Ultra-Processed Foods Lawsuit

You’re in the grocery store. You needed some milk and bread for the family. As you’re drifting through the aisles, you snatch a bag of neon-orange cheese puffs, a box of frosted mini donuts—because they look so delicious!—and maybe a six-pack of fizzy soda. These are the treats your kids beg you for, and if you’re being honest, you love them too. Considering how hard you work every day, it’s nice to have a little reward now and then.

The fact that you, your kids, and so many others love these kinds of foods is no accident. Manufacturers design them to be irresistible, from that first satisfying crunch to the explosion of sweet or savory flavor in every bite. Behind the scenes, though, these beloved snacks—including sugary cereals, salty chips, and chocolate-covered donuts—are packed with ingredients that can harm your and your children’s health over time.

One Pennsylvania resident has had enough. He recently filed a new ultra-processed foods lawsuit against several major U.S. food companies, claiming that they put profits above their responsibilities to public health. His case is pending in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.

In his complaint, the plaintiff argues that these foods are not only inherently dangerous and intrinsically unhealthy but outright addictive, leading to strong urges and cravings that are difficult to resist. He notes the links between consumption of these foods and chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer.

This is the first lawsuit of its kind, but it’s likely as awareness grows, more may follow. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a serious health problem that your doctor has linked to a diet of ultra-processed foods, contact us immediately. We always offer a free initial consultation to help you determine your next steps.

What Are Ultra Processed Foods?

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been significantly altered from their natural state by manufacturers. According to the NOVA food classification system—a scientific framework developed by epidemiologist Carlos Monteiro—ultra-processed foods are “industrial formulations made entirely or mostly from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch, and proteins), derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats and modified starch), or synthesized in laboratories from food substrates or other organic sources (flavor enhancers, colors, and several food additives used to make the product hyper-palatable).”

According to NOVA, examples of these foods include sweet and salty packaged snacks, pre-prepared pizza and pasta dishes, soda and other carbonated soft drinks, pre-prepared chicken and fish nuggets and sticks, breakfast cereals and bars, sweetened and flavored yogurts, and more.

In general, foods are classified according to how much they’ve been altered or separated from nature before they are consumed by humans.

Unprocessed foods are obtained directly from plants or animals and don’t undergo any alteration. Examples include fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, seeds, and nuts.

Minimally processed foods are those that have gone through minimal processing, such as cleaning, removing inedible or unwanted parts (like seeds), pasteurizing (milk and yogurt), cooling, freezing, fermenting, drying, or grounding, but do not have added fat, sugar, or salt. Examples include frozen vegetables and fruit, bulk or packaged grains (like wholegrain rice), dried or fresh pasta, grits, flour, legumes, tea, plain yogurt, and coffee.

Processed foods are manufactured with salt, sugar, oil, or other substances to preserve them or make them more palatable. They are still “close” to the original food, however, and are recognized as such. Examples include canned vegetables, beef jerky, tomato paste, canned fish, freshly-made cheese, salted or sugared nuts and seeds, bacon, freshly-made breads, and fermented alcoholic beverages like beer.

Ultra-processed foods are at the far end of the scale and are made entirely or mainly from substances extracted from foods. These substances have typically undergone extensive adjustments, including hydrolysis, hydrogenation, or other chemical modifications, and contain ingredients that have little culinary use, like high-fructose corn syrup, casein, soya protein isolate, and additives such as colors, flavors, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, thickeners, and more.

These foods are fundamentally different from natural foods. You can identify them by the long list of chemical-sounding ingredients on the label that includes substances rarely used in the kitchen. Long-term intake of these foods has been tied to an increased risk of health problems.

Why Do We Have Ultra Processed Foods?

It began around World War I when manufacturers focused on creating nutritionally dense, protein-rich food that could be shipped and stored without spoiling. These foods could be used to feed the troops while they were deployed.

After the war, food companies continued to research and improve their products, initially focusing on convenience and nutrition. By WWII, the mass production of shelf-stable, processed foods became even more important, providing convenient and transportable meals for troops.

