Update: Campbell's Is Rethinking Its Chicken Soup Recipe

By Laura Wagner

Published November 10, 2015 at 10:47 AM CST

Campbell Soup is changing the recipe of one of its chicken soups, but says it isn't quite ready to tinker with its classic chicken noodle version.

NPR's Allison Aubrey contacted the company, which clarified that it is changing the ingredient list of the Healthy Kids Shaped Pasta with Chicken in Chicken Broth — in cans with Star Wars- and Frozen-themed labels.

"This is the first step in our journey and we are currently working on a number of our recipes, but it's too soon to give any definite timing on when changes may be made to the classic red & white chicken noodle soup," spokeswoman Anna Burr says.

Earlier, we reported that Campbell was tinkering with the recipe for its chicken noodle soup in the red-and-white cans.

Our earlier post continues:

Campbell eliminated 13 ingredients, including a number of flavoring chemicals, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), but also left out celery and onions, The New York Times reports. The new recipe also cuts potassium chloride, maltodextrin and disodium guanylate, among other ingredients. It adds water, dehydrated onions and dehydrated chicken broth.

"We're closing the gap between the kitchen and our plants," Denise M. Morrison, chief executive of Campbell, told the newspaper.

Calls to Campbell Soup's corporate communications office were not returned.

The move, which the Times says cut the number of ingredients from 30 to 20, comes as consumers are increasingly aware of what they're eating and how it affects the environment.

"Before, when we talked about our business, we talked about how many cases we shipped," Morrison said, according to the Times. "Today, we're talking about our food" — as in what's in it, where it comes from and what impact it has on the environment."

The change also comes at a time when both global soup sales and Campbell's soup sales have lagged.

The newspaper adds:

"Campbell Soup accounted for almost three-quarters of the $1.6 billion in condensed soup sales here last year, but its unit sales fell more than 5 percent, according to IRI, a data and research firm. The company also dominates the ready-to-eat soup business, but there, too, it lost more than 5 percent of market share last year."