San Francisco sues 10 companies that make ultraprocessed food

San Francisco on Tuesday sued 10 major food companies, alleging that they marketed and sold ultraprocessed foods that they knew were harmful to human health.

The city of San Francisco on Tuesday sued 10 major food companies, alleging that they marketed and sold ultraprocessed foods that they knew were harmful to human health and had been designed to be addictive.

The lawsuit argues that the foods have contributed to a public health crisis in San Francisco and across the nation, saddling cities and other governments with medical costs associated with the consequences of diets high in processed food. It’s a first-of-its-kind attempt to hold food conglomerates accountable for the proliferation of these foods and their established health risks.

“We have reached a tipping point in the scientific research about the harm of these products,” said David Chiu, the city attorney for San Francisco, in a news conference Tuesday morning. He added that “these products in our diets are deeply linked to serious health conditions, imposing enormous costs on millions of Americans and cities and states across our country.”

The term “ultraprocessed foods” generally includes items like flavored chips, sugary granola bars and soda, which contain synthetic compounds, preservatives and additives and are often high in saturated fat, sodium or sugar. Research has tied these foods to increased risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other conditions, as well as early death.

The suit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, alleges that the companies knew these foods were “dangerous for human consumption” and that they used “deceitful tactics” to market and sell their products.