Ultra-Processed Foods Lawsuits

Trial Attorneys Fighting for Your Civil Rights

Ultra-processed foods are on practically every grocery store shelf in the country, and each year, new and continuing research shows that consuming them as a diet staple can cause a variety of health problems. Yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has done very little to regulate ultra-processed foods or even spur more research into how they can impact a person’s overall health.

At Hilliard Law, we are proud to be trial attorneys who are known for fighting for our clients’ civil rights, even when that means bringing a claim against a powerful defendant. Currently, we are looking into possible legal action against the FDA for failing to research and regulate ultra-processed foods to the degree that should be expected of the administration. If you or your child have suffered health problems that your doctor has linked directly to the consumption of ultra-processed foods, we want to hear your story.

Call (361) 882-1612 to talk to an attorney from Hilliard Law about how ultra-processed foods have harmed your family.

What are Ultra-Processed Foods?

Ultra-processed foods have many different yet similar definitions based on which health organization or food manufacturer provides the definition.

Typically, ultra-processed foods are considered to be foods that meet one or more of these conditions:

• Processed by more than one method before reaching its final product state.
• Final product state is significantly different from its original state.
• Contain multiple chemical additives, especially those not related to preservation.
• Contain sweeteners that are not naturally occurring.
• Contain little to no whole food ingredients.
• Offer little to no nutritional benefits or vitamins.
• Provide significantly more calories than similar foods that are processed less.

Common examples of ultra-processed foods include:

• Cookies
• Candies
• Soda or soft drinks
• Sports drinks
• Frozen meals
• Cans of soup
• Packaged or mass-produced breads
• Fruit drinks and yogurts
• Sweetened breakfast cereals
• Flavored potato chips
• Fast foods
• Energy drinks

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Health Problems

Eating a diet of mostly ultra-processed foods has been linked to many different types of health problems. A review that was recently published by the British Medical Journal analyzed the results of 45 health studies with a collective total of 10 million participants. The findings suggested that a diet revolving around ultra-processed foods could be linked to dozens of health conditions, many of them serious or life-threatening.

Some of the most serious health conditions linked to ultra-processed foods are:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity
• Mental health disorders like depression
• Cancer
• Hypertension
• Insomnia
• Early risk of death

FDA Lacks Ultra-Processed Foods Regulations

The FDA currently allows an estimated 10,000 food additives to be used in foods made and sold in the United States. By comparison, the European Union has only approved 411 food additives. Doctors, health safety groups, and even prominent legislators like Senator Bernie Sanders have argued that the FDA’s acceptance of so many unnatural food additives is just one piece of evidence of the administration’s negligence in its duty to keep the American food market safe for consumers.

Furthermore, roughly 50% of those thousands of food additives are considered “Generally Recognized As Safe” or GRAS and the process to reach that determination is almost entirely based on self-reports made by food manufacturers, not through studies done by the FDA. One study by the Environmental Working Group concluded that 99% of the 766 food additives and chemicals introduced to the market between 2000 and 2021 were self-reported by manufacturers as GRAS, allowing those additives to avoid FDA review entirely. The argument has been made that a food manufacturer would be likely to report its chemical additive products as GRAS in pursuit of profit, even if it reasonably knew it was not safe for regular consumption.

Legal Action Against Ultra-Processed Foods

Hilliard Law is investigating the connection between ultra-processed foods and health problems, as well as the FDA’s alleged negligence in controlling the country’s food marketplace. Depending on the circumstances, legal action may form against the FDA for failing to regulate ultra-processed foods. It is also feasible that certain food manufacturers could face legal consequences for selling ultra-processed foods that they knew or reasonably should have known were linked to a variety of health conditions.

You may be able to start an ultra-processed foods lawsuit if:

• You have been diagnosed with serious health problems that your doctor has linked to a diet of ultra-processed foods; or,
• Your child has health problems like childhood obesity or type 2 diabetes that has been linked to a diet of ultra-processed foods; and,
• You were led to believe that ultra-processed foods were safe for regular consumption, particularly due to their prominence on grocery store shelves.

Talk to Our Attorneys About Your Options – Call Today

Let’s talk today about what legal options might be available to you if you or your child has been diagnosed with a serious health condition linked to ultra-processed foods. We are hoping to hear from as many people as possible; the more people who tell their stories about the harm caused by ultra-processed foods, the greater potential there is for strong legal action, which could include a class action lawsuit. Your case could be the first step toward better ultra-processed food regulations in the U.S.

We’re available to hear from people nationwide about ultra-processed food lawsuits. Call (361) 882-1612 or submit an online contact form today. 

Continued Reading

• “The federal loophole that allows food companies to decide what’s safe for you to eat” (CBS News)