Here Is Exactly What the Alcohol/Cancer Lawsuit Will Look Like
The suit brought by San Francisco against Ultra Processed Foods is near identical to the suit that will be filed against large alcohol producers over cancer.
The producers of “harmful” and “addictive” products are being sued by the City of San Francisco. The products and their producers are being compared to tobacco products and their producers. The defendants in this lawsuit are being charged with deceptive marketing and creating a health crisis in San Francisco.
I know what you are thinking.
This lawsuit, filed by the City of San Francisco against the multi-national producers of “ultra-processed” foods, sounds exactly like what the anti-alcohol cabal is saying about alcohol and its producers. It sounds that way because the claims made about these food products are, in fact, absolutely identical to the claims made about alcohol.
For the wine and larger alcohol industry, the key thing is to watch how this lawsuit plays out from the perspective of the defendants—those being sued. It can teach us a good deal about how the wine and alcohol industry might want to respond when a near identical lawsuit comes for alcohol—and it will.
In its coverage of the filing of the lawsuit, the San Francisco Standard reported the response from food industry lobbyists:
“The defendant companies did not respond to a request for comment. Food industry lobbying group Consumer Brands Association did not address the lawsuit directly, but said the companies “support Americans in making healthier choices,” citing food products with more protein and fiber, and less sugar and sodium.
In a statement, spokesperson Sarah Gallo said the term “ultra-processed foods” lacks a settled scientific definition, and that companies follow Food and Drug Administration safety standards.
“Attempting to classify foods as unhealthy simply because they are processed, or demonizing food by ignoring its full nutrient content, misleads consumers and exacerbates health disparities,” Gallo said. “Americans deserve facts based on sound science to make the best health choices.”
That last paragraph and statement from the spokesperson for the food companies is notable. Ms. Gallo is essentially telling the City of San Francisco, “stop lying and misconstruing the science.”
Alcohol will eventually be sued over the claim that it causes cancer and failed to warn the public that it causes cancer. This will also be the claim made when the anti-alcohol cabal urges lawmakers to introduce bills that require huge warning labels on wine, restrict common marketing efforts, and ask for huge increases in taxes.
We (those of us who work in the industry) had better have an answer. We'd better be willing to tell our accusers to tell the truth. Because the truth is that the risk of contracting cancer as a result of drinking moderately is infinitesimally small.
How do we know that lawsuits are coming? Take a look: