San Francisco Takes On Big Food: Landmark Lawsuit Targets Ultraprocessed Products to Protect Americans’ Health

San Francisco’s new lawsuit against major food manufacturers is a vital step toward protecting the health of everyone in the United States. City Attorney David Chiu is taking on 10 giants, including the makers of “Oreo cookies, Sour Patch Kids, Kit Kat, Cheerios and Lunchables,” arguing that ultraprocessed products are driving a nationwide health crisis. As Chiu puts it, “They took food and made it unrecognizable and harmful to the human body… These companies engineered a public health crisis, they profited handsomely, and now they need to take responsibility for the harm they have caused.”

The suit points to research linking ultraprocessed foods – sodas, processed meats, candy, cereals and more – to “Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and even depression at younger ages.” With an August CDC report showing that “most Americans get more than half their calories” from these products, holding corporations accountable is a powerful move in the fight against chronic disease.

San Francisco’s case builds on a growing national wave. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has highlighted the dangers of these foods in his Make America Healthy Again campaign, even pushing to remove them from SNAP so low-income families can access better options. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has already signed a first-in-the-nation law to phase certain ultraprocessed foods out of school meals, protecting children where they eat most often.

By charging that companies violated California’s Unfair Competition Law and public nuisance statute through “deceptive marketing,” San Francisco is demanding concrete changes: honest consumer education, restrictions on advertising to children, and financial penalties to help cover health care costs fueled by these products. As UCSF’s Kim Newell-Green explains, “Mounting research now links these products to serious diseases,” and this lawsuit finally aligns public policy with that science. 

If successful, it will not only force food corporations to change their behavior, it will also help all Americans move toward safer diets, stronger communities, and a fairer food system. It signals that public health outranks profit, empowering families to demand real food, honest labels, and communities that support truly longer lives.

Link: NPR