Non-UPF Certification Criteria
Below you will find the criteria for Non-UPF Certified products. Following our trademark in June 2024, we built a comprehensive database of ingredients and additives that identify Nova Group 4 foods. We also identified preservatives that are emerging as potentially harmful. Every product undergoes rigorous review.
Allowed
Nova Group 1–3 Foods: Unprocessed/minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, and processed foods.
Not Allowed
Nova Group 4 Foods are not allowed. These are foods that contain the following types of ingredients or additives, or go through the following industrial processing methods. In addition, our criteria exclude certain preservatives.
| Ingredient Category | Ingredient Subcategory | Examples of Ingredients & Additives |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Sugars & Syrups (Ultra-processed sugars) | Syrups & Concentrates; Non-Liquid Sugars | High-fructose corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin, invert sugar, fruit juice concentrate, glucose syrup, brown rice syrup, corn syrup, crystalline fructose, evaporated cane juice, rice malt syrup |
| Modified Starches & Carbohydrates | Modified Starches | Modified starches, maltodextrin, dextrin, food starch modified, pregelatinized starch, oxidized starch, resistant starch, spray-dried starch, starch sodium octenyl succinate |
| Modified & Industrial Oils | Hydrogenated & Interesterified Oils | Hydrogenated oils, interesterified oils, fractionated oils, modified oils, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), mineral oil |
| Protein Isolates / Extracts | Protein Isolates & Hydrolyzed Proteins; Mechanically Processed Proteins | Soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, pea protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, casein, gluten, hydrolyzed proteins, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), textured vegetable protein (TVP), mechanically separated meat |
| Cosmetic Additives | Flavors & Flavor Enhancers | Artificial flavors, natural flavors, smoke flavorings, MSG, yeast extract, reaction flavors, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate |
| Cosmetic Additives | Colors | Artificial colors, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, caramel color, titanium dioxide, cochineal, synthetic carotenoids |
| Cosmetic Additives | Non-Sugar Sweeteners | Sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium, steviol glycosides, erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol |
| Cosmetic Additives | Emulsifiers | Mono- and diglycerides, lecithin, polysorbates, cellulose gum, carboxymethylcellulose, DATEM, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sucrose esters |
| Cosmetic Additives | Thickeners, Gelling & Bulking Agents | Xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, gum arabic, polydextrose, soluble corn fiber, wheat dextrin |
| Cosmetic Additives | Anti-Foaming & Glazing Agents | Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyethylene glycol (PEG), paraffin wax, shellac, carnauba wax, confectioner's glaze |
| Some Soluble & Isolated Fibers | Engineered or Chemically Extracted Fibers | Polydextrose, resistant dextrin, wheat dextrin, soluble corn fiber, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), gum arabic |
| Industrial Processing Methods | Physical & Chemical Processing Techniques | Extrusion, molding, pre-frying, puffing, hydrolysis, hydrogenation, interesterification, certain enzymatic treatment |
| Preservatives* | Preservatives | BHT, BHA, TBHQ, propylparaben, nitrates/nitrites, potassium sorbate, BVO |
*Nova allows the use of preservatives, but some are emerging as potentially harmful. For the non-UPF application, we are excluding these additional preservatives. We reserve the right to update the criteria.