San Francisco has initiated a landmark legal action against Coca-Cola and nine other prominent food manufacturers, accusing them of engineering addictive ultra-processed foods that have contributed to a growing public health crisis, particularly impacting low-income and minority communities.
City Attorney David Chiu filed the case on 2 December 2025 in San Francisco Superior Court, naming Kraft Heinz, Mondelez International, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestlé USA, Kellogg, Mars Incorporated, Post Holdings, and ConAgra Brands alongside Coca-Cola. This marks the first occasion in which a government entity has taken legal action against food companies over the health implications of ultra-processed products.
