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Ultra-processed food companies hindering health drives by suing countries, says WHO

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Published 1 Aug 2026, 16:002 min read

Ultra-processed food companies hindering health drives by suing countries, says WHO — image supplied by The Guardian Business's feed — Image supplied with the original post by The Guardian Business. The Guardian Business

Exclusive: Director general accuses corporations of obstructing efforts to tackle obesity crisis after investigation by Guardian and others

The world’s biggest ultra-processed food corporations are hindering global efforts to tackle the obesity crisis by suing governments that try to promote healthier diets, the head of the World Health Organization has said.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, accused global food companies of obstructing the adoption of vital public health measures and costing countries billions of dollars in healthcare and legal costs in the process.