Ultra-Processed Foods Lawsuits

At Trustwell Law, our experienced attorneys take a personalized, compassionate approach. We cut through the legalese and partner with our clients. We also have access to the expertise, resources, and manpower to fully investigate each case and fight for and with our clients to get the justice they deserve.

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are highly altered foods. They are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. They contain added ingredients like preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, and artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers. Frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies and cakes, and salty snacks are examples of ultra-processed foods.

Ultra-processed foods are designed to be hyper-palatable (to trigger the brain’s reward system) and highly addictive. UPFs:

• Are engineered to override natural hunger and fullness signals.
• Replace whole, nutritious foods in diets.

Ultra-processed foods contribute to severe health issues, especially in children.

Studies show that ultra-processed foods make up more than 73 percent of the food in the United States’ food supply and 67 percent of American children’s diets on average. At least 14 percent of adults and 12 percent of children in the U.S. allegedly demonstrate behavioral indicators of addiction in response to ultra-processed foods.

How Did Ultra-Processed Foods Become So Prevalent?

In the 1980s, major tobacco companies, already expert at developing addictive tobacco products, entered the food industry. They applied addiction science from cigarettes to food products. These companies:

• Engineered UPFs to trigger cravings and compulsive consumption.
• Marketed aggressively to children, especially in minority communities.

Type 2 Diabetes and Ultra Processed Food

For several years now, studies have linked the consumption of ultra-processed foods with type 2 diabetes. One review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies screened a total of 2272 records, of which 18 studies, including almost 1.1 million individuals, were included. More than 70 percent showed a positive association between ultra-processed foods and the risk of diabetes.

Having more ultra-processed foods laden with additives—even more than just the presence of sugar and salt in the diet—can lead to higher average blood glucose levels over a period of just months, a measure called HbA1C.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Ultra Processed Foods

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where fat builds up in the liver due to factors other than heavy alcohol consumption. Multiple large-scale prospective studies have found a connection between UPF consumption and NAFLD. Studies also suggest that one-third to two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes have NAFLD.

Ultra-Processed Food Lawyers

If you, your child, or a loved one were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease before turning 21, contact us to discuss filing an ultra-processed food lawsuit. The consultation is free, and if we take your case, you pay us nothing unless you win your case.