Daijiworld Media Network – San Francisco
San Francisco, Dec 3: In a major legal showdown that has drawn national attention, the City of San Francisco has launched a lawsuit against some of America’s biggest food and beverage corporations, alleging that their ultra-processed products are driving a dangerous public health crisis across the nation.
City Attorney David Chiu has filed the suit against ten leading companies behind popular food brands — including makers of sodas, chocolates, snacks, breakfast cereals and processed meals. According to the city, these companies have been aggressively marketing “harmful, addictive and nutritionally stripped” food products, putting millions at risk of chronic and life-threatening illnesses.
Speaking after the filing, Chiu criticised the food giants for compromising public health for profit.
“They took food and made it unrecognizable and harmful to the human body. These companies engineered a public health crisis and profited enormously. It is time for them to be held accountable,” he stated.
Officials argue that ultra-processed foods — such as chips, candy, sweetened beverages, and packaged fast foods — are deliberately formulated to trigger cravings, encourage overeating, and replace natural nutrition with chemically manipulated ingredients. The lawsuit links these products to Type-2 diabetes, heart ailments, fatty liver disease, colorectal cancer and mental health issues emerging even at young ages.
Public health experts supporting the lawsuit say that scientific evidence is fast mounting, proving the direct connection between these foods and rising lifestyle diseases.
The case alleges violation of consumer protection laws and demands strict action to curb “deceptive marketing”, especially advertisements targeting children. The city has also sought financial penalties to offset the soaring healthcare costs caused by long-term consumption of ultra-processed food.
With this bold initiative, San Francisco has become the first city in the United States to directly challenge major corporations over responsibility for diet-related health threats — a move being described as the start of a new era of accountability in the food industry.