The World Health Organization has criticized major ultra-processed food companies for filing lawsuits against governments implementing public health measures designed to reduce obesity and promote healthier diets. According to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, these legal actions represent a pattern of industry interference that undermines global health initiatives despite the companies’ public statements supporting dietary reform.
A collaborative investigation by the Guardian, academic institutions, and media partners across four continents documented 235 lawsuits related to health policies targeting ultra-processed foods filed in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the US and the UK between 2010 and 2025. The litigation has focused primarily on policies including front-of-pack warning labels, restrictions on marketing and advertising of unhealthy products, and taxes on junk food. Of the resolved cases, three-quarters were lost by food corporations, yet the unsuccessful lawsuits still delayed policy implementation by years while consuming government resources.
According to the investigation, litigation accumulated nearly 600 cumulative years of costly legal battles, averaging 2.5 years per case. Three-quarters of the lawsuits were filed by ultra-processed food companies or their trade groups. Eight parent corporations—Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelēz, Kellogg’s, Danone, Ferrero, Xignux and Heartland Food Products Group—were identified as plaintiffs in 38% of cases where the company could be determined. Some corporations requested that courts keep their identities confidential.
Tedros stated that while some food companies have reported progress in developing healthier products, such efforts are insufficient without ending litigation tactics that strain government resources. He emphasized that proven public health measures remain concentrated in upper-middle and high-income countries, and that litigation delays action most in regions where obesity burden is greatest. In 2024, approximately 1 billion people worldwide were living with obesity, with unhealthy diets contributing to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
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