San Francisco’s city attorney is suing major food manufacturers seeking a halt to “deceptive marketing” of “ultraprocessed foods.” The suit, filed in state court, also asks for an order requiring the companies to provide restitution and pay civil penalties “to help local governments offset astronomical health care costs associated with ultra-processed food consumption.”
The companies being sued are: Kraft Heinz, Mondelēz International, Post Holdings, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestle USA, Kellogg’s, Mars Incorporated, and ConAgra Brands.
The suit does not seek a ban on the sale of any products, but instead a statewide order prohibiting the companies from continuing what the city describes as “deceptive marketing” targeting children. The city is also asking for the companies to pay an unspecified amount of money to abate what officials have called a public health crisis.
In response to the FDA and USDA request for information to assist in developing a uniform definition of “ultra-processed foods,” NCC in late October submitted detailed comments expressing recommendations and concerns. The comments can be read in their entirety by clicking here.