In the 1950s and 60s, food companies turned their attention to civilian life, creating a new era of convenience for busy households. This was when TV dinners, boxed cake mixes, and other easy-to-make foods soared in popularity, with companies emphasizing ease and modernity.

Gradually, companies focused more on maximizing flavor and profitability and began using additives like high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and preservatives to make their offerings cheaper to produce and more profitable to sell.

According to the UNC Global Food Research Program, UPFs have “rapidly displaced unprocessed or minimally processed foods, freshly prepared meals, and traditional cooking in the diet in most countries, causing significant nutritional, social, economic, and environmental disruption and damage worldwide.”

The program goes on to state that UPFs now account for roughly half or more of the total calories consumed in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, and about 20-40 percent of calories in other high- and middle-income countries, with sales growing rapidly every year.

What’s Wrong with Ultra-Processed Foods?

Scientists and health experts have long warned about the dangers of consuming too many UPFs. Over the past few decades, evidence has linked them increasingly to a wide range of chronic health problems.

In a 2019 study, for instance, published in the British Medical Journal, researchers found that those who had a higher consumption of UPFs (more than four servings daily) had a 62 percent higher risk of premature death from all causes. For each additional serving, all-cause mortality increased by 18 percent.

In 2021, researchers published a study in JAMA that showed that children who consumed more UPFs were more likely to be obese. An earlier study of children and adolescents showed that increases in the dietary share of UPFs were associated with obesity in almost all countries and age groups.

In a 2022 review of 18 studies involving nearly 1.1 million people, researchers found that moderate intake of UPFs increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 12 percent, whereas high intake increased risk by 31 percent.

Another study published in the BMJ in 2018 showed that a 10 percent increase in the proportion of UPFs in the diet was associated with a significant increase of greater than 10 percent in risks of overall breast cancer.

These are just a few of the many studies linking the consumption of UPFs with health problems. But why are these foods so harmful to our bodies and minds?

The Additive Nature of Ultra-Processed Foods

Eating a cookie now and then or consuming a soda as a treat is unlikely to hurt you. The problem with UPFs is that they can be addictive for some people. Because of how manufacturers have designed them, humans often have a hard time resisting them, so we eat more and more, to the detriment of our health.

Food manufacturers use a combination of sugar, fat, and salt to make these foods taste so good that they trigger the brain’s reward system, leading to overconsumption.

Sugar

High amounts of sugar stimulate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. This creates the “sugar high” that most of us are familiar with, a temporary feeling of euphoria. Eating too much sugar, however, often leads to a “sugar crash” later, leading to cravings for even more.

Fat and Salt

Fat and salt are other frequently used in UPFs that can contribute to their addictive nature. Fat provides a creamy, satisfying texture, while salt enhances flavor intensity. Both stimulate dopamine release in the brain, making these foods irresistible.

This ability of UPFs to alter the brain’s reward pathways has led some scientists to compare them to other addictive substances, such as cigarettes and cocaine. Indeed, as pointed out in the ultra-processed foods lawsuit mentioned above, several major food brands were once owned by the world’s largest tobacco companies. There is also some evidence that these companies used similar tactics to formulate their food products as were used to develop and market cigarettes.

Today, it’s well known that food companies research not only the taste of their foods but also consumers’ responses to the color, smell, and “mouth feel” of the products. They may then adjust their formulations to help improve how consumers respond to them.

In a 2023 review, scientists found that the overall prevalence of food addiction was 14 percent in adults and 12 percent in children. This was similar to the levels of addiction seen for other legal substances in adults (14 percent for alcohol and 18 percent for tobacco), but the “level of implied addiction in children is unprecedented,” the researchers wrote.

Further, the scientists reported that not all foods have addictive potential—only those with high levels of refined carbohydrates or added fats, such as sweets and salty snacks: “These types of foods are most strongly implicated in the behavioral indicators of addiction, such as excessive intake, loss of control over consumption, intense cravings, and continued use despite negative consequences.”

