The Campbell's Scandal and What's Really Hiding in Your Grocery Store 🛒💣
- Lili Marchand
- Dec 11
- 4 min read
November 2024. A secret recording surfaces and Campbell's VP, a guy named Bally, gets caught saying what he really thinks about his products:
"We have shit for fucking poor people. Who buys our shit? I don't buy Campbell's products barely anymore. It's not healthy now that I know what the fuck's in it."
Ouch.
The guy literally admits he doesn't eat his own food because he knows what's in it. Meanwhile, we're being told it's convenient, quick, affordable.
Cool.
The backlash was massive, obviously. But beyond the scandal and comments, it raises a real question: what exactly are they feeding us?
Spoiler alert: it's not pretty. 😬
Welcome to the wonderful world of food additives 🧪
In Canada, about 450 food additives are authorized. FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY. In organic products? Only 55 are allowed. That tells you something about what they put in the rest, doesn't it?
And guess what? Nearly half of the calories Canadians consume come from ultra-processed foods. We're literally eating chemistry.
Here's what I found on the shelves.
Artificial colors: pretty but toxic 🎨☠️
The United States just asked manufacturers to eliminate eight artificial colors. Seven of them are still perfectly legal in Canada: allura red, tartrazine, sunset yellow FCF, brilliant blue FCF, indigotine, citrus red, and fast green FCF.
These dyes have been linked to cancer development in animals and hyperactivity in children. In Europe, products containing them must carry a warning: "may have adverse effects on activity and attention in children."
In Canada? No warning. Nothing. Nada. 🤷♀️
Where to find them: Candy, colored cereals, desserts, drinks, brightly colored yogurts.
What to watch for on labels:
Preservatives: BHA, BHT and friends 🧫
Health Canada classified BHA as a high priority for human health due to its carcinogenic potential. BHT is considered a moderate priority. BHA causes cancer in laboratory animals according to international organizations.
These products can also cause allergic skin reactions and act as endocrine disruptors. But hey, at least your cereal stays crunchier longer, right?
Where to find them: Cereals, nut mixes, chewing gum, butter, processed meats, dehydrated potatoes.
Nitrites and nitrates in deli meats are another story. They become dangerous when they transform in your body. Health Canada sets limits, but they're still there.
Sulfites can cause reactions that look like allergies: burning sensations on the face, headaches, nausea, chest pain. Found in wine, alcohol, dried herbs, dried fruits, even some cereals.
MSG: my personal enemy 😤
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can cause burning sensations on the face, headaches, nausea and chest pain in some people.
Me? I had a vasovagal shock because of spices that contained it. You can read my full story here.
The worst part is that MSG hides everywhere under different names:
Monosodium glutamate
Hydrolyzed proteins
Yeast extract / autolyzed yeast
Glutamic acid
Hydrolyzed vegetable proteins
Or even just "seasonings" or "spices"
Where to find it: Soups (hey Campbell's! 👋), frozen meals, salad dressings, chips, sauces, broths.
The weird additives we really shouldn't be eating 🚫
Titanium dioxide: Banned throughout the European Union but authorized in Canada. Added mainly for aesthetic appearance. You know, to make it look appetizing. Mainly in candy and gum.
Azodicarbonamide: Found in yoga mats and synthetic leather shoes. Also in your bread. Banned in Europe because it breaks down to form carcinogenic chemicals during baking. In Canada? Perfectly legal.
Aspartame: The free amino acids in aspartame attack brain cells, creating toxic cellular overstimulation. But it's zero calories, so it's good for your figure! 🙃
Phosphoric acid: Used in soft drinks. Also used to prevent rust on cars. Yes, you read that right. Associated with kidney problems and osteoporosis in women.
Aluminum sulfate: Used in pools and gardening. And also in certain foods. At high doses, associated with risk of dementia or Alzheimer's.
The trap of "artificial flavors" 🍓🧪
You see "artificial flavors" on a label? Here's the problem: we never really know what it hides. It could be a single additive or a mixture of several hundred chemicals.
For example, artificial strawberry flavor can contain nearly 50 chemical ingredients. FIFTY. To imitate a strawberry.
How to decode a label (if you're interested) 🔍
Ok, now that we know what's hiding in our food, here's how I scan a label quickly:
1. I look at the ingredient list first (not just the nutrition facts)
2. Personally, when I see these words, I put the box back:
3. My simple rule: If I can't pronounce an ingredient or if the list is as long as my arm, I pass.
4. Ingredients are listed in descending order. If sugar is in the first 3, it's often not a good sign.
What I think 💭
Campbell's VP doesn't eat his own products because he knows what's in them. Now we know too.
I'm not saying we need to become paranoid and make everything at home (lol, who has time?). But at least we can read labels. Make informed choices. Stop being fooled by marketing that tells us it's "natural" or "healthy" when it's loaded with junk.
It starts with knowing what's really hiding on the shelves.