Thunder Bay – Business – Some people are angry after a new lawsuit claimed a Campbell’s executive mocked the company’s own soup—and the people who eat it. The executive also allegedly said the chicken in Campbell’s soup is fake.
The lawsuit says tensions are already high as food prices stay expensive, leaving many families struggling to afford groceries, especially during the holiday season. After the claims surfaced, people flooded Campbell’s social media pages with criticism.
“Just in time for Thanksgiving, I’m not buying any of your products,” one person wrote on Instagram. Another commented, “Time to boycott—maybe rich people will start buying it.”
The lawsuit was filed by a former security analyst at Campbell’s. He says he was fired after reporting inappropriate behaviour by the company’s vice-president and chief information security officer, Martin Bally.
According to court documents filed in Michigan, the employee—Robert Garza—met with Bally in November of last year to talk about his salary. Garza claims that during the meeting, Bally made racist comments about Indigenous coworkers and also said he often comes to work high on edibles.
The documents say Bally then added that Campbell’s makes “highly processed food” for “poor people.” Garza says he secretly recorded the meeting and shared the video with media outlets. In the video, the speaker—who Garza claims is Bally—can be heard calling the company’s products “s–t for f—ing poor people.”
The speaker also claims Campbell’s uses “bioengineered meat” and “chicken from a 3D printer.”
Bally has not commented publicly on the allegations. A Campbell’s spokesperson said Bally has been placed on temporary leave while the company investigates.
“If the comments were actually made, they are unacceptable and do not reflect our values,” the company said in a statement. “We are proud of our food and the ingredients we use.”
Campbell’s strongly denied the claims about its ingredients. It said the person in the recording works in IT and has nothing to do with food production. The company added that it does not use 3D-printed chicken, lab-grown chicken, or any type of artificial or bioengineered meat.
“Campbell’s soups are made with real chicken. Period,” the company said.
Garza says he first told a supervisor about the comments in 2024. He claims that when he said he wanted to report it to human resources, his supervisor discouraged him. Court documents say Garza was suddenly fired on January 30, 2025, which he believes was punishment for speaking up. Now he is seeking damages and legal costs.
Garza’s lawyer says his client thought the company would be grateful he reported the behaviour, but instead he lost his job. He says they plan to fight for justice in court.
