Campbell Soup Exec Says He Doesn’t Eat Their Food Because It’s For 'Poor People'
Campbell Soup exec Martin Bally landed himself in some rather hot water for his disparaging comments.
Joshua Resnick | Shutterstock Campbell's is a product that's been around for generations at this point. Many families depend on the variety of soup flavors, not only for its price, but for the fact that it's comforting and familiar. However, Campbell Soup has found itself in a bit of hot water after an executive with the company was exposed for making disparaging comments about customers who shop the infamous brand.
The entire debacle has now been officially filed in a lawsuit by Robert Garza, a former employee of Campbell's, who alleged that during a conversation with Campbell Soup Exec Martin Bally, Bally made some rather offensive comments about not only Campbell's customers but also its workers of color.
Campbell Soup exec Martin Bally said he doesn't eat their food because it's for 'poor people.'
After filing a lawsuit in Michigan earlier this month, Garza, who was hired by Campbell's as a cybersecurity analyst in September 2024, alleged that Bally made some offensive comments about Indian workers and claimed that the company's products were only for "poor people" during a conversation that the two men had.
It happened during a meeting in November 2024, during which Garza explained it was about 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."
"He has no filter," Garza told WDIV Local 4. "He thinks he’s a C-level executive at a Fortune 500 company, and he can do whatever he wants because he’s an executive."
Garza explained to the local news outlet that he had recorded the hour-long rant Bally went on because he trusted his "instinct that something wasn’t right with Martin." Rather than meeting to discuss his salary, Garza sat at the restaurant and listened to the explosive tirade.
"We have s--- for f------ poor people. Who buys our s---? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore. It’s not healthy now that I know what the f---‘s in it," Bally allegedly said, per WDIV Local 4. "Bioengineered meat -- I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer."
Garza is now suing the company after he was fired just weeks after the 'meeting' with Bally.
According to CBS News, Garza was "abruptly terminated from employment" weeks later. James Regan, a Campbell's spokesperson, tried to argue that the company was not aware of the recording before it aired on WDIV and doesn't know if it's legitimate.
calimedia | Shutterstock
"The person alleged to be speaking on the recording works in IT and has nothing to do with how we make our food," Campbell's said in a statement to CBS News. The company also said Bally is temporarily on leave while the company conducts an investigation.
"If the comments were in fact made, they are unacceptable," the company said. "The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate — they are patently absurd."
Considering that a vast majority of Americans are struggling to afford their basic needs, including groceries, the comments made by Bally are incredibly out of touch and disparaging. Most people aren't buying Campbell's because it's a luxury canned good; they're buying it because of its affordability, which, at a time like this, is the most important thing people care about.
For a lot of families, having the company executive for a brand that's probably a staple in their cupboards, making such statements can definitely feel like a slap in the face. At the end of the day, people just want to feel that they're being respected by the companies whose products they buy. Because if there's no respect there, then what's stopping people from spending their money somewhere else?
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
