Popular food brands at center of lawsuit taking aim at ultra-processed foods

Eleven of the world’s food giants are at the center of a federal lawsuit taking aim at ultra processed foods.

The lawsuit, filed in Pennsylvania, targets Kraft Heinz Co. Inc, Mondelez International Inc., Post Holdings Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo Inc., General Mills Inc., Nestle USA Inc., Kellanova, WK Kellogg Co., Mars Incorporated Inc. and Conagra Brands Inc.

The plaintiff accuses the companies of using the same playbook as Big Tobacco to market unhealthy products to Americans.

Dr. Christopher Kelly, UNC Rex cardiologist, defines ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as products that have a long shelf life, contain five or more ingredients, and contain high amounts of sugar.

“Ultra-processed foods are engineered to be as delicious as possible because they want you to keep eating them and buying more,” Kelly said.

The cardiologist warned the danger lies in over consumption, noting eating too many UPFs can increase a person’s risk of developing risk factors of heart disease.

“When people eat ultra-processed foods they usually consume 20 to 30% more calories than they would if they were eating ordinary foods they cooked themselves,” Kelly said. “It really increases the risk of obesity, and with that, the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and other heart-risk factors, ultimately leading to heart disease.”

The doctor stated excess oils and fats included in the foods are also contributing factors to weight gain.

“For a majority of Americans now, ultra-processed foods are the majority of the calories that they take in," Kelly said. "It’s gone from a quick and convenient supplement to a diet you cook at home, to the main source of calories in most people’s diets.”

UNC Health Registered Dietitian Shelly Wegman encourages families to reduce UPF consumption by avoiding the shelves in the middle of the store and sticking to the perimeters where fresh produce and dairy are usually located.

“Never go by what’s on the front of the package,” Wegman cautioned. “The front of the package is the selling point; it’s to grab your attention.”

The dietitian suggests consumers flip products to the back and carefully read the nutrition label.

“Ingredients are listed by weight. What some manufacturers do is they’ll use multiple versions of sugar, so it’s not the first ingredient,” Wegman said adding the tactic is often used in cereals.

“If you start seeing things you don’t recognize, it might be an emulsifying agent or a flavoring agent,” she added.

The lawsuit also claims, “The UPF industry now spends about $2 billion each year marketing UPF to children.”

Kelly advises parents to help limit the amount of UPFs their children are consuming by cooking more meals at home.

“Children who grow up eating ultra-processed foods are much more likely to continue eating them as adults," Kelly explained. "Over the course of their entire lifetime, they’re going to get a much greater percentage of their calories from them than somebody who just snacks occasionally as an adult but otherwise has good eating habits.” 

He said the most important things parents can do for their children is to try cooking foods together at home.

"Not only because family time around the dinner table is so important, but because your child will develop a taste for homecooked meals which they will hopefully retain themselves and reduce the amount of ultra-processed foods they rely on later in life,” Kelly continued.

For those unsure of how much of their daily caloric intake is comprised of UPFs, Wegman suggests taking a food journal.

“Write down what you eat and where you eat. If you’re eating out, you know it’s had to be at least somewhat processed,” Wegman said. “Start small. Figure out where it’s coming into your diet and look at which things you can do differently.”