Children Particularly Vulnerable to the Dangers of Ultra-Processed Foods

Because their brains and bodies are still developing, children can be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of ultra-processed foods. Research has shown that high consumption of these foods in children is linked to the alarming increases we’ve seen in type 2 diabetes and obesity in young people.

A 2025 study published in Current Nutrition Reports reported that the widespread consumption of UPFs in children has been associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.

“As UPFs and childhood obesity are interconnected,” the scientists wrote, “it is of the utmost importance to implement potential preventive interventions in order to promote public health…”

In a 2024 study published in JAMA Netw Open, researchers found that high consumption of UPFs in young children was associated with higher BMI and waist circumference, higher blood sugar levels, and lower HDL “good” cholesterol levels. Substituting just 100 grams of unprocessed or minimally processed foods for 100 grams of UPFs was associated with a lower BMI and blood sugar level.

A 2023 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics reported an association between the consumption of UPFs and harmful health outcomes in children and adolescents, such as overweight, obesity, physical inactivity, cardiovascular diseases, and periodontal diseases.

Specific Health Problems Linked to Ultra-Processed Foods

Several of our most common and deadly health conditions today have been associated with the consumption of UPFs. Scientific studies provide compelling evidence:

• Diabetes: A study in Diabetologia found that higher consumption of UPFs increased the risk of type 2 diabetes. The amount of UPF consumption per day was consistently associated with the disease’s risk, even when scientists adjusted for the intake of unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
• Fatty liver disease: Research published in 2021 linked the intake of high-fructose corn syrup in processed foods to a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. HepH
• Obesity: Several studies have linked the consumption of UPFs with a more significant increase in overweight and obesity. One published in Cell Metabolism showed that the intake of UPFs for only 14 days caused participants to gain weight.
• Cardiovascular disease: Multiple studies have found that UPFs are linked to an increase in heart disease. In a 2021 study, researchers stated that epidemiological studies “suggest that higher consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).” They added that these foods may affect cardiometabolic health in many ways and that their additives may also be involved.
• Cancer: The American Institute for Cancer Research notes that researchers have found a higher intake of UPFs increases the risk of developing many types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancers.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome: According to a study published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, there is increasing evidence of an association between diets rich in UPFs and gut disease, including inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and irritable bowel syndrome.

What Our Clients Have to Say About Chaffin Luhana

Below is a small sampling of the testimonials we have received from our clients:

$4 Million Product Liability Recovery

“I was very pleased with the representation that I received for my case. I had a positive experience with this firm and I would recommend your firm to my family and friends.”

– Judy R., Personal Injury Client

Nearly $3 Million Recovery

“I would tell prospective client[s of your firm] to be patient – trust your lawyers, trust that they know what they are doing, even though it is hard for people not in the business to understand all the legal wording and details.”

– Duane B., Personal Injury Client

$3 Million Product Liability Recover

“[The attorneys] were very thorough as well as informative. They contacted me and explained everything as the case progressed. Roopal was always so friendly and supportive. I felt she cared more about me personally than she did about the case. Because of that, I felt she had far more desire to win the case.”

– Jodie S., Personal Injury Client

Find more testimonials here.

Dedication to Community

Law partners Eric Chaffin and Roopal Luhana and their families established The Chaffin Luhana Foundation in 2010.

A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation encourages the development of human potential and supports community empowerment through the following activities:

• Scholarships: The Chaffin Luhana Foundation awards an annual scholarship to a student who submits an inspiring personal essay to help fight distracted driving.
• Financial gifts: The Foundation awards periodic financial gifts to institutions of higher learning to support scientific research and funds educational scholarships to students.
• Stephanie Victor Legacy Award: The Chaffin Luhana Foundation awards an annual financial gift to one deserving individual who overcame significant challenges and achieved great milestones in his or her life or career.
• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: Chaffin Luhana has partnered with this organization to benefit those living with spinal cord injuries and paralysis.
• Najee Harris Partnership: We have partnered with Pittsburgh Running Back, Najee Harris, and his Da’ Bigger Picture Foundation to support those in need in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Firm Awards

