Key Takeaways
The town of San Francisco sued 10 main meals and beverage corporations on Tuesday, accusing the businesses of promoting ultra-processed merchandise.
These merchandise have led to a public well being disaster and have burdened governments with healthcare prices, the lawsuit alleged.
Examples of ultra-processed meals embrace breakfast cereal, sweet and chips.
San Francisco has filed the primary authorities lawsuit within the U.S. particularly focusing on ultra-processed meals like Pringles, Scorching Pockets and Cheetos, and the main corporations that make them.
The town lawyer, David Chiu, filed the lawsuit in opposition to 10 meals and beverage giants, together with Coca-Cola, Nestle and Kraft, on Tuesday in San Francisco Superior Courtroom. The go well with alleges that these corporations marketed and bought ultra-processed meals that they knew had been dangerous to human well being.
The town outlined ultra-processed meals as former complete meals which have been damaged down after which reassembled with components like colours, taste enhancers, emulsifiers and synthetic sweeteners. Examples embrace sweet, chips, processed meat and breakfast cereal.
The lawsuit accused these meals conglomerates of contributing to a public well being disaster and saddling governments with healthcare prices. The town seeks monetary penalties and restitution to assist offset well being care prices linked to ultra-processed meals. It additionally desires to require modifications in how these meals are promoted.
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Extra defendants embrace Kraft Heinz, Mondelez Worldwide, PepsiCo, Basic Mills, Kellogg and Mars Integrated — all massive meals and beverage corporations whose manufacturers dominate U.S. grocery cabinets. Manufacturers related to Basic Mills alone embrace Cheerios, Pillsbury and Progresso.
“These corporations created a public well being disaster with the engineering and advertising and marketing of ultra-processed meals,” Chiu stated in a press release. “They took meals and made it unrecognizable and dangerous to the human physique… These corporations engineered a public well being disaster, they profited handsomely, and now they should take duty for the hurt they’ve brought on.”
The New York Occasions estimates that 70% of the U.S. meals provide is ultra-processed. Scientific research performed not too long ago present that overconsuming ultra-processed meals can result in detrimental well being outcomes, like Sort 2 diabetes, heart problems and colorectal most cancers. Chiu claims that the businesses used unfair and misleading advertising and marketing, together with health-oriented messaging and child-friendly branding, to drive consumption regardless of rising scientific proof of hurt.
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The defendants responded to the claims in an emailed assertion from their commerce group, the Shopper Manufacturers Affiliation.
“There’s at the moment no agreed upon scientific definition of ultra-processed meals and trying to categorise meals as unhealthy just because they’re processed, or demonizing meals by ignoring its full nutrient content material, misleads shoppers and exacerbates well being disparities,” Sarah Gallo, senior vp of product coverage for the group, stated within the assertion, per ABC Information.
The San Francisco metropolis lawyer’s workplace has had success with public well being instances earlier than, resembling in 1998, when it obtained a $539 million settlement from tobacco corporations. Extra not too long ago, in 2019, the town reached a $21 million settlement with former lead paint producers.
Key Takeaways
The town of San Francisco sued 10 main meals and beverage corporations on Tuesday, accusing the businesses of promoting ultra-processed merchandise.
These merchandise have led to a public well being disaster and have burdened governments with healthcare prices, the lawsuit alleged.
Examples of ultra-processed meals embrace breakfast cereal, sweet and chips.
San Francisco has filed the primary authorities lawsuit within the U.S. particularly focusing on ultra-processed meals like Pringles, Scorching Pockets and Cheetos, and the main corporations that make them.
The town lawyer, David Chiu, filed the lawsuit in opposition to 10 meals and beverage giants, together with Coca-Cola, Nestle and Kraft, on Tuesday in San Francisco Superior Courtroom. The go well with alleges that these corporations marketed and bought ultra-processed meals that they knew had been dangerous to human well being.
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