Felicity Lawrence argues that ultra-processed food companies are increasingly using lawsuits and denial to delay regulations as evidence of health harms strengthens. She compares their tactics with those previously used by tobacco and fossil-fuel industries, warning that legal challenges can deter governments from introducing measures to reduce obesity and diet-related disease.

Since 2010, food and drink companies and their lobby groups have brought 235 cases against governments, amounting to an estimated 595 years of litigation. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Mondelēz account for more than a third of identifiable cases, while more than 1 billion people globally live with obesity and ultra-processed foods make up roughly half of average diets in countries including the UK, US and Australia.