Campbell’s is on the defence after some soup-er incriminating leaked audio.
Driving the news: Campbell’s released a statement assuring consumers that its canned soups don’t contain any artificial, 3D-printed, lab-grown, or otherwise bioengineered meat. The company was forced to do this after an audio clip went viral in the worst way possible.
Catch-up: A new lawsuit by a former Campbell’s employee alleges he was fired for reporting chief information security officer Martin Bally for inappropriate behaviour. As evidence, the ex-staffer presented audio where a voice, allegedly Bally’s, said Campbell’s products are “sh*t for f*cking poor people” that use chicken that “[comes] from a 3D printer.” Bally has since been fired.
- The person on the recording also made racist remarks against Indians and said they went to work on edibles — not relevant to the chicken stuff, but still worth noting.
Why it matters: These claims about phony meat affect grocery carts across the country. As food prices stay elevated even as inflation drops elsewhere, canned goods, like soup, are a staple for shoppers stretching their dollar and for food banks receiving record visitorship.
Our take: We’re inclined to believe Campbell’s, and that Bally was likely overexaggerating, kinda like how kids gross each other out by speculating what hot dogs are made of. Still, the incident only amps up health concerns about ultra-processed products, especially canned goods, which the Canadian Food Inspection Agency found often contain BPA plastics.—QH