The founding partners of Chaffin Luhana have extensive experience in fighting for plaintiffs’ rights:

• Founder Eric Chaffin: Chaffin has handled a wide array of cases against various types of manufacturers, with dozens of multimillion-dollar recoveries.
• Founder Roopal Luhana: Luhana manages the firm’s mass torts division. Throughout her career, she has served on committees in MDLs involving over-the-counter consumer products and defective pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
• Partner Patrick Booth: Booth enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help his clients obtain the best results possible in their personal injury cases.

Chaffin Luhana lawyers have also been named to the prestigious “Super Lawyers” list several years in a row.

Ultra-Processed Foods Lawsuits

The lawsuit mentioned above, filed in Philadelphia, named several major food companies, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, General Mills, Nestle, Kellogg’s, Mars, Kraft Heinz, and more. According to his complaint, the plaintiff claims he was a victim of the defendants’ “predatory profiteering.”

Specifically, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease at the age of 16. He blames these food companies for marketing specifically to children and for creating unfair and deceptive messages about their products. He adds that the companies failed to warn that their products were harmful and could lead to health problems like diabetes.

The complaint goes into great detail about the health problems associated with UPFs and how the defendants were aware of these issues—particularly in children—but put profits above the concern for public health. It notes how scientists have been warning about the dangers of UPFs for decades, yet the defendants failed to change their tactics.

The plaintiff claims that these companies aggressively marketed their products to children, particularly those from minority communities, using fun and vibrant packaging, cartoon characters, and popular media to make children more aware of their offerings. The plaintiff argues that this marketing is not only deceptive, but part of the reason why kids are consuming so many of these unhealthy foods today.

The plaintiff brings claims of negligence, failure to warn, breach of warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, unfair trade practices, and conspiracy and concerted action. He seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Chaffin Luhana Investigating Ultra-Processed Foods Lawsuits

The legal team at Chaffin Luhana is investigating other potential ultra-processed food cases. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a serious health condition linked to consuming these foods, you may be eligible for compensation.

Those who may qualify include:

• Individuals diagnosed with chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, cancer, liver disease, and others directly linked to UPFs.
• Families with children who suffered serious health consequences from consuming UPFs.
• Public health agencies seeking damages from the societal burden of UPFs.

Our ultra-processed foods lawyers offer free personalized consultations to help you determine if you may qualify for compensation. Our experienced attorneys have decades of combined experience holding corporations accountable for the public health harms they cause.

Call us today at 888-480-1123.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods are foods that have been significantly altered from their natural state. They typically contain many additives, sugar, salt, and fat, and are designed to be highly palatable but nutritionally poor.

Why are these foods harmful?

Ultra-processed foods have been shown in studies to increase the risk of chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Are there alternatives to ultra-processed foods?

Yes, consuming whole or minimally processed foods is a healthier alternative. Shop in the produce section and seek out foods with short ingredient lists.

Who is responsible for regulating UPFs?

Regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversee food labeling and safety, but they have done little to reduce the availability of these unhealthy foods.

Can I avoid ultra-processed foods?

Yes, if you are more selective when going to the grocery store. Focus on fresh produce, cook more often at home, and read labels to avoid artificial ingredients.

What should I do if I think I may qualify for an ultra-processed foods lawsuit?

Contact Chaffin Luhana today for a free evaluation of your case.

What is the goal of the ultra-processed foods lawsuit?

The lawsuit aims to hold food companies accountable for creating and marketing potentially addictive and harmful products, particularly to children.

Which companies are being targeted in the lawsuit?

The lawsuit names several major multinational food corporations, including Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, and General Mills.

Could more lawsuits be filed against ultra-processed food manufacturers?

Yes, this lawsuit may inspire additional legal actions as awareness of the health impacts of UPFs grows.