Cans of Campbell's chicken noodle soup line a supermarket shelf in Bellingham, Washington, U.S. April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
Cans of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup line a supermarket shelf in Bellingham
(New York, NY) – Some of Campbell’s customers are still stewing over comments from a former executive about the company’s products and the people who buy them. The Campbell’s Co. has now given the boot to an executive who was caught on a recording insulting the company’s food and customers. It started with a lawsuit from another former employee, who blew the lid on this story going viral.
Former Security Analyst Cries Foul
Robert Garza was working as a cybersecurity analyst for Campbell’s soup when he had a meeting with Martin Bally, the Vice President of IT for the soup giant at the time. The two were meeting in a restaurant in November 2024 when he recorded the hot-mic moment from the former executive. Garza caught Bally disparaging not just coworkers, but the customers and products as well. Garza went to his higher ups with the audio footage, and then he was fired about 20 days later. He filed a lawsuit against the company claiming retaliation.
What Did the Former Executive Say Exactly?
Bally was caught on tape tearing into the products that Campbell’s stocks, claiming “We have s— for f—ing poor people. Who buys our s—? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore,”. He also said “F—ing Indians don’t know a f—ing thing, hey couldn’t think for their f—ing selves.” Garza said the meeting was originally to discuss his salary, but tells local 4 Detroit news he started recording the hour-long rant since something “felt off” about the conversation.
What Kind of Chicken Do They Use??
While the comments made directly about the customers is turning heads, many enjoyers of the canned soups are now questioning the integrity of the ingredients after a claim from Bally that the company uses “3-d printed chicken” in their soups. Campbell’s dismissed Bally’s allegation that the chicken used in its soups was “bioengineered”, calling the comments about its food “not only inaccurate – they are patently absurd”. They go on to say: “The chicken meat in our soups comes from long-trusted, USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] approved US suppliers and meets our high quality standards. All our soups are made with no antibiotics ever chicken meat. Any claims to the contrary are completely false.”
Quick Response from the Company
Campbell’s confirmed that Bally has been dismissed from his role in the wake of this incident. The company says they do not tolerate the language used at all. The New Jersey-based Campbell’s recently went under a rebrand dropping the “Soup” from the company name. Originally founded in 1869 in Camden, the company has always specialized in soups and preserves. They dropped the “soup” from their name in order to better associate the company with their other products including snacks and beverages.
