World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world’s biggest ultra-processed food companies have been suing governments to overturn, delay or weaken health measures such as front-of-pack warning labels, marketing restrictions and junk-food taxes. A Guardian investigation found 235 lawsuits challenging policies in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the US and the UK between 2010 and 2025. Ultra-processed foods now make up about half the average diet in many countries, including the UK, the US and Australia, while almost 1 billion people worldwide are living with obesity. Of resolved cases recorded by the investigation, food corporations lost about three quarters, but litigation still averaged 2.5 years per case and amounted to nearly 600 cumulative years of legal battles. The WHO says those delays have cost countries billions in legal and healthcare expenses and created a regulatory chill that deters other governments from adopting similar protections. The investigation also found that, where plaintiffs could be identified, 38 percent of suits came from eight parent corporations, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelēz, Kellogg’s, Danone, Ferrero, Xignux and Heartland Food Products Group.
