Ultra-proessed "foods" (UPFs)

[yankeedoodle]

Bryce Martinez (18) from Pennsylvania is mounting a legal challenge against major food companies, alleging that their ultra-processed foods (UPFs) led to his development of Type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease at the age of 16.

The 11 firms listed in the lawsuit are Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Coca-Cola, Post Holdings, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestle's (US), WK Kellogg, Mars, Kellanova and Conagra.

UPFs have undergone multiple processing steps and often contain additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients. These UPFs have become staples in many households. Examples of UPFs are prepackaged soups, many breakfast cereals, sauces, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, hot dogs, sausages, sodas, ice cream and store-bought cookies, cakes, candies and doughnuts.

Martinez's legal team contends that the big food corporations have deliberately engineered their products to trigger addictive responses. His lawyers at Morgan & Morgan, a major US law firm, says the case is unprecedented and includes claims for conspiracy, negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation and unfair business practices.

Martinez had regularly consumed popular UPFs throughout his childhood. The lawsuit challenges the food industry's argument that consumers have free choice in their dietary decisions. It argues that the notion of free choice is compromised by aggressive marketing tactics, especially aimed at children, and the addictive nature of these products.

UPFs are highly profitable for corporations. The same companies that dominate the UPF market are intertwined with investment firms like BlackRock and Vanguard, which also hold stakes in the pharmaceutical industry. This dual investment creates a cycle where investment firms profit from both the sale of harmful foods and the treatment of diseases associated with these products.

Furthermore, the prevailing economic system creates a paradoxical situation where workers, whose pension funds are often managed by these same investment giants, find themselves financially tethered to a cycle that undermines their own health and well-being.

Read the complete article to connect to the many links here:
The Glaring Hypocrisy and Embedded Deceptions of the Global Food Giants
https://off-guardian.org/2025/01/03/the-glaring-hypocrisy-and-embedded-deceptions-of-the-global-food-giants/

[abduLMaria]

This is like LA blaming the oil companies for their fires.

They - and people like Bryce Martinez - totally ignore their own responsibility.

I'm surrounded by the same Shit at the store, but somehow manage to buy mostly produce, bread, and hamburger.

It's like blaming a Cannabis dispensary for your pot-smoking habit.

LA built a HUUUUGE culture - based on the Car, and based on consumption of extreme amounts of fuel.

Then blame their Wildfire problems on the companies that provide the fuel they personally chose to consume.

Of course, the oil companies did do lots of bad shit - like tearing down public transportation systems.

But these kind of lawsuits are full of Vagueness - and Vagueness doesn't help you solve problems.

[yankeedoodle]

Your future is factory farms and Froot Loops, says The New York Times
Three opinion pieces this weekend made one thing clear: industrial systems aren't the problem, you are — for questioning them.
https://www.collapselife.com/p/your-future-is-factory-farms-and