Campbell’s Co. has fired an executive after a recording surfaced of them making racist remarks and ridiculing the company’s products and customers.
Martin Bally, a vice president in Campbell’s information security department, was mentioned in a lawsuit filed last week by Robert Garza, a former Campbell’s employee.
Garza claimed he was dismissed on January 30 after reporting Bally’s remarks to a supervisor.
Garza stated he met with Bally in November 2024 to talk about his salary. During the meeting, which Garza reportedly recorded, Bally referred to Campbell’s as “[highly processed food]” and said it was intended for “poor people.”
Garza alleged in the lawsuit that Bally made racist comments about Indian workers, referring to them as “idiots.”
Garza also stated that Bally admitted to frequently coming to work high after using marijuana edibles.
The lawsuit was filed in Michigan, the state where both Garza and Bally lived.
Campbell’s said it only became aware of Garza’s lawsuit last week. After reviewing parts of the recording, the company confirmed it believed the voice belonged to Bally, who was then fired on Wednesday.
Campbell’s described Bally’s comments as “vulgar, offensive and false.”
“We apologise for the hurt they have caused,” the company said.
“This behaviour does not reflect our values and the culture of our company, and we will not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances.”
According to Local 4 News in Detroit, which interviewed Garza and aired part of the recording, Bally described Campbell’s products as unhealthy.
“Bioengineered meat. I don’t want to eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer,” Bally said.
Campbell’s defended its chicken, stating it is sourced from long-trusted US suppliers, raised without antibiotics, and adheres to strict quality standards.
It said the comments heard on the recording about their food are “not only inaccurate, they are patently absurd.”