San Francisco has filed what is described as a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against several of the country’s major producers of ultra-processed foods, City Attorney David Chiu announced on 2 December.
Ultra-processed foods are now firmly rooted in the American diet, and research links their consumption to a range of serious health problems, driving up healthcare costs for individuals as well as state and local governments. The lawsuit argues that manufacturers were aware of the risks these products posed but continued to develop and market increasingly addictive and harmful formulations to protect their profits.
San Francisco filed the lawsuit against the nation’s leading ultra-processed food manufacturers—Kraft Heinz Company, Mondelez International, Post Holdings, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestle USA, Kellogg, Mars Incorporated, and ConAgra Brands.
“These companies created a public health crisis with the engineering and marketing of ultra-processed foods,”
said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu.
“They took food and made it unrecognisable and harmful to the human body. We must be clear that this is not about consumers making better choices. Recent surveys show Americans want to avoid ultra-processed foods, but we are inundated by them. These companies engineered a public health crisis, they profited handsomely, and now they need to take responsibility for the harm they have caused.”
“San Francisco families deserve to know what’s in their food,” said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.
“We’re not going to let our residents be misled about the products in our grocery stores. We are going to stand up for public health and give parents the information they need to keep themselves and their kids safe and healthy.”
The city claims that the food industry has flooded the country’s food supply with ultra-processed foods, and Americans have gotten sicker. Obesity rates have exploded. Colorectal cancer has doubled in young adults. The number of people with diabetes has quadrupled, and diagnoses of inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn’s disease, have skyrocketed.
Recent studies have linked overconsumption of ultra-processed foods to a multitude of adverse health outcomes, including Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and depression.
“This lawsuit is a critical step toward protecting the health of our communities,” said San Francisco Director of Health Daniel Tsai.
“For decades, ultra-processed foods have reshaped our diets. These products are not just unhealthy; they are engineered to be addictive, disproportionately harm low-income communities and communities of colour, and contribute to rising rates of chronic illness like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The San Francisco Department of Public Health applauds City Attorney Chiu for taking bold action to make San Francisco a healthier place.”
“As a doctor and a mom, I see every day how ultra-processed foods harm our kids and our communities,” said UCSF Associate Clinical Professor Dr. Kim Newell-Green.
“Mounting research now links these products to serious diseases—including Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and even depression at younger ages. Today’s lawsuit is an important step toward holding food companies accountable for profiting from products that put our health at risk.”
The lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the People of the State of California in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges Defendant’s unfair and deceptive acts in connection with the sale and marketing of ultra-processed foods violate California’s Unfair Competition Law and public nuisance statute.
The People seek an order, among other things, enjoining Defendants from deceptive marketing and requiring Defendants to take action to correct or lessen the effects of their behaviour. The lawsuit also seeks restitution and civil penalties to remedy the public nuisance and help local governments offset astronomical health care costs associated with ultra-processed food consumption.
The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, Andrus Anderson, DiCello Levitt, and Morgan & Morgan are representing the People in the lawsuit.
“We are proud to stand with the City of San Francisco in this groundbreaking litigation,” said DiCello Levitt Partner Diandra “Fu” Debrosse, who co-chairs the firm’s Mass Tort Litigation Practice Group and is a member of the firm’s Public Entity Group.
“San Francisco is leading the way in holding corporations accountable for engineering a public health crisis that has and continues to compromise the health of San Francisco’s children and adults.”
“This case is about protecting the health and wellness of San Franciscans—and setting a precedent that will benefit communities across the country,”
said Morgan & Morgan’s Rene Rocha, Partner, co-chair of Environmental & Toxic Tort Litigation. “Together, we aim to ensure that public health takes priority over corporate profits.”
“This litigation is about more than accountability; it’s about giving San Francisco the tools to protect its residents for generations to come,” said Jennie Lee Anderson, Partner, Andrus Anderson LLP.
“By challenging these corporate practices, we’re helping to establish a legal framework that other cities can use to safeguard their communities.”
The case is People of the State of California v. Kraft Heinz Company, Inc., et al., San Francisco Superior Court. The complaint can be found here.
10.12.2025.
