying ultra-processed foods as a distinct category.. Ultra-processed foods are formulations of cheap industrial ingredients and additives, designed for hyper-palatability, long shelf-life, and convenience, promoting overconsumption.. These products are energy-dense, high in unhealthy fats, refined starches, free sugars, and salt, while being poor in protein, fiber, and micronutrients.. Ultra-processed foods dominate food supplies in high-income countries and are increasingly prevalent globally.
What research method was used?: Commentary/Review of existing evidence.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2017 journal from Public Health Nutrition.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing a new food product, use the NOVA classification system as a design constraint to ensure the product falls into the 'minimally processed' or 'processed culinary ingredients' categories, rather than 'ultra-processed'.
What are the limitations?: This is a commentary/review, not an original experimental study, so it synthesizes existing evidence rather than generating new data. The 'world crisis' claim is a strong interpretation based on the reviewed evidence.