These Popular Brands Face Lawsuit Over ‘Addictive’ Processed Foods 

by Isaac Morgan, BlackDoctor.com

San Francisco has filed a lawsuit against 10 major food and beverage companies, accusing them of selling ultraprocessed foods that city officials say are harmful and addictive. 

The suit argues that the companies marketed these products to children and contributed to a growing public health crisis. According to NBC News, City Attorney David Chiu said scientific evidence has become difficult to ignore. 

Companies named in the lawsuit include Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestle USA, General Mills, Kellogg, Post Holdings, Mars, Mondelez and ConAgra Brands.

“We have reached a tipping point in the scientific research about the harm of these products,” Chiu said at a news conference, per NBC News. He added that the foods are “deeply linked to serious health conditions” and have imposed high medical costs on cities across the country.

The lawsuit states that the companies knew the foods were “dangerous for human consumption” and used misleading tactics to sell them. 

The Consumer Brands Association, a trade group representing many large food and beverage companies, defended the industry, claiming the products meet federal safety standards. The group argued that the lawsuit oversimplifies nutrition and misleads consumers.

Ultraprocessed foods often include flavored chips, sugary drinks, packaged desserts, energy bars and other items with synthetic compounds or additives. Research has linked these foods to higher risks of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and early death.

Understanding processed foods

Processed foods are often high in refined carbohydrates, added sugars and added fats. These ingredients can trigger the brain’s reward system, causing dopamine releases that make people crave more. Experts say this cycle contributes to overeating and makes the foods difficult to avoid.

Common examples include sweets, salty snacks, sugary drinks, packaged desserts and fast food. Researchers say these items are designed for taste and convenience, which makes them appealing but also more likely to be consumed in large amounts.

Growing national debate

Criticism of food processing has increased in recent years. NBC News reported that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made reducing artificial ingredients part of his health agenda. 

Nutrition researchers say ultraprocessed foods became widespread in the United States in the 1980s and now make up a major part of the American diet, according to the news outlet.

Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina, told NBC News that ultraprocessed items now dominate what both children and adults eat. “About 75% to 80% of what children eat comes from these ultraprocessed foods, and 55% to 60% of what adults consume come from them,” he said. 

Popkin added that current eating patterns are dramatically different from those seen in earlier generations. 

Ultraprocessed foods are fueling worldwide health problems

The lawsuit against the major food brands comes amid growing concerns about health problems linked to ultraprocessed foods. In fact, a new Lancet study found that ultraprocessed diets are rapidly replacing traditional, healthier diets worldwide. 

The report says surveys and sales data show these foods have “displaced long-established diets centred on whole foods and their culinary preparation.” Lancet researchers also concluded that ultraprocessed diets are damaging nutritional quality and driving chronic disease. 

They warn of higher exposure to toxins and additives in packaged foods, and say large studies show “gross nutrient imbalances” and overeating tied to energy-dense, hyper-palatable products.

Lancet notes that more than 100 prospective studies and clinical trials link ultraprocessed diets to higher risks of multiple chronic diseases, with adverse outcomes spanning “nearly all organ systems.”

Overall, the Lancet scientific journal suggests the global shift toward ultraprocessed foods is “a key driver of the escalating global burden” of diet-related disease, and calls for policies that promote minimally processed diets.