Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuit Attorneys

Ultra-processed food lawsuits allege that some of the biggest food companies in the country engineered food to drive overconsumption. The claims say they targeted children and families, and they failed to warn people about the health consequences. Frequent ultra-processed food consumption has been linked to type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity-related complications, and other serious conditions.

Now, people are asking whether Big Food should be held accountable.

This is not about blaming families. It is about holding powerful food companies accountable for what they made, how they sold it, and what they allegedly failed to tell the public.

Call Ankin Law at (312) 600-0000 now for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case.

“Big food companies are accused of targeting children, pushing products designed to keep people eating, and then blaming families when people get sick. If they put profits over your health, they need to answer for that.”

~ Attorney Howard Ankin

Howard Ankin, Chicago car accident lawyer and founder of Ankin Law

We’ve Recovered Hundreds of Millions for Our Clients

Big food companies have money, lawyers, marketing teams, and a long history of protecting their profits. Ankin Law is not intimidated by powerful defendants. Our case results show what can happen when we build the evidence, apply pressure, and make the other side answer for the harm they caused.

$17
Million
recovered for medical negligence.
$10
Million
recovered for misdiagnosis resulting in above-the-knee leg amputation.
$9
Million
recovered in combined benefits for tradesman who fell from scaffold.
$6
Million
recovered for negligence of a forklift driver causing partial loss of a foot.

Why Are People Filing Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuits?

People are filing ultra-processed food lawsuits because they allege major food companies designed, marketed, and sold products that contributed to serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity-related complications, and other diet-related illnesses.

This is personal. These are families like yours that make decisions based on what companies tell them.

Parents trust labels, advertising, and packaging. Children are especially vulnerable to marketing, bright colors, cartoon characters, sweet flavors, and products designed to be eaten again and again.

Food companies will blame the consumer. They will say people made their own choices. They will say parents should have known better. These companies will even say diet, lifestyle, and personal responsibility are the only issues.

Ankin Law sees it differently.

If a company designs a product to keep people eating, markets it aggressively to children and families, and fails to warn about serious health risks, that company should not be allowed to hide behind personal responsibility.

What Foods Are Considered Ultra-Processed?

Ultra-processed foods are products made with industrial ingredients and additives that most people would not use in a home kitchen. They are often designed to be cheap, convenient, shelf-stable, and highly appealing.

These foods may include packaged snacks, sugary cereals, soft drinks, sports drinks, fast food, frozen meals, processed meats, candy, cookies, chips, instant noodles, flavored yogurts, and other heavily manufactured products.

Many ultra-processed foods contain high amounts of added sugar, salt, refined starches, unhealthy fats, artificial flavors, preservatives, emulsifiers, dyes, or other additives. They are often made to look, smell, taste, and feel satisfying, even when they offer little nutritional value.

That is part of the problem.

People were not just eating food. They were eating products designed, packaged, and marketed by companies that understood how to keep customers coming back. When those products are pushed into homes, schools, stores, and children’s lives for years, the health consequences can be serious.

What Health Conditions Are Linked to Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuits?

The health conditions linked to ultra-processed food lawsuits include type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity-related complications, metabolic disease, cardiovascular complications, and other serious diet-related illnesses.

These cases are not about an occasional snack or fast-food meal. They involve years of exposure to products that were allegedly designed, marketed, and sold in ways that encouraged overconsumption.

Type 2 diabetes can affect nearly every part of your life. It may require medication, blood sugar monitoring, dietary changes, doctor visits, and long-term medical care. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can also become serious, especially if it progresses to inflammation, scarring, cirrhosis, or liver failure.

Obesity-related complications can include heart problems, joint damage, mobility issues, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions.

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    Chicago personal injury and workers’ compensation attorney Howard Ankin has a passion for justice and a relentless commitment to defending injured victims throughout the Chicagoland area. With decades of experience achieving justice on behalf of the people of Chicago, Howard has earned a reputation as a proven leader in and out of the courtroom. Respected by peers and clients alike, Howard’s multifaceted approach to the law and empathetic nature have secured him a spot as an influential figure in the Illinois legal system.

