Major food producers (such as Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz and Mondelez) have survived a lawsuit over addictive ultra-processed foods in the United States. The lawsuit was a test case for potential liability around ultra-processed foods.
Judge dismisses complaint
The plaintiff, Bryce Martinez (19) had claimed major food manufacturers were responsible for his diagnoses with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver at age 16. In his complaint, he claimed that food giants deliberately employed strategies from the tobacco industry: formulating products to be addictive, despite known health risks. Indeed, tobacco giants Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds have owned companies in the past from which Kraft Heinz and Mondelez, among others, later emerged.
