Addictive foods lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Bryce Martinez filed a lawsuit against Kraft Heinz Co. Inc, Mondelez International Inc., Post Holdings Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo Inc., General Mills Inc., Nestle USA Inc., Kellanova, WK Kellogg Co., Mars Incorporated Inc. and Conagra Brands Inc.
- Why: Martinez claims the major food companies have for years marketed unhealthy and addictive ultra-processed foods to kids, causing an “explosion” in chronic diseases since the 1980s.
- Where: The lawsuit was filed in The Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
A new lawsuit alleges major food companies such as Kraft Heinz, General Mills and The Coca-Cola Company market unhealthy and addictive ultra-processed foods to kids.
Plaintiff Bryce Martinez’s lawsuit claims there has been an “explosion” of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and other “life-changing” chronic illnesses since the rise of ultra-processed foods in the 1980s.
“Meanwhile, sales have surged. (ultra-processed foods) have displaced traditional foods and now constitute the vast majority of children’s diets,” the addictive foods lawsuit says.
In addition to Kraft Heinz, General Mills and The Coca-Cola Company, major food companies Post Holdings, PepsiCo, Nestle USA, Kellanova, WK Kellogg, Mars Incorporated and Conagra Brands are named as defendants in the complaint.
Americans living with ‘devastating’ consequences of ultra-processed foods, class action says
Martinez argues Americans are living with the “devastating” consequences of the companies’ decisions to market ultra-processed foods, including “concurrent epidemics” of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions.
“UPF are dangerous not only because they are designed to hack our physiological nervous system and are aggressively marketed to children,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit claims the food companies have been aware for decades about the alleged damage they are causing with ultra-processed foods, but continue to “inflict massive harm on society” in a “reckless pursuit of profits.”
Martinez cites a secret meeting in April 1999 that he argues was attended by the largest food companies in the ultra-processed food industry and discussed the “devastating public health consequences of (ultra-processed foods) and their conduct.”
“But nothing changed as a result of that meeting, and the UPF industry has carried on inflicting massive social harm on our health and our children for the last 25 years,” the lawsuit says.
The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests an award of compensatory, economic, statutory and treble damages and punitive and/or exemplary damages.
In similar news, a trio of recalls, a class action lawsuit and a court ruling involving children’s products recently made headlines.
Do you believe you have you been injured as a result of consuming ultra-processed foods? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by K. Clancy Boylan, T. Michael Morgan, Rene F. Rocha and Frank Petosa of Morgan & Morgan PA and Christopher A. Seeger, Parvin K. Aminolroaya, Frazar Thomas and Dave Buchanan of Seeger Weiss LLP.
The addictive foods lawsuit is Martinez v. Kraft Heinz Co. Inc., et al., Case No. 241201154, in The Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
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380 thoughts onKraft Heinz, Nestle, others market unhealthy, addictive foods on kids, lawsuit claims
Add me please
Yes, I believe I’ve been harmed by ultra‑processed foods. I have struggled with obesity since childhood, and it led to years of being made fun of, feeling suicidal as a kid, and believing I was ugly. I even attempted suicide twice when I was younger because of the shame and bullying I experienced. Food became my comfort, but in reality it was the very thing harming me. As an adult, I’m still carrying that weight, still insecure and ashamed, and still addicted to the same ultra‑processed foods that caused so much damage.
Ultra‑processed foods don’t just affect individuals—they create generational harm. Families are trapped in cycles of obesity, illness, and addiction to products that were knowingly marketed and sold without care for the consequences. Children are growing up sick, ashamed, and burdened by habits they never chose.
Someone needs to be held accountable for the pain and suffering these foods have caused. The reckless continuation of this system has played a direct role in the ongoing obesity crisis and childhood illnesses. It’s heartbreaking, and it’s time for change.
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This version now makes clear that your suicidal feelings were in childhood, not now, while keeping the strength of your story and call for accountability.
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I am going through breast cancer and they have no idea what really causes it. It is not genetic in my case. It’s environmental, so it’s most likely what is in our food and water or what we drink. Please add me.
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