(My take on this is that Martin Bally was a subpar employee who knew his time with the company was coming to an end and went to this meeting stoned* and made comments he will never be able to back up in a court.)
(*The suit also alleged that Bally told Garza that he often went to work “high from consuming marijuana edibles.”)
(Full Disclosure: I worked as a specimen collector for years for a large poultry processing company that also supplied chicken to Campbell’s from time to time and I assure you, the chickens we processed were very real.)
Campbell’s CEO Mick Beekhuizen said in a video posted on the company’s website on Thursday: “Recently, there’s been some misinformation about the chicken we use in our soup. These claims about our chicken are not only false, they’re absolutely ridiculous. Let me clear up any myths. Our chicken is not bioengineered or 3D-printed. We use real chicken always.”
He added: “I know there’s a recording that prompted this misinformation. It included wrong and offensive comments about our food, our consumers and our people. It doesn’t represent Campbell’s views or values or mine. We do not tolerate this conduct.”
Amick Farms, Campbell’s chicken supplier, said in a statement released this week: “We are committed to producing wholesome chicken products in accordance with all food safety and regulatory guidelines set forth by the US Department of Agriculture. The chicken meat we supply to Campbell’s is derived from real, antibiotic-free (NAE) birds grown on family farms with whom we contract. This chicken meat is not genetically modified nor is it created via a 3D printer. Quality, integrity and service are the core values of Amick Farms.”
True or not the "viral video" from that employee ( I assume now former employee) has done plenty of damage. These days people expect corporations to lie. So denying this won't help much.
ReplyDeleteSad but true. He has been fired. And at least they came out quickly with a total denial. I hope Campbell's can prove the guy is full of hooey. I thought the guy sounded way too cocky and I think he was a shitty employee. Just my opinion.
DeleteI've only ever used Campbell's soup for cooking in other recipes. Stuff like cream of mushroom added to green bean casserole and stuff. I don't know that I've ever just eaten a can of soup. Not a real big soup person. Also, I would think 3D printed chicken would still be more expensive than the real thing. I'm still not too sure about the 2 small cubes of chicken you find in the frozen chicken pot pies though - those little things are rubbery as hell and have no taste.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same. Decades ago the rumor was McDonald's was using cow lips in it's burgers. The CEO came out and said something to the effect: Ground beef is 69¢ a pound; cow lips are $1.39 a pound. Which do you think we use?
DeleteFunny how companies are held responsible for every employee's actions, but the government isn't accountable for any of their employees.
I use Campbell's soups for additions to other recipes, like you. I haven't bought or eaten a can of soup to eat as is in many years. Green bean casserole is a holiday favorite here. I use the Campbell's cheese soups also for cooking.
DeleteThe costs of 3D printed chicken would greatly outweigh the costs of real chicken and I think Bally is a full of shit disgruntled employee ... now ex-employee.
I read some of the same stuff, Unferth. The cost of using the crap products usually outweighs the costs of using the real thing. I worked at a major poultry processing plant for years, and although I was in the field, collecting specimens, I was in and out of the plant all the time and I know they never tried to pull asinine crap like that. The costs of trying to be cheap are usually greater than the costs of doing business the right way, especially if you get caught.
DeleteThe chicken in Campbells products is not the problem. The guy who said so is an idiot. The problem is that some other ingredients in the soup are Genetically Modified / Bioengineered. Read the label on the can.
ReplyDeleteWithout GMO produce we wouldn't be able to feed ourselves. The corn we have now was GENETICALLY MODIFIED from the pathetically sparse kernels on maize. Almost every plant product we eat today is GENETICALLY MODIFIED.
DeleteJust because something is GMO doesn't necessarily mean BAD. I'm just as much against some GMO products as anyone else, but I know enough to know without GMO, we would be hard pressed to produce enough food to feed this country, much less those we trade with.