    Years of Experience: More than 30 years
    Illinois Registration Status: Active
    Bar & Court Admissions: Illinois State Bar Association, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

    Who May Qualify for an Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuit?

    What Evidence Can Help Support an Ultra-Processed Food Claim?

    Ultra-processed food lawsuits depend on various types of evidence. These cases may involve years of product use, medical treatment, advertising exposure, and health changes. The more clearly the timeline can be shown, the stronger the case may be.

    Evidence that may help support an ultra-processed food lawsuit includes:

    • Medical records showing a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity-related complications, metabolic disease, cardiovascular complications, or another serious condition
    • Records showing when symptoms began and how the condition progressed
    • Pediatric records if the condition developed during childhood or adolescence
    • Records of medications, hospital visits, specialist care, surgeries, or long-term treatment
    • Photos, receipts, grocery records, school lunch records, or other information showing frequent consumption of ultra-processed foods
    • Product packaging, labels, advertisements, or marketing materials
    • Family history and medical background information
    • Documentation of how the condition affected work, school, daily life, mobility, or quality of life

    You do not need to have all of this before calling Ankin Law. If your family spent years relying on products that were aggressively marketed as normal, convenient, or harmless, we want to understand the full picture. You’ll start by telling us what happened. Then we’ll identify what records may matter, and determine whether the facts support a claim.

    What Companies Are Involved in Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuits?

    Ultra-processed food lawsuits may involve some of the largest food and beverage companies in the country. These are not small businesses. These are major corporations with national brands, massive advertising budgets, and products that have been sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, schools, and homes for decades.

    Products may include:

    • Sugary cereals
    • Packaged snack foods
    • Cookies, cakes, and candy
    • Chips and salty snacks
    • Soft drinks and sweetened beverages
    • Frozen meals
    • Fast food products
    • Processed meats
    • Instant noodles and shelf-stable meals
    • Products heavily marketed to children and teens

    The lawsuits focus on whether companies that manufactured, marketed, distributed, or sold ultra-processed foods knew their products could contribute to serious health problems when consumed frequently over time.

    Big food companies know how to protect themselves. They have lawyers, lobbyists, marketing teams, and public relations departments ready to defend the way they do business.

    That does not mean they are untouchable. You have Ankin Law.

    How Ankin Law Can Help With an Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuit

    Ankin Law is currently reviewing claims involving frequent ultra-processed food consumption and serious health conditions. If you or your child developed type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity-related complications, metabolic disease, cardiovascular complications, or another serious diet-related illness, we can review your situation for free.

    Our mass tort lawyers will look at the timeline, the diagnosis, the products involved, the marketing exposure, and the medical records. We will help determine whether your case may qualify and what information may be needed to move forward.

    If we take your case, we will not rely on the food company’s version of events. We will investigate what happened, gather the records, identify the responsible companies, and fight to hold them accountable.

    These companies will not make it easy. They will blame the consumer. They will blame parents. They will blame lifestyle. They will say the products were legal, available, and clearly labeled.

    Ankin Law knows how that game works.

    If a company targeted families, pushed products designed to keep people eating, and failed to warn about serious health risks, we believe that company should have to answer for it.

    Call Ankin Law today at (312) 600-0000 for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuits

    1

    Who May Qualify for an Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuit?

    You may qualify if you or your child regularly consumed ultra-processed foods for years and were later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity-related complications, or another serious diet-related condition.

    2

    Are Ultra-Processed Food Lawsuits Class Actions?

    Some ultra-processed food lawsuits may be handled together as class actions if courts determine that similar claims should move through the legal process in a coordinated way. That does not mean every person has the same case.

    Your claim will depend on your health condition, exposure history, medical records, and losses.

    3

    What Should I Do if I Think I Have an Ultra-Processed Food Claim?

    Start by gathering what you can, including medical records, diagnosis information, treatment records, product names, receipts, photos, or details about the foods you or your child regularly consumed. Then call Ankin Law for a free case evaluation.