Just Add Water: To Improve Sales, Campbell Remakes Its Condensed Soups

AP ^ | 12-26-2002 | Geoff Mulvihill

[BlueLancer]

"The alphabet soup, for example, now has more 40 percent letters..."

More 40% letters? 40% larger? 40% smaller? Or do they mean that there have 40% more letters?

If the last, then what letters are they using? Greek? Russian? Japanese? What is this, learning a foreign language while eating soup?
8')

[dirtboy]

Just Add Water: To Improve Sales, Campbell Remakes Its Condensed Soups

Hint to Campbells - try to add flavor to your soups with something other than salt or MSG...

[Cagey]

[TomGuy]

Large sized coffee has also taken a recent hit.

One used to be able to get 3 lb (48 oz) can. The contents soon shrank to 39 oz. (due to settling, of course). I noticed with the last large can I opened a signficant "settling" gap of about 2" of air. I noticed on the labels of the last 2 "large" cans I purchased that the contents now are 34.5 oz. (although the can size is the same as when it was packed with 39 oz.)

I also noticed the price did not change. So I am now paying for 34.5 oz the price I used to pay for 39 oz...but since the can size is the same, I'm not supposed to notice the missing 4.5 oz.

[Malcolm]

I used to eat rice with either Cream of Chicken or of Mushroom poured over it, no water added. Man, that was it! After I became a diabetic, I had to stop eating that. If they change it, I hope it's for the better. I mean, someone could come up with a cure for diabetes, you know.....

[Auntie Mame]

Agreed, the MSG sucks. They might also try this from the article:

"there's not a whole lot more they can do unless they cut prices."

The last time I wanted to buy Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup, a few weeks ago, it was $1.30 per can in the supermarket.

Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup is incredibly good for flu and colds--Jewish penicillin in a can--it works great!

[kaylar]

And celery chunks. I swear, most of any Campbell's soup nowadays is celery chunks.

That's why I make homemade soup every month, sometimes several times a month. Canned don't cut it.

[BlueLancer]

"Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup is incredibly good for flu and colds--Jewish penicillin in a can--it works great!"

I wholeheartedly agree ...
...I think it's the large percentage of melted chickenfat and high concentration of salt in the soup.

[Dakotabound]

They'd better condense the prices for that soup, too.

A dollar a can or more? When I can buy the generic for 40 or 50 cents? Cream of Mushroom is Cream of Mushroom...Campbell's, add water to this...

[MinuteGal]

Except for the tomato soup and the cream of mushroom or celery which I use in some oven recipes, Campbell soup is icky. There's a particular type of artificial, almost medicinal, flavor common to all their varieties that I can't stomach. Too much salt makes them even more loathsome.

Give me homemade soup anytime. It's not that time-consuming to prepare and portions of it can be frozen for later use. I have a nice big holiday ham bone waiting in the wings for Mama Leni's split pea soup. Campbell's canned split pea can't even compete!

Leni

[mombonn]

Generic Cream of Mushroom is better - much creamier that the globs you get from Campbell's.

I NEVER buy Campbell's, except for the Cream of Shrimp - it makes a good dip mixed with cream cheese. Of course, I've never seen a generic equivalent, which I'd try in a heartbeat.

[chuknospam]

Might I suggest less salt, no MSG, better quality ingredients, and pull tab cans. But hey, don't ask the people who buy your product. It's not about the cost stupids, it's about the quality.

[Hank Rearden]

One used to be able to get 3 lb (48 oz) can. The contents soon shrank to 39 oz. (due to settling, of course). I noticed with the last large can I opened a signficant "settling" gap of about 2" of air. I noticed on the labels of the last 2 "large" cans I purchased that the contents now are 34.5 oz. (although the can size is the same as when it was packed with 39 oz.)

I'm sorta surprised anyone still buys these things. It's easy now to get decent whole beans, grind them fresh, and thereby make a real cup of coffee.

When you open a pre-ground multipound can of "coffee", what you're really getting is an efficient sponge, which immediately starts to suck up water vapor and off flavors from its surroundings, begins to oxidize and deteriorates rapidly over a period of 1-2 days.

Try it fresh, you'll never go back. Seriously.

Of course, I'm nuts - I roast my own coffee beans before I grind them. Fresh is best. More info at www.sweetmarias.com.

[FourPeas]

Every time I think of Campbell's soup, I think of Reggie White and how the "Chunky" side of Campbell dumped him. We no longer buy any Cambell's products and from the info in this article Pepperidge Farms, etc are now on the list, too.

[Vinnie]

Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup is incredibly good for flu and colds--Jewish penicillin in a can--it works great!

My favorite is Lipton's Chicken Noodle. Love those tiny noodles.

[okie01]

"Hint to Campbells - try to add flavor to your soups with something other than salt or MSG..."

A little Tabasco does a world of good...

[Cagey]

I have a nice big holiday ham bone waiting in the wings for Mama Leni's split pea soup.

My all time favorite soup.

Many of the Greek diners in New Jersey (I think 99% of the diners in NJ are Greek owned) have great homemade pea soup which is always served with these huge croutons that are incredibly good.

[dirtboy]

I think I'll stick with my wife's sopita. After all, I finally did figure out a way to get decent Mexican food in Pennsylvania - married a Mexican woman from Colorado and dragged her back here...

[Vinnie]

I have a nice big holiday ham bone waiting in the wings for Mama Leni's split pea soup.

Mama, can I come over??