Scientists at WISEcode have unveiled a revolutionary system for classifying processed foods, offering a more nuanced and actionable framework for understanding their health impacts.
Amid ongoing debates about processed foods, WISEcode scientists have introduced a comprehensive classification system that delves deeper into the health implications of various food ingredients. This innovative method not only offers consumers clearer guidance on food choices but also assists manufacturers in comparing their products.
Richard Black, chief scientific officer at WISEcode and adjunct professor at the Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy, emphasized the novelty and objectivity of this system.
“WISEcode’s approach is more nuanced and objective than previous classification systems, achieved by providing a more specific and actionable framework for evaluating processed foods,” Black said in a news release. “For consumers, it can provide a clear method for assessing processed foods and selecting healthier options, even within heavily processed food categories. For manufacturers, this allows easy comparison of your food products with your competitors, based on ingredients used and potential health impact of those ingredients.”
Black is slated to present this groundbreaking work at NUTRITION 2025, the premier annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, from May 31 to June 3 in Orlando.
The widely used Nova classification system, developed in 2009, has been instrumental in highlighting the health risks of ultra-processed foods, such as obesity and heart disease. However, the broad grouping of diverse food products — like placing candy bars and fortified sugar-free whole grain cereals in the same category — has presented challenges.
“While Nova has played an important role in raising awareness about food processing, its one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t seem to reflect the complexity of modern food formulations or the diversity of their health impacts,” Black added. “We believe that there is most certainly a group of processed foods that may have a negative health impact over the long term, while there are other processed foods (which Nova would still classify as ultra-processed) that could contribute to a healthy diet.”
To provide more detailed differentiation, WISEcode researchers designed a scoring system based on three pivotal components: the health risks associated with specific ingredients, the percentage of calories derived from added sugars, and ingredients with known health concerns.
This scoring system was applied to a vast database encompassing over 650,000 foods and more than 5,500 food ingredients. When compared with the Nova classification, the results highlighted greater differentiation among ultra-processed foods, offering a more precise health assessment framework.
WISEcode’s system classifies food processing levels from minimal to super-ultra, with foods distributed almost evenly across these categories. This contrasts markedly with the Nova classification’s broader strokes.
Black emphasized the evolving nature of this system, underscoring WISEcode’s commitment to scientific accuracy and transparency.
“Our system is designed to evolve with scientific knowledge,” he added. “As researchers discover more about specific ingredients and processing methods, we’ll continuously update our assessments to ensure consumers always have access to the most current, evidence-based information. We believe in celebrating progress in nutritional science while maintaining rigorous standards.”
In addition to benefiting consumers, food producers and retailers, Black noted that the WISEcode system promises to be a valuable research tool, enabling detailed studies on ingredients and their health impacts.
Source: American Society for Nutrition