San Francisco takes legal action against 10 companies producing ultraprocessed food

On Tuesday, the city of San Francisco initiated legal action against ten major food corporations, claiming they intentionally marketed and sold ultra-processed foods that pose health risks and were engineered to be addictive. The lawsuit asserts that these products have fueled a public health crisis locally and nationwide, creating significant medical expenses for municipalities and governments due to diets high in processed foods.

This legal move is unprecedented, aiming to hold large food companies accountable for producing foods linked to well-documented health problems. "Scientific evidence has reached a tipping point regarding the dangers of these products," said David Chiu, San Francisco's city attorney, during a press briefing. He added, "These foods are strongly connected to serious health issues, imposing immense costs on millions of Americans as well as state and local governments."

The category of "ultra-processed foods" includes items such as flavored chips, sugary granola bars, and sodas, which often contain artificial ingredients, preservatives, and high levels of sugar, sodium, or saturated fats. Studies have linked these foods to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even premature death.

The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, contends that the companies knowingly sold foods dangerous to human health and employed deceptive marketing practices. The defendants are Kraft Heinz Company, Mondelez International, Post Holdings, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestle USA, Kellogg, Mars Incorporated, and ConAgra Brands.

Efforts to get immediate statements from the companies were unsuccessful. Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy at the Consumer Brands Association, stated that food manufacturers are committed to helping consumers make healthier choices and providing transparency. She argued that defining foods as unhealthy solely based on processing misleads consumers and can worsen health inequities. She emphasized adherence to FDA safety standards to provide affordable and safe products.

The lawsuit arrives amid growing bipartisan scrutiny of ultra-processed foods. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized such foods and outlined plans to remove artificial food dyes in the coming year. Laura Schmidt, a health policy professor at UCSF, noted the unusual cross-party alignment, describing the situation as one that was not previously a political focus. She highlighted rising childhood obesity, diabetes, and liver disease as longstanding concerns.

Schmidt compared the lawsuit to past litigation against the tobacco industry, expressing optimism that legal action can drive accountability. Nutrition professor Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina noted that ultra-processed foods have dominated the U.S. market since the 1980s, with 7580% of childrens diets and 5560% of adults diets now consisting of these foods. He emphasized the stark contrast between current diets and those of previous generations.

Recent research, including a comprehensive review published in The Lancet, confirms the negative global impact of ultra-processed foods. The review, which evaluated hundreds of studies and national dietary surveys, concluded that these foods contribute to poor diets, overeating, exposure to toxins, and rising chronic disease rates. Popkin contributed to the research highlighted in the review, stressing the critical role of diet in current public health challenges.

Author: Sophia Brooks