Why are ultra-processed food firms panicking and suing? Because they know time is running out | Felicity Lawrence

In recent years, manufacturers of ultra-processed food (UPF) products have been increasingly resorting to denials and lawsuits in an effort to prevent regulations from being enforced, as the detrimental effects of their items become more evident. While it is unusual for someone to pass away with the harmful packaging in hand, there is now no substantial debate that consuming a diet consisting of UPFs poses a risk of various life-threatening illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

These diseases develop gradually over time, allowing the food and drink industry to argue for decades that their UPFs are safe in moderation. They argue that there is no such thing as a "junk" individual food; instead, the issue lies within overall poor diets, and thus, their products should not be subjected to any restrictions.

The industry's denial and distraction tactics aim to delay action, much like how they have done with climate change and smoking. A new report revealed the lengths to which big food corporations have gone to prevent governments from implementing policies aimed at addressing the global crisis of diet-related diseases. Felicity Lawrence, a former Guardian special correspondent and author of "Not on the Label: What Really Goes Into the Food on Your Plate," continues to investigate these matters.