European Pharma Giant Takes an Interest in Defining Ultraprocessed Foods

As debates around the world heat up over the possible dangers of UPFs, so is discussion about what exactly is a UPF and whether the Brazilian research that coined the term 16 years ago still holds up.

But why is a pharmaceutical company interested in ultraprocessed foods?

“The project is led by a group at the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with the world’s leading researchers in the field and will focus on health rather than the production process,” a Novo Nordisk Foundation spokesperson told us.

Nevertheless, there’s apparently no escaping the processing angle. The spokesperson also said the project will “develop a scientifically based understanding of the importance of different food processing methods and the role of food additives for our health.”

Novo Nordisk Foundation is the holding company and majority owner of Novo Group and its operating companies: Novo Holdings A/S, Novo Nordisk A/S and Novonesis A/S. The foundation’s website says its primary goal is “to ensure that the companies in the Novo Group … position themselves as internationally recognised and leading actors in improving how disease is combated and how natural resources are used.”

Other stated goals are “realising a shared vision to contribute positively to the lives of people and the sustainability of society,” and “investing in life-science companies at various stages of their development.”

In 2023, Novo Nordisk Foundation awarded around DKK 9 billion ($1.3 billion) in grants. Recipients include Copenhagen University, Aarhus University and Technical University of Denmark -- but also Michele Toplitz at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for “Global roadmap for action to achieve health and equity at net zero emissions”; DKK 500.000 (about $72,000 US).

The word “ultraprocessed” first appeared in a 2009 paper from Carlos Augusto Monteiro and other researchers at University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. It later came to be called the Nova Classification system. Monteiro’s research into malnutrition in Brazil led him to classify foods into four groups:

1. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
2. Processed culinary ingredients
3. Processed foods
4. Ultraprocessed foods

The last group relies heavily on sugar, oils, fats and salt, especially when they themselves are in highly processed forms (such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, modified starches and protein isolates). The Brazilian paper and subsequent research implies increasing health problems with higher levels of processing.

The Novo Nordisk research project reportedly was initially called Nova 2.0, but blowback from Monteiro and others made the pharma company withdraw that name.

“We should not make the same mistake as when we shamed fat, because we ended up promoting a diet with a high starch content that in effect works like sugar in the body,” according to Arne Astrup, senior vice president for obesity & nutrition at the Novo Nordisk Foundation. “This turned out to be a bad solution for many people. Instead, our science should be as nuanced, rich and rewarding as a good meal!”