Ultra-Processed Food List: 100+ NOVA Group 4 Examples

What counts as an ultra-processed (NOVA Group 4) food?

NOVA Group 4 is not defined by a single problematic ingredient. It is defined by the presence of multiple industrial markers: substances extracted, purified, or synthesized from other foods and used at a scale that home cooking does not involve.

The NOVA classification system, developed at the University of Sao Paulo, divides foods into four groups based on the nature and degree of industrial processing. Group 4 is the category the research consistently links to higher calorie intake and worse health outcomes. For a full explanation of how the system works and what the research says, see Ultra-Processed Foods Explained.

A food typically lands in Group 4 if its ingredient list includes one or more of:

• Emulsifiers (lecithin, carrageenan, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 80)
• Modified starches (hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, acetylated starch)
• Protein isolates or hydrolyzed proteins (soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate, casein)
• High-fructose corn syrup or other industrial sweeteners (acesulfame K, sucralose, aspartame)
• Artificial or "natural" flavor concentrates listed as standalone ingredients
• Flavor enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, yeast extract)
• Artificial or reconstituted colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, annatto extract at industrial concentration)
• Preservatives beyond basic salt or vinegar (sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, TBHQ, BHA)

A product does not need all of these to qualify. Seeing several together, especially substances that a home cook would not have in their pantry, is the signal. The sections below show where Group 4 foods appear across a typical grocery store.

The full ultra-processed food list, by grocery aisle

The list covers more than 100 common grocery items that meet the NOVA Group 4 criteria under their typical commercial formulations. Specific brand formulations vary, so the ingredient list is always the final check.

Drinks

Most of the beverages aisle is Group 4:

• Soft drinks (cola, lemon-lime, citrus, root beer, fruit punch)
• Energy drinks (most commercial varieties)
• Sports and electrolyte drinks (most)
• Sweetened flavored sparkling water (varieties with sweeteners or natural flavor concentrates)
• Juice drinks with less than 100% juice content
• Sweetened bottled iced teas (most)
• Pre-made bottled protein shakes
• Instant flavored coffee drink mixes and powders
• Flavored sweetened chocolate milk beverages

Water, plain sparkling water, 100% fruit juice, and plain coffee or tea are not Group 4.

Breakfast and cereals

• Frosted, flavored, and sweetened breakfast cereals (most commercial varieties, including many marketed as whole grain or high fiber)
• Most packaged granola (with added sweeteners, oils, and flavor)
• Instant flavored oatmeal packets
• Toaster pastries
• Packaged frozen waffles and pancakes
• Packaged shelf-stable breakfast muffins
• Most protein-enriched cereals (with protein isolates)
• Most cereal bars and breakfast bars
• Packaged breakfast biscuit sandwiches
• Most packaged granola bars

Plain rolled oats, plain unsweetened puffed grains, and plain muesli with short ingredient lists are typically Group 1 or 3.

Snacks and crackers

• Potato chips (most flavored varieties)
• Tortilla chips with seasoning (nacho cheese, ranch, and similar)
• Flavored microwave and packaged popcorn (most)
• Most commercial crackers (those with emulsifiers, natural flavor, and flavor enhancers)
• Cheese puffs and corn-based snacks
• Most protein bars
• Flavored rice cakes
• Seasoned pretzels with additives
• Sweetened or coated nuts (candy-coated, honey-roasted varieties)
• Packaged cookies (most commercial varieties)
• Shelf-stable packaged cakes and snack cakes
• Packaged gummy fruit snacks

Bakery and bread

• Most packaged sliced sandwich bread (dough conditioners, emulsifiers, preservatives)
• Most packaged bagels
• Most packaged burger buns and hot dog rolls
• Most packaged English muffins
• Shelf-stable packaged croissants
• Commercial flour tortillas with preservatives
• Packaged brioche-style rolls and buns
• Refrigerator canned dough products (crescent rolls, biscuits)
• Packaged garlic bread
• Most packaged pita and flatbreads with additives

Bakery-fresh bread with a short ingredient list (flour, water, yeast, salt) is NOVA Group 3, not Group 4.

