The executive recorded a call to Campbell’s food for poor people and insulting Indian workers

Campbell’s has dismissed a senior executive after he was recorded making remarks that criticised the company’s products and insulted employees of Indian heritage. The executive, Martin Bally, served as vice president in the company’s information technology department and was caught on tape during what appeared to be an extended rant. The recording was made by another employee and later reviewed by Campbell, who said he believed the voice to be Bally’s.

Campbell’s, which has produced canned condensed soup since 1897 and whose products became cultural icons in the artwork of Andy Warhol, acted swiftly once the recording became public. The comments surfaced in connection with a wrongful termination complaint filed by Robert Garza, a former security analyst at the company. According to the lawsuit, Garza recorded Bally because he felt uneasy during a conversation about his salary and believed something was wrong.

In the recording, Bally allegedly described Campbell’s products as highly processed food and used vulgar language to say they were intended for what he called poor people. He reportedly told Garza that he no longer bought Campbell’s products because he believed the food was unhealthy. His remarks included claims about the presence of what he called bioengineered meat. He also expressed distrust in food that might have come from a three-dimensional printer, saying he did not want to eat chicken produced in such a way.

The recording took an even more troubling turn when Bally allegedly insulted Campbell’s employees of Indian heritage. He was heard making disparaging generalisations about their abilities and using repeated profanity. Garza has claimed in his lawsuit that Bally also admitted to being under the influence of drugs at work and that he retaliated when Garza attempted to report his behaviour.

Campbell issued a strong public response to the release of the remarks. The company apologised for what it described as the hurt caused by the comments and condemned the language as vulgar, offensive and false. A spokesperson confirmed that Bally had been dismissed and said that such behaviour does not reflect the company’s values or culture. The organisation stated that it would not tolerate such language under any circumstances.

Campbell’s also directly rejected Bally’s claims regarding the ingredients used in its soups. The company said that its chicken meat comes from trusted suppliers that are approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. It emphasised that the chicken in its soups meets high-quality standards and contains no antibiotics at any stage. Campbell described Bally’s allegations as completely false as well as patently absurd.

The company, headquartered in New Jersey, has a history that stretches back more than one hundred and fifty years. While best known for its classic soups, it has expanded its range of products in recent decades. Campbell’s now offers food across several categories and owns brands including V8 drinks, Prego sauces and Kettle Brand, the maker of Kettle Chips. The company rebranded last year to reflect a broader shift into snack foods, dropping the word soup from its name to highlight this change.

Garza continues to pursue his wrongful termination case, in which he alleges that Bally made racist comments, used drugs in the workplace and acted against him when he tried to make a complaint. The lawsuit is ongoing and has added further attention to the recordings that prompted Bally’s dismissal.

Bally has been contacted for comment, although no response has yet been reported. Campbell’s has reiterated that it stands firmly against discriminatory behaviour and intends to uphold its standards across all levels of the company.