Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuit: Background
Picture huge corporations using colorful packaging, cheerful characters, and enticing prizes to get children hooked on dangerous chemicals, reaping the profits as an ailing population grows sicker. This may sound like a horror movie plot, but recent lawsuits say it’s the reality of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
UPFs begin with real foods that are fractioned, mixed with chemical additives, and molded into edible substances resembling foods. Often packed full of added sugars, preservatives, modified fats, and artificial colors, these “Frankenfoods” are far removed from any food found in nature. Though this description may sound offputting, UPFs are often hyper-palatable—multiplying their addictive properties.
With such an alarming description, it may seem like these products would be easy to avoid. But disturbingly, UPFs can be difficult to spot, often masquerading as normal additions to a well-rounded diet. There’s a good chance they even make up a substantial part of your child’s daily nourishment, with 67% of American kids’ caloric intake coming from UPFs.
UPFs include common products such as:
- Packaged breads
- Hot dogs and deli meats
- Canned, packaged, and dehydrated soups
- Flavored and sweetened yogurts
- Margarine and buttery spreads
- Sweetened and fruit-flavored juices
- Baby formulas and snacks
- Meal replacement drinks
- Frozen, microwaveable, and pre-prepared meals
- Instant noodles, like ramen and macaroni and cheese
- Chips and crackers
- Packaged snack cakes, cookies, pastries, and other desserts
- Many breakfast cereals and bars
- Sodas, energy drinks, and sports drinks
- Fast food burgers, fries, and other convenience foods
- Artificially flavored ice creams and frozen snacks
- Candy
Manufacturers aggressively market UPFs as delicious, convenient, and even healthy food choices—leading customers to feel safe consuming the highly addictive products and feeding them to their children.
The US population is suffering more than ever from chronic illness—backed by scientific research, the public is increasingly pointing at UPFs. Ultra-processed food lawsuits have the potential to grow into a class action complaint, providing victims and their families an opportunity to hold UPF producers accountable for the harm they’ve caused.
The Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods
Enjoying an ultra-processed food (UPF) now and then isn’t typically a health concern, but manufacturers didn’t design these products for infrequent indulgence. They’re intended to be as addictive as possible.
UPFs first arrived on the market in the 1980s, when Big Tobacco companies purchased food corporations. Since then, UPFs have been engineered with tactics successfully used by the tobacco industry to keep consumers coming back for more.
From their chemical composition to relentless marketing campaigns, UPFs are incredibly addictive. Research shows that 14% of adults and 15% of kids worldwide are addicted to UPFs.
These addictions come with major health consequences. Frequent consumption of UPFs can lead to serious health problems that are becoming more and more common, including:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Dementia
- Mental disorders
- Gastrointestinal problems and diminished gut health
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Chronic inflammation
- Cancer
If you or your child developed a chronic health condition after regular UPF consumption, you may be eligible to pursue legal remedies. Sign up today to have your case reviewed by an attorney in the OCA network free of charge.
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