Development of a comprehensive database of markers of ultra-processing to identify ultra-processed food in the UK according to the Nova classification
- 1UCL
Abstract
Growing evidence links ultra-processed food intake according to the Nova classification with poor health, yet no comprehensive database of additives and food substances of non-culinary use that are markers of ultra-processing exists for the UK. Building the database involved seven steps: (1) obtaining all approved additives in the UK, (2) retrieving all of their technical functions, (3) coding each technical function as cosmetic (marker of ultra-processing) or non-cosmetic (not a marker of ultra-processing), (4) adding flavour extracts, natural flavourings, and flavourings, (5) excluding additives as ultra-processing markers if they served fortification purposes, or were a herb/spice, and (6) adding food substances of non-culinary use defined as markers of ultra-processing in the Nova classification. Lastly, (7) two UPF definitions were constructed based on the ambiguity/overlap of additive technical functions from previous approaches. The database is freely accessible for researchers to improve consistency in using the Nova classification in the UK.
Related
- Genetic control of bone marrow transplantation in irradiated mice: classification of mouse strains according to their responsiveness to bone marrow allografts and xenografts
- Industrial processing of Ecuadorian household food acquisitions according to NOVA, socioeconomic status and territory
- Multi-Source Data Fusion Integrating HPLC, GC-IMS, and Multidimensional Biomimetic Technologies for Evaluating the Effects of Different Processing Degrees on the Quality of Salt-Processed Semen Cuscutae.
- Invasive Aspergillosis Complicating Severe COVID-19: Cumulative Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes Between the First Wave of the Pandemic and Subsequent Waves, According to the ECMM/ISHAM Classification and a Local Case Assessment
- Prevalence and morphological types of middle mesial canals in mandibular molars according to the Barros-Costa classification: a CBCT study in a Turkish subpopulation
BibTeX
@misc{dicken2026development,
title = {{Development of a comprehensive database of markers of ultra-processing to identify ultra-processed food in the UK according to the Nova classification}},
author = {S. J. Dicken and D. van Tulleken},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.24.26363859},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.26363859v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Development of a comprehensive database of markers of ultra-processing to identify ultra-processed food in the UK according to the Nova classification
AU - S. J. Dicken
AU - D. van Tulleken
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.24.26363859
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.26363859v1
AB - Growing evidence links ultra-processed food intake according to the Nova classification with poor health, yet no comprehensive database of additives and food substances of non-culinary use that are markers of ultra-processing exists for the UK. Building the database involved seven steps: (1) obtaining all approved additives in the UK, (2) retrieving all of their technical functions, (3) coding each technical function as cosmetic (marker of ultra-processing) or non-cosmetic (not a marker of ultra-processing), (4) adding flavour extracts, natural flavourings, and flavourings, (5) excluding additives as ultra-processing markers if they served fortification purposes, or were a herb/spice, and (6) adding food substances of non-culinary use defined as markers of ultra-processing in the Nova classification. Lastly, (7) two UPF definitions were constructed based on the ambiguity/overlap of additive technical functions from previous approaches. The database is freely accessible for researchers to improve consistency in using the Nova classification in the UK.
ER -