The Minimally Processed product attribute rewards low-intensity ingredient processing. To receive the Minimally Processed attribute, products must only contain ingredients that are not dependent on commercial/industrial processing to exist. Minor heat or fermentation, mechanical processing (e.g., milling of grain), and physical extraction (e.g., expeller pressing of olives) are examples of low-intensity ingredient processes accepted for this attribute. The ingredient may be augmented by the food system but not created by it. Some ingredients ubiquitous in the food system used as supplements added in small quantities to enrich foods are included as minimally processed despite being dependent on commercial/industrial processing, and constitute the notable exception to this rule.
HowGood’s methodology for calculating processing impact involves:
- Data Collection: HowGood draws on a diverse collection of data sources, including peer reviewed journal articles to identify the level of intensity applied in the production of food ingredients. For each ingredient processing type, or combination of processing types, HowGood researchers identify the relevant steps to transform the ingredient, including the energy and chemical inputs required. Our experts identify when an ingredient only requires low-intensity processing. HowGood also maintains a record of and references the NOVA classification system on the level of ingredient processing. NOVA is limited in its coverage of ingredients compared to the breadth of the HowGood library, hence its use as a reference.
- Ingredient Mapping: Once the data is collected and analyzed, HowGood conducts a proprietary process of mapping each ingredient to its source crop, animal or material. Using global import/export data and HowGood industry partnerships, HowGood then maps each source crop to its corresponding geographic location to account for the specific on-the-ground practices, impacts, and risks in each locale.
- Data Aggregation: HowGood, to date, has mapped nearly every ingredient, chemical and material (33,000+ in total) in the CPG food industry, including where and how it is produced. This mapping is used to aggregate data across geographic regions or ingredient categories and develop industry-average impact profiles for processing types and energy usage across every ingredient.
Based on the ingredient mapping process, HowGood assigns a default location and corresponding industry-average profile for every ingredient in a product. If deeper levels of data granularity are available (from a specific supplier, industry partner, or publication), these specifics are applied.
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Drawing from over 600 independent data sources and certifications, our database provides UPC-level impact data on over two million products — all at the individual ingredient analysis level.
