Junk food on trial in the United States – could it happen in Switzerland?

The city of San Francisco has filed a lawsuit against ten multinational food companies, accusing them of contributing to rising rates of obesity, diabetes and cancer via ultra-processed foods and misleading marketing. Could similar legal action be taken in Switzerland? Two experts assess the possibilities and the limits. San Francisco has brought legal action against ten major food corporations, including Nestlé USA and Coca-Cola. The city accuses them of causing public health damage through ultra-processed products and deceptive advertising. The case raises complex legal questions around consumer protection, transparency and responsibility for health. One of the main challenges in such lawsuits is proving a causal link between the consumption of specific products and the development of non-communicable diseases, explains health law expert Marie-Hélène Peter-Spiess in an interview with CSR. “These illnesses almost always have multiple causes,” she says. Limited legal avenues in ...