San Francisco Sues Food Makers Over Ultra-Processed Products and Marketing Practices
San Francisco has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court against ten major food producers, including Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, and Coca-Cola, targeting ultra-processed food products and alleged deceptive marketing practices.
The city alleges that these companies knowingly marketed addictive and unhealthy foods that are linked to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and other chronic illnesses. It also claims that local governments are burdened with the public health costs associated with these products.
The complaint states that ultra-processed foods have caused a public health crisis and seeks monetary penalties, along with a statewide order to reform deceptive marketing tactics.
The products mentioned in the suit range from cookies and sweets to cereals and granola bars. Defendants Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, and Coca-Cola did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said the case aims to hold these companies accountable for engineering a public health crisis and profiting from it.
In response, the Consumer Brands Association argued that there is no universally agreed scientific definition of ultra-processed foods and cautioned against classifying all processed foods as unhealthy. The association highlighted that many manufacturers are adding protein and fiber and reducing sugar and sodium in new products.
This lawsuit is reportedly one of the first brought by a government entity over marketing of ultra-processed foods. Notably, a Pennsylvania case against an individual for similar reasons was dismissed earlier this year.
The case is situated within ongoing policy debates about ultra-processed foods and actions by U.S. health officials concerning ingredients and labeling.
