Campbell’s Soup Under Fire: What’s Really Inside?

A leaked recording of a Campbell’s Soup executive ignited a national debate after he allegedly described the iconic chicken soup as “highly processed,” made for “poor people,” and even suggested it used lab-grown or 3-D printed chicken.

Campbell’s immediately fired the executive and called the claims “patently absurd,” arguing that its classic chicken noodle soup contains chicken stock, vegetables, egg noodles, and chicken raised without antibiotics, according to the company’s official statement.

But the controversy intensified online, where a post on Campbell’s Facebook page drew more than 30,000 reactions, mostly mocking the company’s reassurances and insisting they’d “just make their own soup.”

Dietitians interviewed by WSJ say the real concern isn’t 3-D chicken but the soup’s extreme sodium levels, with one can containing 2,225 mg, nearly an entire day’s recommended limit.

Nutrition researchers classify soups with MSG, natural flavors, and soy protein isolate as ultraprocessed, linking regular consumption to obesity, Type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Campbell’s says it offers lower-sodium options and stands by its ingredient quality, but the viral backlash highlights growing consumer skepticism toward packaged foods.