On December 2, 2025, City of San Francisco filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against ten major food and beverage manufacturers — including Kraft Heinz, Mondelez International, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé USA, General Mills and others — alleging their ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have triggered a public-health emergency.

The lawsuit argues these companies knowingly engineered, marketed, and sold ultra-processed foods — like sodas, snacks, cereals, and frozen meals — that are chemically engineered to promote overconsumption, addictive eating behaviors, and long-term health damage. According to civic leaders, UPFs now comprise roughly 70% of the American food supply, and mounting evidence links them to a range of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and depression.

The city is seeking civil penalties, restitution for public-health costs, and court orders that would restrict deceptive marketing, require transparency, and curtail distribution practices — especially those targeting children and low-income communities. The suit draws explicit parallels to prior litigation against the tobacco and lead-paint industries, aiming to hold food manufacturers similarly accountable.