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Campbell Soup executive called its products food for "poor people," lawsuit claims

By
Mary Cunningham
Reporter, MoneyWatch
Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. She previously worked at "60 Minutes," CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.
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Mary Cunningham

/ CBS News

A lawsuit filed in Michigan last week alleges that a Campbell Soup Company executive made offensive comments about Indian workers and said the company's products were for "poor people" during a conversation with a former employee.

The suit was filed by Robert Garza, who was hired by Campbell's as a cybersecurity analyst in September 2024. 

Garza alleges that Campbell's executive Martin Bally made the offensive remarks during a meeting in November 2024, which was intended to discuss his salary. According to the lawsuit, Bally made several comments about Indian workers and said that Campbell's is "highly [processed] food" for "poor people." 

Garza said he informed his manager, J.D. Aupperle, about the comments on Jan. 10 and claims Aupperle did not encourage him to report the incident to human resources. 

Garza was then "abruptly terminated from employment" just weeks later, the lawsuit says. 

A purported recording of the discussion between Garza and Bally captured comments, allegedly from Bally, that claimed the company's soup uses "bioengineered meat" and denigrated the abilities of Indian workers.

In a Nov. 26  Campbell's said that Bally is no longer employed at the company. It added that it believes the recording is legitimate. 

"The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused," Campbell's said Wednesday. "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."

Bally was one of many vice presidents at Campbell's, according to James Regan, a Campbell's spokesperson. Bally's  lists his title as vice president and chief information security officer.

Campbell's also defended the quality of its products, noting on Wednesday that the chicken in its soups "comes from long-trusted, USDA-approved U.S. suppliers and meets our high quality standards."

The company added, "All our soups are made with No Antibiotics Ever chicken meat. Any claims to the contrary are completely false. "

A published Tuesday on Campbell's website notes that the company does not use "3D-printed chicken, lab-grown chicken, or any form of artificial or bioengineered meat" in their soups.

On Monday, James Uthmeier, the Attorney General of Florida,  in a social media post that the state's Consumer Protection division is investigating the quality of Campbell's products.

Garza's lawsuit alleges he suffered stress, humiliation, embarrassment and mental anguish as a result of Bally and Aupperle's actions. He is seeking compensation for emotional, reputational and economic harm, as well as attorneys' fees, according to the complaint. 

Edited by Aimee Picchi

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