A shocking new lawsuit has been filed in the US against major food companies, including Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, and Coca-Cola. The lawsuit accuses these companies of designing and marketing “ultra-processed” foods/ snacks to be addictive to children, leading to chronic diseases.
The plaintiff, Bryce Martinez, alleges that he developed type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease at the age of 16 due to consuming these companies’ products.
The lawsuit claims that these food companies have long known their products are harmful and have deliberately engineered them to be as addictive as possible. It argues that they are using tactics similar to those used by tobacco giants to manipulate children into buying their products.
The lawsuit includes claims for conspiracy, negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and unfair business practices, seeking unspecified damages.
The food companies sued include Post Holdings, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestle’s US arm, WK Kellogg, Mars, Kellanova, and Conagra. The Consumer Brands Association, an industry group representing food and beverage makers, has responded that there is no agreed-upon scientific definition of ultra-processed foods and that classifying foods as unhealthy simply because they are processed misleads consumers and exacerbates health disparities.
The lawsuit highlights the growing concern over the health impacts of highly processed foods, which have been linked to a range of chronic health problems. With the US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf stating that ultra-processed foods are likely addictive, this lawsuit is set to spark a heated debate about the responsibility of food companies to protect public health.
