Campbell’s is facing the risk of being shut down after a leaked audio clip sparked a full-blown scandal.
Consumers were outraged after a senior executive claimed they were making “chicken that came from a 3-D printer” for “poor people.”
Florida’s Consumer Protection Division will also reportedly investigate the quality of the company’s products based on the explosive comments.
Campbell’s is facing the risk of being shut down after a leaked audio clip sparked a full-blown scandal
The corporate nightmare for Campbell’s began after a former employee, Robert Garza, filed a lawsuit on Thursday, November 20, over comments made by Martin Bally, the company’s vice president and chief information security officer.
Robert, who worked as the company’s cybersecurity analyst, had secretly recorded Martin’s statements during a November 2024 meeting at a restaurant.
Martin Bally, the company’s vice president and chief information security officer, was heard making explosive comments in the audio clip
The meeting was supposedly held to discuss Robert’s salary.
But it turned into an hour-long tirade, with Martin ranting about the company’s products.
He also made derogatory comments about their Indian employees and called them “idiots.”
Robert said he decided to secretly record the rant because he trusted his “instinct that something wasn’t right with Martin,” according to his lawsuit.
In the recording, Martin was heard saying the company makes “highly processed food” for “poor people.”
“We have sh** for f***ing poor people. Who buys our sh**? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore. It’s not healthy now that I know what the f***’s in it,” he said. “Bioengineered meat – I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer.”
Robert said he felt “pure disgust” after Martin’s tirade, which lasted longer than an hour and 15 minutes
Robert said Martin even made “disgusting” comments about his coworkers in the recording, which lasted longer than an hour and 15 minutes.
“F***ing Indians don’t know a f***ing thing,” he said. “Like they couldn’t think for their f***ing selves.”
Initially, Robert decided to keep the recording to himself. But he eventually reported the incident to his supervisor, J.D. Aupperle, in January 2025.
The cybersecurity analyst was blindsided when the company terminated him 20 days later.
“He reached out to his supervisor and told the supervisor what Martin was saying, and then out of nowhere, my client was fired,” Robert’s attorney, Zachary Runyan, said in a statement to WDIV.
“He was really sticking up for other people. He went to his boss and said, ‘Martin is saying this about Indian coworkers we have, he’s saying this about people who buy our food – who keep our company open, and I don’t think that should be allowed,’” he continued.
“Bioengineered meat – I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer,” Martin said in the clip
The attorney said it was “ridiculous” that Robert got fired for “sticking up for other people.”
Robert had never faced disciplinary action for his work and even received praise for his performance from Martin during their meeting in November 2024.
This made his termination even more surprising.
The fired employee said the company handled the situation in a “simply terrible” manner and that Human Resources didn’t even provide a follow-up.
He also struggled for 10 months before finding a new job.
“They have a motto: ‘We treat you like family here at Campbell’s – come work for us,’” Robert said in the lawsuit. “‘We treat our employees like family.’ That’s not the case.”
Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier said he will “demand answers from Campbell’s”
Since the sale of lab-grown meat is banned in Florida, the state’s Consumer Protection Division is expected to conduct a probe into the company’s products.
Florida’s attorney general James Uthmeier said they will “demand answers from Campbell’s.”
“We don’t do the fake, lab-grown meat here in Florida. We’ll enforce the law and shut down!” he added.
After Martin’s explosive comments came to light, a Campbell’s spokesperson said they are “proud” of the “food [they] make,” the “people who make it,” and the “high-quality ingredients they use.”
“The comments on the recording are not only inaccurate – they are patently absurd,” they added.
“Keep in mind, the alleged comments are made by an IT person, who has nothing to do with how we make our food. If the recording is legitimate, the comments are unacceptable. They do not reflect our values and the culture of our company,” read a statement to the Daily Mail.
A Campbell’s spokesperson said the company is “proud” of the “food [they] make,” the “people who make it”, and the “high-quality ingredients they use”
Image credits: Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV
The spokesperson said Martin was on leave while the investigation continues.
They also said the “chicken meat” used for Campbell’s soups comes from “long-trusted, USDA-approved US suppliers” and meets their high standards of quality.
“All of our soups are made with No Antibiotics Ever chicken meat, meaning we don’t allow antibiotics to be added to the feed, water, or any commercial vaccines used by our chicken suppliers,” they continued.
“Quit pois*ning us on purpose,” read one comment online
