Across the country, families are waking up to a truth they’ve felt for years: the food system has not been designed to support real choice, real nourishment, or real health. San Francisco’s recent lawsuit against major ultra-processed food companies brings that truth into full view.
Ultra-processed foods which are engineered blends of starches, additives, fillers, and flavorings make up nearly 70 percent of the American food supply. Not because people lost interest in whole foods, but because these products have been made the easiest, cheapest, and most aggressively marketed options in many communities. When the most accessible foods are also the ones linked most strongly to chronic disease, families aren’t choosing freely. They’re choosing from what’s available.
As someone who cares deeply about equitable access to whole-food nourishment, I see this lawsuit as a critical step. It asks hard, necessary questions about accountability: Who really shapes our food choices? Who profits when whole foods disappear from neighborhoods? And who pays the price when diets dominated by ultra-processed foods lead to preventable illness?
The answer, too often, is the same communities already facing the greatest health burdens — low-income families, Black and Brown neighborhoods, rural areas with few grocery stores, and households navigating food insecurity. In these places, fresh produce and minimally processed foods are not impossible to find, but they are significantly harder to reach.
Ultra-processed foods filled the gap left by a system that failed to invest in accessibility, affordability, and dignity. And now cities like San Francisco are calling that out.
What gives me hope is that this moment is not simply about removing harmful foods. It is about making space for better ones. For whole foods that nourish our bodies. For choices that reflect health instead of exploitation. For communities that deserve more than what the system has settled for.
At It’s Nola, we believe that real food, crafted from recognizable, whole ingredients, is a form of care. It supports the body, honors cultural traditions, and uplifts the spirit. This lawsuit is one sign that we are finally beginning to demand a food environment that aligns with those values.
The real goal isn’t to punish companies. It’s to build a food system where the healthier choice is the easier choice and where families don’t have to fight for access to the nourishment they deserve.
This is just the beginning. And it’s a beginning worth fighting for.
Dr. Margaret Barrow
Founder & CEO, It’s Nola
Healthy & Happy Blog
