Chips, biscuits, soft drinks: Why a landmark US lawsuit is accusing big brands of engineering addictive, unhealthy foods

San Francisco has filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against ten major food corporations – including Coca-Cola, Mondelez, and Nestlé – accusing them of deliberately engineering ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to be addictive and harmful to public health. The city attorney, David Chiu, likened the companies’ tactics to those of the tobacco and opioid industries, stating that UPFs are contributing to an “enormous public health crisis.”

UPFs are defined as industrially manufactured products made from cheap ingredients and additives, designed to maximize profit by displacing real food. Scientific evidence links high consumption of these calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, and even cancer. A meta-analysis estimates that 14-20% of the global population experiences UPF addiction, comparable to alcohol-use disorders.

The lawsuit claims deceptive marketing practices and seeks to recover healthcare costs associated with chronic diseases caused by UPFs. The complaint references a 1999 meeting where food company CEOs reportedly acknowledged the potential for “devastating public health consequences” from their products, highlighting concerns about industry influence on food and health regulations.

(Source：Down To Earth)