The basics:
- Campbell’s IT exec Martin Bally on leave amid allegations of derogatory remarks
- Lawsuit claims Bally insulted Campbell’s products, employees, colleagues
- Company defends its food quality, ingredients and culture
- Internal investigation ongoing while Florida probes product quality
The Campbell’s Co. is speaking out after one of its executives was allegedly recorded saying derogatory things about the company’s food, customers and employees.
In a Nov. 25 statement, the Camden-based soup and snacks giant condemned the supposed remarks by Vice President of Information Technology Martin Bally.
“If the comments heard on the audio recording were in fact made by Mr. Bally, they are unacceptable,” the company said. “Such language does not reflect our values and the culture of our company. We do not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances.”
Campbell’s also defended its products and culture.
“We are proud of the food we make, the people who make it and the high-quality ingredients we use to provide consumers with good food at a good value,” the company said. “We know that millions of people use Campbell’s products, and we’re honored by the trust they put in us.”
‘Patently absurd’
The controversy erupted after former cybersecurity analyst Robert Garza filed a lawsuit in Michigan’s Wayne County Circuit Court. In it, Garza claimed he was fired for reporting the behavior of Bally.
The complaint accuses Bally of going off on an expletive-filled rant during a secretly recorded meeting at Campbell’s headquarters in November 2024 to discuss Garza’s job performance, a local NBC affiliate reported.
According to the suit, Bally allegedly stated Campbell’s makes products with highly processed food for “poor people” that consist of “bioengineered meat” that “came from a 3D printer.” He also insulted the intelligence of his Indian colleagues and said he liked to come to work high on marijuana edibles, the complaint alleges.
When Garza informed his manager of what allegedly happened, the supervisor supposedly did not encourage him to report the incident to human resources. A few weeks later, the company “abruptly terminated” Garza, the complaint says.
Keep in mind, the alleged comments heard on audio were made by a person in IT, who has nothing to do with how we make our foods.
– The Campbell’s Co. statement
According to Campbell’s, Bally is temporarily on leave while an internal investigation takes place. The company noted, “Keep in mind, the alleged comments heard on audio were made by a person in IT, who has nothing to do with how we make our foods.”
“The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate—they are patently absurd,” Campbell’s said. “The chicken meat in our soups comes from long-trusted, USDA approved U.S. 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.”
Removing
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has since announced that the state’s consumer protection division is investigating the quality of Campbell’s products.
“Florida law bans lab-grown meat,” he noted in a social media post.
The company rebranded last year from Campbell Soup Co. to The Campbell’s Co., as it continues to shift beyond its traditional business into snacks, sauces and beverages.
In September, Campbell’s became the latest company to unveil plans to fully remove artificial colors from food and beverage products. The company said the vast majority of items it sells already use natural dyes. Additionally, it will transition away from petroleum-based synthetic dyes for the last few remaining products by August 2026.
Instead, Campbell’s will utilize colors from natural sources, such as annatto and purple carrot juice concentrate, for items like Lance crackers and V8 Splash. The company also noted it will longer make snack and cookie brands like Archway, Stella D’oro and Jays with FD&C [Food, Drug & Cosmetic] dyes.
Campbell’s joins a host of CPG companies – such as Kraft Heinz, Nestle, General Mills and PepsiCo – with its pledge to remove artificial colors from snacks, candy and cereals. The moves come amid pressure from the White House, as well as changing consumer preferences. In April, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to eliminate eight synthetic dye from the U.S. food supply by the end of 2026.
Campbell’s lineup features four $1 billion banners: Campbell’s, Goldfish, Pepperidge Farm and Rao’s. Other Campbell’s brands include Late July, Chunky, Cape Cod, Kettle Brand, Pace, Pacific Foods, Prego, Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps, Snyder’s of Hanover and Swanson.
