On November 25, 2025, Campbell Soup Company—an American pantry staple for more than a century—found itself at the centre of an unexpected storm. A leaked audio recording, purportedly capturing a salary-negotiation meeting, surfaced online and ignited a viral backlash. In the clip, a voice attributed to Campbell's Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, Martin Bally, delivers a profanity-filled monologue that veers from workplace grievances into inflammatory commentary about colleagues and, unexpectedly, the soup itself.
The recording, which has circulated widely on X and other platforms, includes remarks such as: "We have st for fking poor people… I don't buy fking Campbell's products barely anymore," and a reference to "bioengineered meat" that he likened to chicken from a "3D printer." Whether hyperbole, frustration, or something else, the statements landed hard with a public already primed for scepticism about processed food.
Campbell's swiftly distanced itself, calling the comments "unacceptable" and "patently absurd," while emphasizing that Bally — an IT executive — "has nothing to do with how we make our food." The company also stated unequivocally: "We do not use 3D-printed chicken, lab-grown chicken, or any form of artificial or bioengineered meat."
Still, the stir was enough to spark consumer speculation, online outrage, and even a preliminary inquiry from the Florida Attorney General into labelling compliance under federal bioengineered-ingredient rules — an investigation that, at this stage, merely looks at whether labels match the law, not whether wrongdoing occurred.
The Rant Heard 'Round the Pantry: From Wage Talk to Viral Outrage
The leaked audio was first linked to a 2024 meeting between Bally and cybersecurity analyst Robert Garza, who later filed a wrongful-termination and discrimination lawsuit (Wayne County Circuit Court, 25-018465-CD). According to Garza's complaint, he recorded the conversation under Michigan's one-party-consent law after what he describes as a "disgusting" tirade that included derogatory remarks about colleagues, claims of attending work while under the influence of marijuana edibles, and critical comments about Campbell's products.
None of these allegations have yet been proven in court, and Bally has not publicly responded. Campbell's has placed him on leave pending an internal review.
What transformed a workplace dispute into a national hashtag was the audio's spread through large X accounts, including commentators associated with Infowars and prominent finance-meme pages. Clips garnered millions of views, often stripped of context and paired with sweeping claims about "Frankenstein food," classism, and GMO fears.
Beyond the Beef: What's Actually in a Can of Soup?
The most sensational line in the recording — about "3D-printed chicken"— touched a nerve. But for clarity:
There is no public evidence that Campbell's uses lab-grown, 3D-printed, or artificial meat, and the company has directly denied it.
Lab-grown chicken was approved for sale in the U.S. in 2023 but remains a niche, premium-priced product not currently used in mass-market canned goods.
What is in many mainstream soups are ingredients derived from bioengineered crops — typically corn, soy, canola, and sugar beets. Campbell's has long disclosed these under the federal Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard and was one of the first major U.S. food companies to adopt GMO transparency labelling in 2016. That's legal and standard practice across the industry.
Where consumers should focus more realistically is the sodium:
Classic Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle: 890mg per half-can (about 39% of the Daily Value).
Chunkier varieties or cream-based soups can exceed 1,400mg per can.
Those levels aren't unusual for shelf-stable soups but can be challenging for individuals monitoring blood pressure. Campbell's and other brands offer low-sodium lines, and its "Well Yes!" line is USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project verified.
MMM… Good? Or Just Marketing Mush?
Campbell's has been part of American life since 1869, its condensed soups feeding Depression-era families and post-WWII suburbs alike. With roughly $10 billion in annual sales, it's a giant — but one facing the same critiques aimed at most ultra-processed foods (UPFs): high sodium, heavy processing, and ingredient lists longer than homemade alternatives.
Campbell's can-lining materials phased out BPA several years ago. Still, public distrust of "Big Food" is real, and scandals, confirmed or alleged, can deepen that scepticism.
The Bally recording, whether seen as evidence of a toxic workplace or an unverified personal rant, has become less about one executive and more about a moment: consumers want transparency, and they're increasingly wary of both corporate spin and online sensationalism.
A can of soup on a cold day is exactly what it's always been: a convenience food with trade-offs, affordable, shelf-stable, and quick. It's not a superfood, but it's hardly a chemical horror either. I have some myself in winter.
If you want to make it healthier:
choose low-sodium versions
add water, vegetables, or whole grains
pair with fresh sides
Or make your own. Or don't. Nostalgia matters, and convenience feeds families.
Whether the Florida AG's inquiry or the pending lawsuit results in anything significant is unclear. Investigations often end quietly. Consumer outrage often dies faster than it boils. The story is now off the boil.
But the episode highlights something bigger than Campbell's: trust in the food system is fragile, and one leaked conversation, verified or not, can upend decades of branding.
For now, Campbell's insists its products are exactly what the label says they are. And the recording, sensational as it is, remains an allegation attached to an employment dispute, not official proof of misconduct or mislabelling.
The soup may not be perfect, but it's probably not hiding a 3D printer in the broth!