Single nutrient taxes questioned: Ultra-processed food policies should be prioritised instead, say researchers

The study was a cross-country one conducted by public health researchers across Australia and Norway and involved the analysis of 43 studies involving UPF in relation to any disease, disorder or condition specified in the International Classification of Diseases. It utilised a food classification called NOVA (a name and not an acronym) which assigns foods to four groups based on the ‘extent and purpose’ of their industrial processing – Unprocessed/Minimally Processed Foods (MPF) e.g. fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, milk; Processed Culinary Ingredients (PCI) used to cook and season MPFs but not consumed alone e.g. salt; Processed Foods (PF) where PCI is added to MPF and sold e.g. canned fruit in syrup; and UPFs which contain multiple ingredients and are produced via various ‘industrial processes’ e.g. savoury snacks and confectionary. UPFs would ‘characteristically’ ​contain substances such as maltodextrin, hydrogenated oil and cosmetic additive to improve taste. Out of the 43 ...