NOVA sorts every food into one of four groups by how much it has been processed, and why. It measures processing, not nutrition, so Boone shows it next to the nutrient score rather than instead of it.
Foods as they come, or only cleaned, dried, chilled, frozen, ground or pasteurised.
Examples: Fresh meat, milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables, plain grainsSubstances pressed, refined or extracted from group 1 foods, used to cook with.
Examples: Oils, butter, sugar, salt, flourGroup 1 foods with group 2 ingredients added, made to last longer or taste better.
Examples: Cheese, cured meats, tinned vegetables, simple breadIndustrial formulations made mostly from extracted or modified substances, usually with additives that are rarely used in home cooking.
Examples: Most packaged snacks, soft drinks, processed cheese slices, mass-produced bunsBoone reads the published ingredient list for each part of an item: the bun, the patty, the cheese.
Additives used for texture, colour or flavour, and industrial ingredients such as protein isolates, are the markers of group 4.
An item takes the group of its most processed part. A Five Guys Cheeseburger has a group 1 patty, but its bun and cheese slice make it group 4.
Calcium carbonate, iron, niacin and thiamin are added to UK wheat flour by law. Boone does not count them as signs of processing.
The two scores answer different questions. On the Five Guys menu, the Lettuce Wrap is group 4 yet has the best nutrient score; regular fries are group 3 and score 0. Boone shows both so you can weigh them. How the nutrient score works →
Additive types that appear on Boone item pages. Each item page links here rather than repeating these descriptions.
Help oil and water mix and stay mixed, for example in bread dough and sauces.
For example: E471, E472(e), E481Help cheese melt into a smooth, even sheet or slice.
For example: trisodium citrateStrengthen dough so it rises evenly.
For example: E300 ascorbic acidControl acidity, which steadies flavour and shelf life.
For example: E170, lactic acidSlow the growth of mould and bacteria.
For example: sorbic acidSet or standardise colour.
For example: beta-carotene, paprika extractAdd or adjust flavour.
For example: natural cheese flavouringAn emulsifier, also used as a release agent so slices separate.
For example: lecithinConcentrated or isolated proteins that change texture.
For example: wheat gluten, milk proteinsKeep a mixture smooth and stop it separating or thinning.
For example: carrageenan, guar gum, cellulose gumProcessed starches and sugars used for texture or sweetness.
For example: dextrose, maltodextrin, modified starchSlow fats and colours from going stale or changing.
For example: tocopherols, rosemary extractGases that push a product, such as whipped cream, out of its can.
For example: nitrous oxide, nitrogenRelease gas so dough or batter rises.
For example: sodium bicarbonate, diphosphatesHelp fruit and vegetables keep their texture.
For example: calcium chlorideHold moisture so a food stays soft.
For example: glycerol, sorbitolAdd sweetness with few or no calories.
For example: sucralose, steviol glycosidesHAIS 2026 conference proceedings (Springer). Co-authored by Boone founder Murray Dare with researchers at the University of East Anglia, on classifying foods by NOVA group at scale.
