Campbell Soup Responds to Controversial Claims About Ingredients

Campbell Soup Company has stated that their products contain real meat and are not made from “3D printed chicken,” contrary to an executive’s remarks that were revealed in a recent lawsuit. The comments, allegedly made by Martin Barry, were part of a recording that disparaged various aspects of the company and its workforce.

Barry, who serves as a vice president for information security, was reportedly arrested after referring to soup as “bioengineered meat” and expressing disdain for “3D printed chicken.” These claims emerged in a lawsuit filed in Michigan by former employee Robert Garza.

On Tuesday, Campbell’s firmly rejected the statements, emphasizing their inaccuracy. The company declared, “We never use lab-grown chicken, artificial, or bioengineered meat in our soups,” asserting that the comments on the recording were unreasonable.

The fallout has affected Campbell’s stock, which saw a 3% drop on Monday and an additional 0.6% decline on Tuesday. Since the start of the year, the stock has fallen nearly 28%, with recent trading around $30.

The company’s website now features some unusual FAQs, including one addressing whether their chicken is 3D printed. The answer? “No. Our soups do not contain 3D printed chicken, lab-grown chicken, or any artificial or bioengineered meat.”

Garza’s allegations include recordings of executives belittling Indian employees, referring to them derogatorily. Barry was captured on audio saying he scrutinizes the contents of soup and considers it “bioengineered meat.”

After the comments surfaced, Campbell placed Barry on temporary leave and initiated an investigation, stating that if he indeed made those remarks, they were unacceptable and did not align with the company’s values.

The company stressed that the comments were made by individuals within its IT department and not related to the food production process. Garza, a cybersecurity analyst from Monroe, Michigan, claimed he recorded the conversation during a routine meeting with Barry and later filed a lawsuit following perceived retaliatory dismissal for reporting discriminatory behavior.

In more revelations, Barry is said to have critiqued the company’s products, implying they were aimed at “poor people” and even expressing his personal aversion to Campbell products. He reportedly made further derogatory remarks about Indian workers, stating, “Shitty Indians don’t know shit.”

Campbell Soup refuted these claims, emphasizing pride in their food, the workforce, and the quality of ingredients they provide. They clarified that their labels reference “bioengineered food ingredients” sourced from genetically modified crops like canola and corn, which do not pertain to chicken meat.