San Francisco vs. ultra-processed food companies
As we learned in high school economics class, one of the core structural features of a capitalist system is profitability. We’ve also learned over the years that many US corporations operate with policies that put company and shareholder profits over the consumer’s health and safety.
Some examples include:
Purdue Pharma aggressively marketed OxyContin while downplaying addiction risks.
Amazon has been accused of unsafe warehouse conditions, union-busting, and forcing delivery drivers to disregard safety practices.
Meta has allegedly ignored its platforms’ impact on teens’ mental health, has allowed the spread of misinformation, and violated privacy to maximize engagement.
Other companies that have implemented “profits over people” policies are manufacturers of ultra-processed foods (UPF), such as cookies, crackers, pastries, and processed meats.
In what some consider a bold move, and others will call an attack on capitalism, San Francisco is suing some of the country’s top UPF manufacturers, including Kellogg's, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo. The suit alleges that the companies’ foods are causing a national health emergency.
In a statement, City Attorney David Chiu said, "These companies engineered a public health crisis, they profited handsomely, and now they need to take responsibility for the harm they have caused."
Manufacturers invest millions of dollars annually in getting consumers hooked on their products. They meticulously test for taste, texture, aroma, and mouthfeel, as well as how flavor changes during chewing. Their scientists painstakingly adjust sugar, fat, salt, and texturizers to maximize pleasure without causing “flavor fatigue.”
They use techniques like rapid dissolution and “vanishing caloric density,” which causes the food to melt quickly in the mouth, leading the brain to underestimate calories. This is why eating just one chip, cracker, or cookie can feel impossible, and contributes to America’s climbing obesity rates.
San Francisco is seeking a court order requiring manufacturers to provide financial compensation for health care costs caused by UPF consumption and limit the amount of advertising targeting children.
These food companies have big money, and their lobbyists will likely work to grease the palms of politicians and officials who can make lawsuits like this go away. We’ll see if Robert F. Kennedy’s vocal opposition against UPFs will make a difference.
You can learn more details in this article from NPR:
https://www.npr.org/2025/12/03/g-s1-100212/san-francisco-sues-manufactur...
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Slipstream
These companies have so much power, it's hard to imagine winning against them. They're just like the alcohol and cigarette companies—their products are addictive, but no one's taken them off the shelf. They put warning labels on some, but people still buy them. It will be interesting to see if the lawsuit makes it past the first judge.
Evangel
"Betcha Can't Eat Just One!" was one of the most successful ad campaigns of the 1960s. It was created in 1963 for Lay's by the ad agency Young & Rubicam, and I wonder now if the chips contained addictive additives, and the company was signaling it with its blatant marketing challenge.
Cigarette companies were sued for creating a health crisis, and if evidence shows that the junk food makers acted with willful intent, then they should be held accountable as well.