WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world’s biggest ultra-processed food companies are suing governments to obstruct adoption of public health measures such as front-of-pack warning labels, marketing limits and junk-food taxes. A Guardian-led investigation, with academic and non-profit partners, found 235 lawsuits targeting such health policies in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, the US and the UK from 2010 to 2025. The investigation reported that of resolved cases, three quarters were lost by the food corporations, but litigation still averaged 2.5 years per case and amounted to nearly 600 cumulative years of legal battle. Tedros said those delays have cost countries billions in healthcare and legal expenses and produced a regulatory chill that deters other governments from adopting similar protections. The report also notes ultra-processed foods now make up about half the average diet in many countries, including the UK, the US and Australia, as nearly 1 billion people worldwide live with obesity. The sample data cited in coverage indicates 38 percent of identifiable lawsuits were brought by eight parent corporations, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelēz, Kellogg’s, Danone, Ferrero, Xignux and Heartland Food Products Group.
