A senior leader at the Campbell Soup Company has been terminated following the release of a recording containing offensive statements about the company’s consumer base and employees.
The executive, who served as a vice-president in the information technology division, was allegedly recorded making disparaging comments during a conversation with a colleague. In the recording, the individual is said to have characterized the company’s products as intended for “poor people” and made vulgar, racially charged remarks about team members of Indian heritage.
The company confirmed it investigated the recording and, after verifying its authenticity, moved swiftly to dismiss the executive involved. In a public statement, the firm denounced the language as “vulgar, offensive, and false,” stating it was completely at odds with the organization’s values and culture. The behavior, the company emphasized, would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The controversy emerged from a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former employee, who claims he made the recording during a meeting. The lawsuit further alleges the executive admitted to being under the influence of drugs at work and retaliated against the employee for raising concerns.
In its response, the company also forcefully rejected specific claims made in the recording about its food quality. A spokesperson clarified that all chicken used in its soups is sourced from approved U.S. suppliers, meets strict quality standards, and is raised without antibiotics, calling any contrary assertions “patently absurd.”
The Campbell Soup Company, a heritage American brand known for its soups and an expanded portfolio of snack foods, has publicly apologized for the hurt caused by the remarks. The executive at the center of the scandal could not be reached for comment.