Rethinking the application and adoption of NOVA classification in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): a Southeast Asian food systems perspective

Ultra-processed foods have increasingly been associated with chronic disease risk in global analyses. The NOVA classification is positioned to influence dietary guidelines, food manufacturing, and public health policy worldwide. This paper argues that the NOVA classification, when applied without contextual adaptation, may be inappropriate for Southeast Asian food systems. It could misdirect policy interventions aimed at addressing both the double burden of under- and overnutrition. By labelling foods as UPFs, NOVA may obscure the essential role that certain processed foods play in improving nutritional outcomes and advancing public health. An overemphasis on the negative impact of processed and ultra-processed foods risks oversimplifying complex dietary patterns in Asia and other LMICs. It may also undermine nutritional gains achieved over the past four decades.