Dairy and dairy alternatives

• Flavored yogurts with added sugar, starch, or thickeners (most strawberry, blueberry, vanilla, and similar)
• Drinkable yogurts and yogurt tubes
• Processed cheese slices and singles (American cheese)
• Cheese spread and processed cheese products
• Flavored liquid and powder coffee creamers
• Sweetened or vanilla oat milk (most commercial brands)
• Sweetened or vanilla almond milk (most commercial brands)
• Sweetened soy milk (flavored varieties)
• Most sweetened coconut milk beverages
• Most plant-based cheeses
• Whipped cream and whipped topping in a can or tub (most)
• Flavored cottage cheese with added starch

Plain whole milk, plain unsweetened yogurt, plain kefir, and most hard cheeses with short ingredient lists are Group 1 or 3.

Meat and meat alternatives

• Hot dogs and frankfurters (most commercial varieties)
• Most deli meats and lunch meats (with added water, phosphates, carrageenan)
• Commercial chicken nuggets
• Commercial fish sticks
• Pepperoni and salami with additives (most commercial varieties)
• Most sausages with fillers, binders, and flavor enhancers
• Plant-based burger patties (Beyond Meat, Impossible, and similar)
• Plant-based breakfast sausage patties (most)
• Most vegan deli slices
• Canned meat products with broth, starch, or flavor additives

Frozen foods

• Frozen pizza (most)
• Frozen burritos and wraps
• Frozen breakfast sandwiches
• Frozen ready meals and dinners
• Packaged frozen mac and cheese
• Frozen pot pies
• Frozen fried chicken products
• Frozen pasta dishes with sauce
• Frozen stuffed turnovers and pocket sandwiches
• Most commercial ice cream (with stabilizers, gums, and artificial or natural flavor)
• Ice cream bars and novelties (most)
• Frozen breakfast waffles and pancakes

Plain frozen vegetables, plain frozen fruit, and plain frozen fish or seafood are Group 1, not Group 4.

Sauces and condiments

• Most commercial ketchup
• Ranch dressing and most bottled salad dressings (with emulsifiers and preservatives)
• Most commercial mayonnaise (with additives beyond egg, oil, and vinegar)
• Most commercial barbecue sauce
• Packaged gravy mixes and instant gravy
• Jarred pasta sauce with added sugar or modified starch
• Most commercial teriyaki sauce
• Packaged seasoning and spice blends with anti-caking agents, dextrose, and flavor enhancers

Sweets and confectionery

• Candy bars (most, including chocolate, caramel, and nougat varieties)
• Gummy candies
• Hard candies (most commercial)
• Packaged cookies (Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and most commercial)
• Shelf-stable packaged snack cakes and pastries
• Packaged brownie and cake mixes (most)
• Canned frosting
• Instant pudding mixes
• Most commercial chocolate-hazelnut spreads
• Chocolate confectionery coating products
• Packaged rice crispy treat bars
• Most commercial caramel and toffee products

Which everyday foods are surprisingly ultra-processed?

The Group 4 entries people miss most often tend to carry a health halo: they are marketed as nutritious, clean, or plant-based.

Most plant-based milks. Sweetened or vanilla oat milk, almond milk, and soy milk typically contain emulsifiers (gellan gum, sunflower lecithin), oil, and natural flavor concentrates. The plain unsweetened versions with short ingredient lists are usually Group 3, but most of what lines the shelves is Group 4.

Flavored yogurts. "Low-fat strawberry yogurt" sounds like a reasonable food. Most commercial versions include modified corn starch, carrageenan, natural flavor, and added sugar. Plain Greek yogurt, or any plain yogurt where the ingredient list reads "milk, bacterial cultures," is Group 1 or 3.

Most packaged breakfast cereals. This includes many marketed as whole grain, high fiber, or lightly sweetened. If the label lists natural flavor, multiple sweeteners, and a vitamin and mineral premix, it is Group 4. Unfortified plain oats with nothing added are Group 1.

