Campbell's executive fired for saying it's soup is unhealthy and for poor people?

A serving of their soup has about 900 mg of salt. Of course nobody eats a small serving like that. A can of soup as about 2,400 mg which is the daily limit suggested for most adults. Ergo it's laced with salt. Most of their products are MSG, modified food starch and flavor enhancers.

So it's highly processed sheet you should stay away from. Bally should be given a gold star for admitting as much. As for the claim that more poor people buy their product...hard to say.

Campbell's exec fired after saying company's food is for 'poor people'

By Mike Snider, Nov 26, 2025

USA TODAY

he Campbell's Co. says it has fired an executive who called the company’s products “highly” processed food for “poor people.”

Martin Bally, the company’s vice president of information technology, was recorded making the statements in a November 2024 meeting with Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst for the company. Garza, who made the audio recording, says he was unfairly fired in January in a racial discrimination and racial harassment suit he filed on Nov. 20 in Michigan's Wayne County Circuit Court.

“We have (expletive) that’s for poor people,” says a voice – which Campbell's now says is Bally – on the recording, a copy of which was shared with USA TODAY. “I don’t buy (expletive) Campbell’s products barely anymore.”

The person went on to say that when he looks at a can of Campbell’s soup, he thinks it contains “bioengineered meat.”

Cans of soup produced by The Campbell's Company are offered for sale at a grocery store on June 02, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. During their earnings report today, Campbell's reported strong sales among their meals and beverages unit, but their snacks business dropped by 5 percent.

The Campbell's Co. said in a statement on Nov. 26, that "after a review, we believe the voice on the recording is in fact Martin Bally. The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused. 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. As of November 25, Mr. Bally is no longer employed by the company."

The company said it had not heard the recording of Garza speaking with Bally until it learned of the lawsuit on Nov. 20. "Neither Mr. Garza nor his lawyer ever notified us of the existence of an audio recording," according to the statement, sent to USA TODAY by Campbell's Director of External Communications James Regan.

In the suit, Garza alleges he was fired Jan. 30 for filing complaints of racial discrimination and racial harassment, along with other reasons. Bally and J.D. Aupperle, listed as director of cybersecurity operations at Campbell’s on Aupperle’s LinkedIn page, are listed as defendants in the suit, along with Campbell’s; Garza alleges they were responsible for his termination, created a hostile work environment and violated his civil rights.

Garza is seeking damages for emotional, economic and non-economic damages, including stress, humiliation, embarrassment and mental anguish, as well as attorney fees and costs.

The food maker, which also owns Pace and Prego sauces, V8 juices and other products, pushed back against Bally's comments heard in the recording: "Idon't want to eat a (expletive), a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer, do you?”

The Campbell's Co. said in its statement: "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."