San Francisco has launched a groundbreaking legal attack against America’s food giants, filing the first-ever lawsuit targeting ultra-processed food manufacturers for allegedly engineering addictive products that created a public health crisis costing taxpayers billions.
Story Snapshot
- San Francisco sues ten major food companies including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and General Mills over ultra-processed foods
- First-of-its-kind lawsuit alleges companies knowingly created addictive, harmful products while hiding health risks
- City seeks restitution for healthcare costs and restrictions on deceptive marketing practices
- Lawsuit filed under California’s Unfair Competition Law and public nuisance statute
City Takes on Corporate Food Giants
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed the unprecedented lawsuit on December 2, 2025, targeting ten of America’s largest food manufacturers in San Francisco Superior Court. The defendants include household names like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Nestle USA, Kellogg, Mars Incorporated, Mondelez International, Post Holdings, and ConAgra Brands. This marks the first time a municipal government has directly challenged ultra-processed food companies using unfair business practice laws rather than traditional consumer protection approaches.
Allegations of Corporate Deception and Health Crisis
The lawsuit alleges these companies deliberately engineered products to be addictive while concealing serious health risks from consumers. City Attorney Chiu stated that these corporations “created a public health crisis with the engineering and marketing of ultra-processed foods” and “took food and made it unrecognizable and harmful to the human body.” The legal action claims these practices constitute unfair competition and create a public nuisance by imposing substantial healthcare costs on municipalities and states.
Targeting Systematic Market Manipulation
Unlike individual consumer lawsuits, San Francisco’s action frames the issue as systematic market manipulation rather than personal choice failures. Chiu emphasized that surveys show Americans want to avoid ultra-processed foods but “we are inundated by them,” suggesting corporate tactics overwhelm consumer preferences. The city argues these companies used deceptive marketing to promote products they knew caused diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity while targeting vulnerable populations with aggressive advertising campaigns.
Seeking Corporate Accountability and Reform
The lawsuit seeks restitution for healthcare costs imposed on San Francisco and restrictions on deceptive marketing practices. Supervisor Shamann Walton announced plans for a city resolution examining ultra-processed foods in San Francisco’s own departments, positioning the city to “lead by example.” This comprehensive approach targets both corporate accountability and government reform, reflecting conservative principles of limiting harmful corporate practices while promoting personal responsibility through honest information.
This legal strategy could establish important precedents for holding corporations accountable when their products create public health crises that burden taxpayers with healthcare costs. The case represents municipal government asserting authority over public health issues when federal oversight appears insufficient, potentially inspiring similar actions nationwide against corporate practices that harm American families while enriching multinational food conglomerates.
Sources:
San Francisco City Attorney Chiu Sues Largest Manufacturers of Ultra-Processed Foods
