Ultra Processed Food Lawsuit
Last updated: June 10, 2026
Ultra processed food lawsuits are among the newest and most closely watched product cases in the country. Plaintiffs allege that major manufacturers engineered packaged foods to be habit-forming using tactics borrowed from the tobacco industry, marketed them to children, and failed to warn about links to conditions like childhood type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The first test case was dismissed on pleading grounds in 2025, but new individual cases and the first government lawsuit have followed.
This page is part of our broader coverage of Processed Food Addiction Lawsuits. Brand coverage is available at Kraft Heinz Lawsuit and Coca-Cola Lawsuit, and health background at Ultra Processed Food Health Effects.
This page provides general educational information about ultra processed food litigation. The claims described are allegations that the companies dispute, and nothing here has been proven in court. This page is not medical or legal advice.
What the Lawsuits Allege
The complaints allege that manufacturers designed ultra processed foods with specific combinations of sugar, salt, fats, and additives calibrated to overstimulate reward systems in the brain, suppress natural satiety, and promote compulsive eating, and that the companies marketed these products heavily to children while withholding what they knew about the health risks. Several complaints draw an explicit line to the tobacco industry, noting the history of tobacco companies owning major food manufacturers and alleging the same playbook was applied to food.
The health conditions at the center of the cases are childhood-onset type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with complaints also referencing obesity, cardiovascular issues, and other chronic conditions discussed in the research literature.
The Companies Named
- Kraft Heinz
- Mondelez
- Coca-Cola
- PepsiCo
- Nestle USA
- General Mills
- Kellogg entities
- Mars
- Post Holdings
- ConAgra Brands
Defendant lists vary by complaint. Brand-level coverage is available at Kraft Heinz Lawsuit and Coca-Cola Lawsuit.
The Martinez Test Case and Its Dismissal
The first major case was filed in December 2024 in Philadelphia by Bryce Martinez, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease at age 16 and alleged the conditions resulted from consuming the defendants' products. The case was widely described as a test of whether tobacco-style claims could work against food manufacturers.
In September 2025, the court dismissed the case. The judge found the complaint listed more than one hundred brands but failed to identify the specific products Martinez consumed, in what quantities and when, did not adequately plead causation, and did not attribute specific conduct to specific defendants. The dismissal was a significant early defense win, but it turned on pleading specificity rather than a ruling that such claims can never succeed.
The New Wave of Cases
New individual lawsuits have been filed since the dismissal, drafted with the Martinez ruling in mind. A January 2026 case filed in federal court in Louisiana by a plaintiff diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease repeats the engineered-addiction allegations against a similar defendant roster, and additional cases have been filed on behalf of minors. Plaintiffs' firms have signaled that identifying specific products and documented consumption is now central to how these cases are built.
The San Francisco Government Lawsuit
In December 2025, the City of San Francisco filed the first government lawsuit in the country over ultra processed foods, naming Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Nestle USA, General Mills, Kellogg, Post Holdings, Mars, and ConAgra. The suit alleges deceptive marketing and public nuisance tied to products the city argues contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, and it seeks damages and changes to marketing practices.
Government suits proceed on different legal theories than individual injury cases, but they add regulatory-style pressure to the same industry and often surface internal documents that individual plaintiffs later use.
Were you or your child diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after years of heavy ultra processed food consumption? You may qualify for a free case review.
Check My EligibilityWhere the Litigation Stands in 2026
As of mid-2026, the individual injury cases are in their earliest stages, with no coordinated proceeding, no trial, and no settlement of any kind. The Martinez dismissal set an early bar on pleading specificity, the San Francisco case is moving through its opening phases, and research developments, including a major Lancet review of ultra processed food harms and the dietary guidelines discussion of these foods, continue to shape the public record both sides will draw on.
Anyone suggesting settlement amounts for these cases is ahead of the facts. No settlement exists, and whether this litigation matures into a mass tort on the scale plaintiffs predict remains an open question.
Why Product and Medical Records Matter
The Martinez dismissal made one thing clear: specificity wins or loses these cases at the pleading stage. Potentially relevant records include which specific products were consumed regularly and over what period, grocery and purchase records, the diagnosis and treatment history for conditions like type 2 diabetes or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, pediatric records, and family dietary history.
For a broader look at how evidence works in cases like these, see What Evidence Helps a Lawsuit? and How Lawsuits Work.
Related Lawsuit Topics
Processed Food Addiction Lawsuits
Start with the overview of addiction-by-design legal theories involving food products.
Kraft Heinz Lawsuit
The ultra processed food claims against Kraft Heinz, plus the Velveeta class action people remember.
Coca-Cola Lawsuit
Where Coca-Cola fits in the ultra processed food litigation and its other consumer cases.
Ultra Processed Food Health Effects
What the research discusses about ultra processed foods, addiction-like eating, and chronic disease.
Video Game Addiction Lawsuits
Compare the parallel addiction-by-design litigation involving games and minors.
Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
Compare the coordinated litigation involving platforms and adolescent mental health.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Ultra Processed Food Lawsuit
What is the ultra processed food lawsuit about?
These lawsuits allege that major food manufacturers deliberately engineered ultra processed foods to be habit-forming, using combinations of sugar, salt, fats, and additives, marketed them heavily to children, and failed to warn about health risks such as type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The companies dispute these allegations, and the claims have not been proven in court.
Which companies are named in the ultra processed food lawsuits?
Defendant lists vary by case but have included Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle USA, General Mills, Kellogg entities, Mars, Post Holdings, and ConAgra. The San Francisco government suit filed in December 2025 named a similar roster.
What happened in the Martinez case?
Bryce Martinez filed the first major ultra processed food injury case in December 2024 in Philadelphia after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease at 16. In September 2025 the court dismissed the case, finding the complaint failed to identify the specific products he consumed and did not adequately plead causation. The dismissal was about pleading specificity, and new cases have been filed since with that ruling in mind.
Is there an ultra processed food class action?
Most of the injury cases are individual lawsuits rather than class actions, and no MDL or coordinated proceeding has been created for them. Separately, the City of San Francisco filed the first government suit over ultra processed foods in December 2025, alleging deceptive marketing and public nuisance.
Has there been an ultra processed food lawsuit settlement?
No. As of mid-2026, no settlement has been announced in any of the ultra processed food injury cases, and no settlement program exists. The litigation is in its earliest stages.
Who may qualify for an ultra processed food lawsuit?
Firms evaluating these claims generally focus on people diagnosed with conditions such as childhood-onset type 2 diabetes or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease following heavy, documented consumption of ultra processed foods. After the Martinez dismissal, the ability to identify specific products and consumption history matters even more.
Find Out If You May Have a Case
If you or your child were diagnosed with childhood-onset type 2 diabetes or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after years of heavy ultra processed food consumption, you can request a free, no-obligation case review on Lawsuit Center.
Educational purposes only. Submitting a case review request does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Related Legal Guides
How Lawsuits Work
Get a simple overview of how legal claims are investigated, filed, and resolved over time.
Mass Torts
Understand how coordinated proceedings work when many similar claims move through court together.
Class Actions
Learn how class actions differ from individual injury claims and coordinated mass torts.
What Evidence Helps a Lawsuit?
See which records, documents, and history can support an injury or product claim.
How Long Do Lawsuits Take?
Learn what can affect the timeline of a lawsuit and why some claims take longer than others.
