Big Food Hit with First-of-A-Kind Lawsuit for Marketing 'Addictive' Ultra-Processed Products to Kids [View all]

A teenager in Pennsylvania has sued major food firms like Coca-Cola and Nestlé for allegedly causing illnesses in kids with ‘addictive’ ultra-processed foods.
Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, Mondelēz International and seven other Big Food companies are facing a lawsuit for engineering ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to be as addictive as cigarettes.

Filed by Bryce Martinez, an 18-year-old from Pennsylvania, the first-of-a-kind case alleges that by marketing these foods to kids, they have contributed to them developing chronic conditions.

The 148-page document submitted to the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia County notes that Martinez was diagnosed with fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes when he was 16, after consuming “harmful levels” of UPFs from these companies. These conditions “did not exist in children” prior to the mainstreaming of these products, the lawsuit claims.

The other Big Food companies named in the case are Mars, Kellanova, PepsiCo, Conagra, WK Kellogg Co, Post Holdings, and General Mills. The lawsuit involves claims for conspiracy, negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation and unfair business practices, and seeks an unspecified amount of compensation and punitive damages, according to Reuters, which first reported on the lawsuit.

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