Food firms sued for allegedly marketing "addictive" products to kids
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Coca-Cola is among 11 companies being sued by a Pennsylvania resident. Photo: Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Coca-Cola and 10 other major food companies are accused in a lawsuit from a Pennsylvania teenager of "engineering" ultra-processed products to be addictive, marketing the items towards children and allegedly causing chronic disease in kids.
The big picture: Bryce Martinez alleges in the "first-of-its kind" lawsuit the actions of the firms that also include Kraft Heinz, Mars and PepsiCo "caused him to develop Type 2 Diabetes and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by age 16," per a statement from Morgan & Morgan, the major national personal injury attorneys representing the teen in the case.
Zoom out: The lawsuit, filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday, comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, pledges to remove from school lunches processed foods — which he has been highly critical of.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf has said he believes that ultra-processed food is probably addictive, notes Reuters, which first reported on the lawsuit.
What they're saying: "Companies adhere to the rigorous evidence-based safety standards established by the FDA to deliver safe, affordable and convenient products that consumers depend on every day," said the Consumer Brands Association's Sarah Gallo, via email on Tuesday night.
- "There is currently no agreed upon scientific definition of ultra-processed foods," continued the senior vice president of product policy for the industry group that represents food and drinks manufacturers.
- "Attempting to classify foods as unhealthy simply because they are processed, or demonizing food by ignoring its full nutrient content, misleads consumers and exacerbates health disparities," she added.
- "We fully support providing consumers the dignity of choice when making decisions about healthy dietary patterns and the makers of America's household brands are continuously innovating to meet the health and lifestyle needs of their customers."
Zoom in: The 11 defendants listed in the lawsuit are: Coca-Cola, Conagra Brands, General Mills, Kellanova, Kraft Heinz, Mars Inc., Mondelēz International, Nestlé USA, Post Holdings and WK Kellogg Co.
- Martinez, whom local media report is now 18 years old, says in the suit that he suffers from severe chronic illness and alleges he will live the rest of his life sick and suffering, and that he'll only get sicker.
- "These diseases did not exist in children prior to Defendants' conduct," the lawsuit alleges, in regards to Martinez's condition.
Between the lines: Research out this year has suggested links between greater consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of 32 harmful effects on people's health, including higher risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and common mental health disorders.
Read the complaint in full, via DocumentCloud:
Go deeper: How RFK Jr.'s MAHA movement could shake up public health
Editor's note: This article has been updated with more context.