Plant-based meat substitutes. Beyond Meat, Impossible, and similar products are NOVA Group 4 by definition. They are built from protein isolates and concentrates (pea, soy), oils, binders, flavor compounds, and coloring agents. They are processed foods that happen to not contain animal protein, and the NOVA system is indifferent to whether protein comes from a cow or a factory.

Most protein bars. Even bars marketed as clean or minimal often contain soy protein isolate, palm kernel oil, glycerin, and natural flavor concentrates. A long ingredient list is a reliable signal, regardless of how the front of the package is worded.

Most flavored sparkling waters. Products that list "natural flavor" and sweeteners alongside carbonated water are typically Group 4. Plain sparkling water with no additives is Group 1.

Which foods look processed but are NOT NOVA 4?

The NOVA framework is not a verdict on all packaged food. Groups 1, 2, and 3 include a wide range of foods that have undergone some processing but do not carry the industrial markers of Group 4:

• Canned beans. Beans, water, and salt. That is a Group 3 preserved food.
• Plain frozen vegetables and fruit. Just the food, frozen. Group 1.
• Plain Greek yogurt. Milk and bacterial cultures, nothing else. Group 1 or 3.
• Plain canned tomatoes. Tomatoes, citric acid, salt. Group 3.
• Bakery sourdough bread. Flour, water, salt, and a live culture. Group 3 when the ingredient list is that short.
• Plain rolled or steel-cut oats. Group 1.
• Tinned fish (sardines, tuna in water). Group 3.
• Hard aged cheeses (cheddar, parmesan). Short ingredient list, Group 3.
• Fermented vegetables (plain kimchi, sauerkraut). Group 3.
• Dried pasta. Semolina and water. Group 1.
• Plain canned coconut milk. Coconut and water. Group 1 or 3 (check for emulsifiers, which would push it to Group 4).

The shorthand: if the ingredient list reads like a list of foods, it is almost certainly not Group 4. If it reads like a formulation, it is.

How do you spot an ultra-processed food on the label?

The NOVA classification is not printed on packaging. You have to read the ingredient list. Two shortcuts help:

The ingredient count test. Most Group 1 and 3 foods have five or fewer ingredients, and those are recognizable as foods (tomatoes, salt, water, olive oil). Most Group 4 foods have longer lists with at least one substance you would not keep in a home kitchen. Five or more ingredients is not a guaranteed signal by itself, but it is a prompt to look closer.

The home-kitchen test. Scan for: emulsifiers (carrageenan, lecithin, mono- and diglycerides), modified starches, hydrolyzed proteins, artificial or natural flavor concentrates listed as standalone ingredients, artificial colors, sweeteners beyond plain sugar (high-fructose corn syrup, acesulfame K, sucralose), and flavor enhancers (disodium inosinate, yeast extract). If one or more of these appears, the food is almost certainly Group 4.

For a longer breakdown of specific additives to watch for, that page covers the most common ones with context on what each does and where they appear.

If you want a faster check in the store, a food additive checker can read the ingredient list with your camera and identify which additives are present, what class they fall into, and whether the food is likely NOVA Group 4.

Check any label in 2 seconds.

NoJunk reads ingredient labels with your camera and breaks down every additive: what it is, why it's there, and what NOVA group the product sits in.

The bottom line

The NOVA framework does not require avoiding everything packaged. Groups 1, 2, and 3 cover a wide range of everyday foods, from fresh produce to canned beans to aged cheese to bakery bread. What the list above shows is where Group 4 concentrates: snacks, beverages, breakfast, frozen foods, and most of what is marketed with a health claim on the front of the package.

Knowing which aisle you are in does not change any individual product's ingredient list. But it sets a useful prior: most items in the drinks, cereal, snack, frozen, and confectionery aisles are Group 4 until the ingredient list says otherwise. That is the starting point for a faster check.

For the full explanation of why the NOVA Group 4 category matters and what the research says about eating a lot of it, see Ultra-Processed Foods Explained.