By Hugh Cameron
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Campbell's has fired an executive who was recorded calling the soup company's products "highly processed" and for "poor people," and who allegedly made racist comments about Indian employees.
The company confirmed on Wednesday that Martin Bally, the vice president of information technology, was "no longer employed by the company," after it determined that the voice in the recording was his.
"The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused," Campbell's wrote in a statement. "This behavior does not reflect our values and the culture of our company, and we will not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances."
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Why It Matters
The dismissal follows a lawsuit filed in Michigan last week by Robert Garza, a former employee who said he was abruptly fired early this year after reporting Bally's comments to a manager.
The episode and Campbell's alleged response to the initial incident has drawn scrutiny over the company's workplace culture, prompting a rapid effort to defend its reputation and the quality of its food against the remarks of the high-ranking employee.
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What To Know
The lawsuit—filed last week against Bally, Campbell's and its Director of Cybersecurity Operations J.D. Aupperle—said that during a meeting in November, Bally made "several racist comments" about Indian employees, calling them "idiots" whom he disliked working with.
The suit also alleged that Bally told Garza that he often went to work "high from consuming marijuana edibles."
The former employee told NBC affiliate ClickOnDetroit that he felt "pure disgust" at Bally's comments, while calling Campbell's approach to the matter "simply terrible."
Campbell's told Newsweek it could "not comment on the specifics of personnel matters," but said that Garza's employment "was terminated for good reason."
Newsweek contacted Garza's attorney for comment on Thursday via email.
Campbell's said on Wednesday that it "learned of the litigation and first heard segments of the audio" last week, and that "neither Mr. Garza nor his lawyer ever notified us of the existence of an audio recording."
CBS News, which obtained a copy of the 90-minute recording Garza made, released excerpts containing many of the remarks referenced in the lawsuit.
"I don't buy f***ing Campbell's products, barely anymore. It's unhealthy, now that I know what the f***'s in it," a voice Campbell's said was Bally's could be heard saying in the recording. "Even in a can of soup, I look at it and—bioengineered meat. I don't want to eat a f***ing piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer, do you?"
"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," Campbell's said in a statement. "The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate—they are patently absurd."
The company released a separate fact sheet on Tuesday that said its chicken meat was sourced from "long-trusted, USDA-approved U.S. suppliers and meets our high-quality standards."
"All of Campbell's® soups are made with No Antibiotics Ever chicken meat, meaning we don't allow antibiotics to be used by our chicken suppliers," it continued.
What People Are Saying
Campbell's CEO Mick Beekhuizen said in a video posted on the company's website on Thursday: "Recently, there's been some misinformation about the chicken we use in our soup. These claims about our chicken are not only false, they're absolutely ridiculous. Let me clear up any myths. Our chicken is not bioengineered or 3D-printed. We use real chicken always."
He added: "I know there's a recording that prompted this misinformation. It included wrong and offensive comments about our food, our consumers and our people. It doesn't represent Campbell's views or values or mine. We do not tolerate this conduct."
Amick Farms, Campbell's chicken supplier, said in a statement released this week: "We are committed to producing wholesome chicken products in accordance with all food safety and regulatory guidelines set forth by the US Department of Agriculture. The chicken meat we supply to Campbell's is derived from real, antibiotic-free (NAE) birds grown on family farms with whom we contract. This chicken meat is not genetically modified nor is it created via a 3D printer. Quality, integrity and service are the core values of Amick Farms."
What Happens Next
Garza is seeking monetary damages from the company and the two other defendants in the lawsuit. Campbell's said on Wednesday that Aupperle, the manager whom Garza said he informed of Bally's behavior, remains employed by the company, the Associate Press reported.
Update 11/28/25 6:38 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Campbell's.
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