Campbell’s said a recording appeared to capture vice president Martin Bally making offensive remarks about its food, customers and Indian colleagues; the company said it believed the voice was his and that he no longer worked there. Former analyst Robert Garza alleges he was fired after reporting Bally and is suing over retaliation and discrimination. Campbell’s disputes his account and says the food claims are false.
Campbell's has fired an executive who was allegedly caught on tape calling the soup company's products "highly process[ed] food" for "poor people," and that the chicken in it is "bioengineered meat."
A Campbell Soup Company vice president was secretly recorded ripping the food giant’s products, mocking “poor people” who buy them, blasting Indian co-workers as “idiots” and admitting he sometimes showed up to work high — and the employee who reported it says he was the one to get fired.
Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst for the company (formerly known as Campbell Soup Co.), filed a racial discrimination and racial harassment suit on Nov. 20 in Wayne County (Michigan) Circuit Court.
In the lawsuit, Garza said he informed his manager, J.D. Aupperle – listed as director of cybersecurity operations at Campbell’s on Aupperle’s LinkedIn page – about Bally’s alleged comments on Jan. 10. Garza wanted to report the incident to human resources, but Aupperle did not encourage him to do so.
Welcome back to The Conversation—Newsweek’s roundup of our reader comments. This week we turn our attention to the controversy surrounding the Campbell Soup Company. It has faced criticism over a secret recording in which a senior vice president allegedly mocked the company’s products, customers and employees.
The company is also facing an employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court, in which a former security analyst alleges he was fired after reporting inappropriate conduct by a senior executive. Campbell’s has denied wrongdoing.
A federal judge declined to dismiss claims against Campbell’s in a lawsuit alleging toxic heavy metals in Plum baby food caused children’s brain injuries or neurodevelopmental harm. The ruling said the amended complaint plausibly suggested Campbell employees helped set metal limits, decide testing and source ingredients. Campbell’s sold Plum to Sun-Maid in 2021; the allegations remain claims, not findings of liability.
“These factual allegations support a plausible inference that Campbell employees were directly involved in the alleged tortious conduct; namely, they set limits for toxic heavy metals, were involved in the decisions of when to test Plum products, and dictated ingredient sourcing,” Corley wrote in the 25-page ruling.
Reuters reported that Campbell’s said it had closed plants and cut jobs, and planned further price increases on selected products. The company said the steps were intended to offset rising costs and restore profitability; the report did not specify locations, dates or the number of jobs affected.
Campbell's said on Thursday it has closed plants, cut jobs and planned more price increases on select products as the soup-and-snacks maker seeks to offset rising costs and restore profitability.
Environmental groups sued over Campbell’s Ohio plant discharges into the Maumee River. In the case, Campbell agreed not to contest more than 5,000 Clean Water Act violations from 2018–2024. Campbell said the facility had minimal, if any, adverse effects; settlement terms and corrective measures remained unresolved in the report.
“We take this matter seriously. We have taken a number of steps to improve our existing wastewater management operations and will continue to take immediate action to address this issue," Campbell Soup wrote in a statement. "We have capital investments planned to resolve this issue permanently. We will continue to work with regulators and other stakeholders to improve our operations and comply with all environmental regulations.”
However, their permit sets limits to how much of each pollutant they can discharge from the river. Based on data they reported themselves, for years Campbell’s exceeded the limits for several pollutants, such as phosphorus, ammonia and grease.
Campbell’s said it reduced its salaried workforce by about 13%—roughly 515 people—through voluntary early retirements and involuntary layoffs as part of a four-year, $500 million cost-cutting plan. The company confirmed a small reduction at its Charlotte site but did not disclose local job-loss figures; the reductions’ locations overall were not specified.
The Campbell Co.’s sweeping companywide layoffs of salaried employees amid declining sales that was announced this week includes workers in the Charlotte area, who make Lance crackers.
San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert filed a lawsuit alleging Campbell’s and subsidiaries Snyder’s-Lance and Pepperidge Farm misclassified hundreds of California delivery and merchandising workers as independent contractors, denying them employment protections. The city seeks an injunction, worker restitution and civil penalties. Campbell’s declined comment on the pending case to one outlet and did not respond to another.
In the lawsuit filed by San Diego City Attorney Hether Ferbert, Campbell’s is accused of using a “direct-store-delivery” model for workers who stock certain merchandise products on retail shelves. Instead of traditional employees, these workers are considered “independent contractors.”
SAN DIEGO (CN) — The city of San Diego filed a lawsuit against The Campbell’s Company and its subsidiary companies on grounds that it misclassified hundreds of California workers as independent contractors who are part of its delivery services.
