Publicado

2023-01-01

Towards a healthy, socially just and ecologically sustainable diet in Colombia: the NOVA food classification system

Hacia una alimentación saludable, socialmente justa y ecológicamente sustentable en Colombia: Sistema NOVA de clasificación de los alimentos

Palabras clave:

Food, Health, Justice, Environment, Colombia (en)
Alimentación, Salud, Justicia, Medio ambiente, Colombia (es)

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Autores/as

  • Gustavo Cediel Universidad de Antioquia - Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética - Semillero de Investigación Sobre Alimentación, Planeta, Sociedad y Salud - Medellín - Colombia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9968-2408

The concept of adequate diet is moving towards a broader vision in which its relationship with health, social justice and environmental care is considered. However, the accelerated increase of food industrialization processes poses a threat to this idea. In this context, the NOVA food classification system emerges as a proposal that allows grouping foods in 4 categories according to the extent, nature and purpose of industrial processing: 1) unprocessed or minimally processed foods, 2) processed culinary ingredients, 3) processed foods, and 4) ultra-processed food and drink products.

Worldwide, it has been demonstrated that there is an association between increased consumption of ultra-processed products, mainly due to socially unfair and ecologically unsustainable marketing practices, and the deterioration of diet quality, which implies an increased risk of chronic diseases. In Colombia, it is necessary that different sectors join efforts to build a food system that guarantees the human right to food with natural or minimally processed foods and avoid, as much as possible, ultra-processed products. Consequently, the objective of this reflection is to discuss the basics of the NOVA proposal and its importance in working towards a healthy, socially just, and ecologically sustainable diet in the country.

El concepto de alimentación adecuada está avanzando hacia una visión más amplia donde se contempla su relación con la salud, la justicia social y el cuidado medioambiental. Sin embargo, el aumento acelerado de los procesos de industrialización de los alimentos representa una amenaza para esta visión. En este escenario, el sistema NOVA de clasificación de alimentos surge como una propuesta que permite agrupar los alimentos según la extensión, naturaleza y propósito del procesamiento industrial en 4 categorías: 1) alimentos naturales o mínimamente procesados, 2) ingredientes culinarios procesados, 3) alimentos procesados y 4) productos  comestibles ultraprocesados.

A nivel mundial se ha demostrado que hay una asociación entre el aumento del consumo de productos comestibles ultraprocesados, principalmente por prácticas de comercialización socialmente injustas y ecológicamente insustentables, y el empeoramiento de la calidad de la dieta, lo que implica un mayor riesgo de enfermedades crónicas. En Colombia se requiere aunar esfuerzos desde diferentes sectores para construir sistemas alimentarios que garanticen el derecho humano a la alimentación con alimentos naturales o mínimamente procesados y eviten, en lo posible, los productos comestibles  ultraprocesados, por lo que el objetivo de esta reflexión fue discutir los fundamentos de la propuesta NOVA y su importancia para trabajar hacia una alimentación saludable, socialmente justa y ecológicamente sustentable en el país.

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