Campbell Soup Company has suspended one of its senior executives after allegations emerged that he insulted Indian employees and claimed the company’s food was meant for “poor” consumers. The accusations are part of a lawsuit filed by former employee Robert Garza, who says he was fired shortly after reporting the offensive comments.
Campbell responded to Business Insider, stating, “Such language does not reflect our values and the culture of our company. We do not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances.”
Viral Remarks Against Campbell Products
Campbell’s Vice President, Martin Bally, came under intense scrutiny after a recording of his controversial comments about the company’s food went viral online. According to Primetimer, Bally allegedly described Campbell’s chicken soup as bioengineered meat produced from a “3D printer” and meant for “poor people.” He also reportedly said, “Who buys our sh*t? I don’t buy Campbell’s products anymore.”
Who Is Martin Bally?
As per his LinkedIn profile, Martin Bally serves as the Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at The Campbell Soup Company. With more than 23 years of experience in cybersecurity, he joined Campbell’s in January 2022. Bally holds a Master of Science in Information Assurance from Norwich University and studied business at Monroe County Community College. His previous roles include senior positions at American Axle & Manufacturing, Diebold Nixdorf, ZF Group, and a global CISO role at Stellantis.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
Robert Garza filed his lawsuit in a Michigan court, accusing Bally of making offensive remarks about both Campbell’s products and Indian employees. The lawsuit states that Bally described Campbell’s food as highly processed and intended for “poor people.” He also allegedly called Indian staff “idiots” and said he did not like working with them.
Garza says he reported these remarks to his manager, JS Aupperle, on January 10 but was never advised to alert human resources. Instead, he claims he was “abruptly terminated from employment” a few weeks later.
Leaked Audio Recording Ties Bally to the Comments
Garza’s legal team provided Business Insider with an audio clip they say was recorded during a November 2024 meeting. In the recording, a voice believed to be Bally can be heard saying, “If you look at our fg pantry we have st for f*g poor people, right?”
Garza, who joined Campbell’s in September 2024 as a cybersecurity analyst, said the meeting was meant to discuss his salary, but Bally instead went on a rant about the company’s products. In the audio, the person says, “I don’t buy f*g Campbell’s products barely anymore. It’s unhealthy.”
He also added, “I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer.” The recording further includes alleged racist comments about Indian workers, “Fing Indians don’t know a fing thing. They couldn’t think for their f*ing selves.”
Campbell Soup Defends Its Food Quality
In a statement to Local 4, the company firmly rejected the claims made in the recording and defended its ingredients. “We are proud of the food we make, the people who make it, and the high-quality ingredients we use,” Campbell said.
The company called the claims about its chicken “absurd,” adding, “The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate they are patently absurd. We use 100% real chicken in our soups. The chicken meat comes from long-trusted, USDA-approved U.S. suppliers and meets our high quality standards. All of our soups are made with No Antibiotics Ever chicken meat. Any claims to the contrary are completely false.”
