A Bucks County man is suing Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola and other major food manufacturers, claiming they intentionally designed and marketed ultra-processed foods to be addictive to children.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, claims Bryce Martinez, 18, of Warrington, was diagnosed at 16 with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after a history consuming Bagel Bites, Swedish Fish, Honey Comb cereal, Gatorade, Tostitos and other ultra-processed food products.
Ultra-processed foods contain few, if any, whole foods and have high amounts of sugar and salt. The lawsuit claims the food manufacturers engaged in “predatory marketing” and failed to warn of the potential health dangers of eating highly-processed foods. Research has linked them to obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and many other chronic conditions…