A senior executive at Campbell Soup Company has been placed on temporary leave after a lawsuit filed by a former employee included a secret audio recording where the VP disparaged the company's own products and made offensive comments about customers and staff.
The Damning Recording
According to legal documents, former employee Robert Garza recorded Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer Martin Bally during a meeting at a restaurant in November 2024. In the hour and 15-minute clip, a speaker identified as Bally is heard stating he barely buys Campbell's products anymore, calling them "unhealthy" and expressing disgust at the ingredients.
"I don't want to eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer. Do you?" the speaker is alleged to have said, referencing bioengineered meat. He then reportedly added, "We have stuff for poor people. Who buys our stuff?" The recording also contained racist remarks directed at the company's Indian employees.
Company Response and Fallout
Following the filing of the lawsuit on Thursday, November 25, 2025, Campbell's confirmed that Bally, who joined the company in January 2022, has been placed on temporary leave pending an internal investigation.
A company spokesperson strongly denied the allegations made in the recording, telling the Daily Mail: "The comments on the recording are not only inaccurate – they are patently absurd." The spokesperson emphasised that Bally is an IT professional with no involvement in food production and explicitly stated that Campbell's does not use bioengineered meat, sourcing its chicken from USDA-approved suppliers.
Lawsuit Alleges Retaliatory Firing
The legal case, filed by Garza who began working remotely for Campbell's in September 2024, claims he arranged the meeting with Bally to discuss his salary. Instead, he alleges he was subjected to an hour-long rant.
Garza states he reported Bally's conduct to his supervisor in January 2025. Shortly after, on January 30, 2025, he was "abruptly terminated". The lawsuit posits that this was a direct retaliation for speaking out and accuses Campbell's of fostering a racially toxic workplace. Garza is seeking damages for emotional distress and economic harm.
