• by Sarah Mahoney , 89 minutes ago

Just as America gears up to pour Campbell’s creamy soups into Thanksgiving casseroles, the company is scrambling to contain a scandal that reads like corporate mustache-twirling: an exec trashing the brand’s own products — and the people who buy them — on tape.

According to a lawsuit filed in Michigan, Martin Bally, a Campbell’s tech executive, was recorded describing the company’s soups as “sht for f**ing poor people” and suggesting they are made with lab-grown or 3-D-printed chicken. “I don’t want to eat chicken from a 3-D printer, do you?” he said, according to the suit. Bally has since been placed on leave pending an internal investigation.

The recording was made by Robert Garza, a remote employee who says he raised the comments with his supervisor. Instead of being directed to HR, Garza says he was fired — allegations that form the basis of his wrongful-termination case in Michigan, where he lives.

Additional allegations have surfaced through Garza’s LinkedIn posts, including claims that Bally disparaged Indian workers, calling them “f***ing idiots,” and made negative comments about women working in the company’s tech organization. Those remarks were reported by the Washington Post.

The Guardian reports that Garza’s lawsuit alleges retaliatory dismissal and that the company maintained a racially hostile work environment. It also says neither Campbell’s nor its human resources department followed up on Garza’s report on Bally, which has left Garza unemployed for 10 months.

Campbell’s issued a statement saying that if indeed Bally made those comments, they are “unacceptable” and “do not reflect our values and the culture of our company.” The company did not address whether Garza’s firing was connected to his report.

The fallout is widening. A Florida official — in a state that bans lab-grown meat — is publicly calling for an investigation into Bally’s claims, reports CBS, despite Campbell’s forceful denial. “Campbell’s does not use 3D-printed chicken, lab-grown chicken, or any form of artificial or bioengineered meat in our soups,” the company said, calling the allegations “absurd” and stressing that its chicken comes from “long-trusted, USDA-approved U.S. suppliers.”

The controversy arrives at the worst possible moment for Campbell’s. Just last week, the company released research highlighting how beloved its holiday staples are: 44% of consumers called Campbell’s Green Bean Casserole the most iconic Thanksgiving side, now turning 70. And 50% say mac and cheese — often made with Campbell’s soup — deserves a permanent spot on the family menu.