In recent years, a growing legal and scientific debate has been developing around ultraprocessed foods: appetizing, ready-to-eat, and appealing, they often represent a difficult option to give up. Alongside these "benefits," however, lie hidden pitfalls and concrete health risks. And in the United States, Brian Martinez has decided to file a lawsuit against food industry giants, including Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo, attempting to prove that his type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were the result of years of consuming ultraprocessed products.
A few days ago, the definitive answer came from the Pennsylvania District Court: the case was dismissed – for the second time, among other things – because, according to the American judges, a simple correlation between frequent consumption of ultra-processed foods and the development of these pathologies does not equate to a causal relationship.
Martinez Vs. Kraft Heinz and Other Food Giants
Brian Martinez had already filed a lawsuit in December 2024, but the judge dismissed the complaint, deeming it seriously flawed. Assisted by the renowned law firm Morgan & Morgan, one of the most prominent in the United States specializing in personal injury, medical malpractice, and class action lawsuits, the American citizen this time included more details about his consumption of ultra-processed foods, listing 179 products he ingested during his youth and even specifying the frequency. Between the lines, Martinez also claimed that ingredients in some products, such as Kraft cheese, caused systemic inflammation, which over time compromised organ function and desensitized insulin receptor signaling.
The District Court, for its part, ruled that the plaintiff had failed to conclusively prove that the packaged food products caused his type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Indeed, the ruling explained that the mere mention of products is not sufficient to prove that they caused harm. In rejecting the claim, the judge specified that, in filing a tort lawsuit against food manufacturers, the plaintiff must prove that the specific products consumed caused the harm suffered.
Trade associations hailed this news as a major victory: Linda Kelly, the National Association of Manufacturers' chief legal officer, said: "Baseless, ideologically driven lawsuits do not improve public health or product safety. Instead, they create confusion and increase costs for consumers and undermine the regulatory certainty that manufacturers need to provide safe, nutritious foods that are accessible and affordable for American families."
Other Legal Challenges to Ultra-Processed Foods
The dismissal of this case represents another victory for the packaged food giants, which are facing a growing number of lawsuits and state regulations focused on consumer protection. Over the past year, manufacturers have successfully blocked a mandatory labeling requirement in Texas, which required warnings about artificial colors and additives, and frozen a similar measure in West Virginia. In the latter case, a ruling suspended a groundbreaking reform that would have limited the use of seven additives from 2028.
This ruling does not bode well for another highly publicized lawsuit filed in April against other manufacturers in New York. Filed in the Eastern District Court of Wisconsin, this action seeks to link a consumer's health problems to food ingredients. Meanwhile, while individuals face significant difficulties in asserting their rights, the industry is preparing to face its most complex challenge yet: the first government action, launched by the city of San Francisco, which has taken multinationals to court, accusing them of selling ultra-processed foods that are harmful to public health.
This case law does not bode well for another highly publicized lawsuit in the US, filed in April against other producers of ultra-processed foods. Filed in the Eastern District Court of Wisconsin, this lawsuit seeks to link a consumer's health problems to the ingredients in these foods. Meanwhile, while individual consumers are having great difficulty asserting their rights, the industry is preparing to face the challenge posed by the first government lawsuit filed by San Francisco. The Californian city has in fact sued several multinational food companies operating in the United States , accusing them of producing and selling foods harmful to people's health: once again, ultra-processed foods are in the crosshairs.
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