A Florida mother and daughter sued Campbell’s after eating SpaghettiOs, alleging the product was contaminated with worms or parasites and was unfit to eat. The supplied account does not state when the lawsuit was filed or how it was resolved.
A Florida mother and her daughter sued Campbell's after eating SpaghettiOs that they alleged were contaminated by worms or parasites, and therefore unfit to eat.
In 2010, Pamela Geller and other conservative groups called for a boycott of Campbell’s Canadian-made soups certified halal by the Islamic Society of North America, alleging the certifier had terrorist links. ISNA denied ties to Hamas and condemned extremism. Campbell’s said the boycott had not affected sales and that its halal soups were not sold in the United States.
The company says ISNA was selected after consultations with professionals in the field of Islamic foods and nutrition, and with Islamic scholars.
On Feb. 24, 1986, The New York Times reported that Campbell Soup, a migrant farm workers’ union and vegetable growers signed a contract ending nearly a decade of unrest in Ohio and Michigan fields. The deal covered about 600 workers, provided for job guarantees and improvements to wages and conditions, and ended the union’s boycott of Campbell.
Nearly a decade of unrest in the tomato and cucumber fields of Ohio and Michigan has ended with the signing of a novel labor contract by a migrant farm workers' union, a group of vegetable growers and the Campbell Soup Company.
Food Dive reported that contributions tied to Campbell Soup fell 80% to $23,785 in the 2024 election cycle, as of Sept. 22, compared with the prior presidential cycle. The figures included company PACs, employees and family members; they were part of a broader decline in donations linked to major food and beverage firms.
The largest percentage decline among groups tied to the major food and beverage companies is Hormel Foods. The Spam manufacturer’s donations fell 99% to $3,725 during the current election cycle. Campbell Soup followed with a decline of 80% to $23,785.
The Charlotte Observer reported that Campbell closed its Ballantyne corporate headquarters in 2023; 55 local employees did not relocate to Camden. That year, it also closed its Emerald nuts plant, laying off 125 workers, after selling the brand to Flagstone Foods.
In 2023, Campbell’s closed its corporate headquarters in Ballantyne, which had once housed about 1,300 corporate employees. While several workers relocated to Camden, 55 local employees did not. That same year, the company closed its Emerald nuts manufacturing plant on Crump Road, resulting in 125 layoffs. This followed Campbell’s sale of the Emerald nuts brand to Flagstone Foods.
OpenSecrets records show Campbell Soup reported $200,000 in lobbying in 2023 and $200,000 in 2024. The 2024 figure ranked 3,191st among 9,200 entries. The supplied records do not identify the issues or specific lobbying activities.
FEC records for Campbell Soup Company PAC show $37,976.89 in total disbursements from Jan. 1, 2019, through Nov. 20, 2020, all listed as contributions to other committees. The PAC reported $4,113.33 in receipts, including $3,113.33 in individual contributions, and an ending cash balance of zero.
A proposed consumer class action filed in New Jersey federal court, reported August 11, 2026, seeks reimbursement from The Campbell’s Company for allegedly inflated prices charged in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which the article describes as struck down. The allegations are not established outcomes.
The Campbell's Co. is the latest business to be hit with a proposed class action from consumers seeking to be reimbursed for the inflated costs the food company charged in response to President Donald Trump's now-struck-down global tariffs.
By George Woolston ( August 11, 2026, 3:13 PM EDT) -- The Campbell's Co. is the latest business to be hit with a proposed class action from consumers seeking to be reimbursed for the inflated costs the food company charged in response to President Donald Trump's now-struck-down global tariffs. . . .
On August 27, 2025, Campbell’s sought to dismiss former employee James’s proposed collective action in New Jersey federal court. The worker alleges the company failed to pay employees for time spent putting on personal protective equipment; the supplied report does not state the court’s decision.
Campbell's sought dismissal of a former employee's proposed collective action alleging the soup producer didn't compensate workers for time spent putting on personal protective equipment, telling a New Jersey federal judge...
Campbell said it discovered an intrusion in part of its IT network near the end of its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended July 30, 2023. The company said it investigated, contained and eliminated the threat with outside experts and notified federal law enforcement. It described business and financial effects as nonmaterial, though it expected some costs.
The Camden, N.J.-based food manufacturer said it took immediate steps to investigate, contain and eliminate the threat, hired third-party cybersecurity experts and notified federal law enforcement.
Campbell said in 2024 it was investing $10 million in its Charlotte facilities. The plan covered an office building and multi-year upgrades to manufacturing-plant common areas, including break rooms, cafeterias and restrooms. The supplied evidence does not say whether the work was completed.
In 2024, Campbell’s said it was investing $10 million in its Charlotte facilities, including an office building and a multi-year plan of upgrades in the manufacturing plant common areas like break rooms, cafeterias and restrooms.