SAN FRANCISCO — In what has been called a historic move, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has filed a lawsuit against some of the nation’s largest food manufacturers, alleging that ultra-processed products have contributed to widespread chronic illness.
The suit, filed in California Superior Court, names Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Post, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestlé, Kellanova, Kellogg, Mars, and ConAgra. At a press conference on Dec. 2, Chiu stood before a table of popular packaged foods—from crackers and cereals to frozen dinners and frosting—while announcing the legal action.
Chiu stated the companies must be held “accountable for their unfair and deceptive practices” under California’s unfair competition and public nuisance laws. He argued these products have fueled a health crisis, increasing rates of chronic diseases and placing a heavy burden on U.S. cities.
“We’ve reached a tipping point in scientific research,” Chiu said, citing recent studies, including papers published in The Lancet, that link ultra-processed foods to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease, kidney disease, colorectal cancer, Crohn’s disease, and depression.
Earlier this year a private lawsuit in Philadelphia over ultra-processed foods, brought by a young consumer who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease at 16 years old, was dismissed after a judge ruled the claim lacked specifics about the products and timeline of consumption.
