Campbell’s admission about shocking practice resurfaces after executive fired over sickening soup claims
Campbell’s admission to illegally discharging wastewater into a major US river has resurfaced amid a scandal involving its iconic soup ingredients.
The New Jersey-based company admitted in September that its Napoleon, Ohio, canning plant illegally dumped wastewater more than 5,400 times from April 2018 to December 2024, breaking federal water pollution laws.
Environmental groups sued Campbell’s in March 2024, alleging repeated releases of pollutants that exceeded legal limits into the Maumee River, which feeds into Lake Erie.
The company did not admit that the discharges caused damage to the river or downstream waters, stating only that the wastewater exceeded permitted levels and violated both federal and state regulations. A trial to determine penalties and cleanup requirements is scheduled for 2026.
In a separate controversy, former employee Robert Garza claimed this week that he secretly recorded an executive saying Campbell’s soup contains ‘bioengineered meat.’
‘I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer,’ the person identified by the former employee as Martin Bally, vice-president and chief information security officer, can be heard in the recording provided to Detroit’s Local News 4.
A company spokesman told the Daily Mail that the chicken used in Campbell’s soups comes from USDA-approved US suppliers and meets all company quality standards, including ‘No Antibiotics Ever’ protocols.
On Wednesday, Bally was sacked following the release of the alleged audio, the firm announced. Garza, of Michigan, filed a lawsuit on November 20, alleging that he went to his supervisor to raise concerns about the remarks and was fired a few weeks later.
Campbell’s admitted that its Napoleon, Ohio, canning plant discharged wastewater more than 5,400 times into the Maumee River between April 2018 and December 2024, according to court filings earlier this year
The plant sits near the Maumee River, which feeds into Lake Erie. Environmental groups sued Campbell’s in March 2024, citing reported discharges and alleging a connection to a toxic algal bloom
The 2024 lawsuit was filed under the Clean Water Act, a federal law that prohibits discharging pollutants into rivers, lakes, or streams without a permit.
Campbell’s NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit sets strict limits on levels of substances.
According to the lawsuit, the company repeatedly exceeded these legal limits, which, by law, constitutes a violation of the Clean Water Act, even if the discharges did not directly prove harm to the river.
A Campbell’s spokesman told the Daily Mail: ‘We have taken a number of steps to improve our operations and comply with environmental regulations.
‘We have been part of the Napoleon community since 1938, and our goal is to reach a settlement that serves the interests of the environment and the community where our employees live and work.’
The company admitted that wastewater discharged from the facility exceeded legal limits for several substances, including phosphorus and nitrogen, ammonia, E. coli, oil and grease, total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD), total residual chlorine, and pH.
In a separate matter, former employee Robert Garza claimed this week that he secretly recorded Vice President Martin Bally (pictured) saying Campbell’s soup contains ‘bioengineered meat
Robert Garza, from Michigan, filed a lawsuit against Campbell’s on Thursday. The suit claims Garza went to his supervisor to raise concerns about the remarks and was later fired
Campbell’s maintains that the facility has had ‘minimal, if any, adverse effects’ on the Maumee River or Lake Erie. Environmental groups, however, alleged in the 2024 lawsuit that Campbell’s discharges contributed to harmful algae blooms. Pictured is the Maumee River
While Campbell’s acknowledges these exceedances, the company maintains that the facility has had ‘minimal, if any, adverse effects’ on the Maumee River or Lake Erie.
Environmental groups, however, alleged in the 2024 lawsuit that Campbell’s discharges contributed to harmful algae blooms for a total of 428 days between 2018 and 2022.
Campbell’s admission of violating the law came just two months before Garza provided the damaging recording he claimed was Bally to Detroit’s Local 4 News, which broadcast portions of it.
In the audio, a speaker identified as the executive is heard saying: ‘We have s**t for f***king poor people. Who buys our s**t? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore. It’s not healthy now that I know what the f**’s in it.’
A Campbell’s spokesman told Daily Mail: ‘We are proud of the food we make, the people who make it and the high-quality ingredients we use. The comments on the recording are not only inaccurate – they are patently absurd.
‘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.
A concentrated sample of algae and bacteria near the intake crib on Lake Erie in 2019
‘After a review, we believe the voice on the recording is in fact Martin Bally.’
The speaker also referenced ‘bioengineered meat,’ and while such products are allowed for sale in the US, companies are required to label them.
Also called cultured, cell-based, or lab-grown meat, it is real animal meat produced by growing animal cells in a controlled environment instead of raising and slaughtering livestock.
The process involves taking a sample of animal cells, cultivating them in a nutrient-rich solution within bioreactors, and then structuring the resulting muscle and fat tissues into a food product.
Campbell’s has disclosed that its canola, corn, soybean and sugar beet are grown from genetically modified seeds. It has repeatedly denied that its products contain any bioengineered meat.
The Daily Mail has contacted Bally for comment.
