Major Food Companies Sued Over Alleged Harmful Marketing of Ultra-Processed Foods to Kids

A Pennsylvania teenager accuses 11 corporations of engineering addictive products linked to chronic diseases and targeting children in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit.

• Bryce Martinez, an 18-year-old from Pennsylvania, alleges that ultra-processed foods marketed by major companies caused him to develop type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by age 16.
• The lawsuit names 11 companies, including Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé USA, and Mars, accusing them of using the 'tobacco playbook' to engineer addictive foods and market them to children.
• Filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, the case claims these companies knowingly prioritized profits over public health despite long-term risks associated with their products.
• Ultra-processed foods, which make up a significant portion of American diets, have been linked in studies to chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cognitive decline.
• The lawsuit draws attention to the lack of regulation around ultra-processed foods and echoes growing concerns, including statements from FDA officials, about their potential addictiveness.

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