About our Ingredients
We know there is debate around some of the ingredients we use. We listen to all sides and make decisions based on what matters most to you. Here we share why we make the choices we do, and any plans we may have to change our ingredients.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup or HFCS is a liquid sweetener, also called Glucose-Fructose on food labels in Canada. Although we have significantly reduced our use of the ingredient in recent years, we do use high fructose corn syrup when it is right for the recipe, mostly to help deliver a smoother texture than other sugars can provide, or to keep the cost of a product affordable. High fructose syrup contains the same number of calories as table sugar and has been widely used in the food industry for more than fifty years.
Many people have told us they would prefer to avoid HFCS, which is why we will continue to move away from using it in new products we launch and explore opportunities to remove it from existing products.
More than 95% of the products we offer for retail sale in Canada do not contain high fructose corn syrup. It is used in some varieties of our Campbell’s® Condensed soups.
MSG
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of a common amino acid. MSG can be added or naturally occurring (Glutamates) in many foods. It has been used safely as a seasoning in cooking for more than 100 years. It helps to impart a rich and pleasant savoury or umami flavour and is used to enhance the natural flavour of various foods such as soups, casseroles, salads, gravies, meat, poultry, seafood and vegetable dishes.
Many common foods, like tomatoes or cheese, have high levels of naturally-occurring free glutamates which are released during the cooking process. The body can’t tell the difference between naturally occurring or added glutamates.
MSG is lower in sodium compared with table salt (sodium chloride). It contains only 13 percent sodium compared to 39 percent sodium in table salt. This means a small amount of MSG can be used instead of salt to create an appealing savoury flavour. This is particularly useful when making great tasting foods which have reduced sodium and fat.
We recognize that different people have different tastes and dietary requirements, which is why we offer a variety of choices including our Ready to Use Broths that have no added MSG, but may contain naturally occurring glutamates.
Sodium
We know that having sodium-reduced choices is important to some Canadians, that’s why we have been generally reducing sodium for over a decade. That’s also why we’re committed to providing lower sodium options across our family of products:
- If you’re looking to make a lower sodium soup at home, our Campbell’s® No Salt Added or 30% Less Sodium Broths and Reduced Sodium varieties of Campbell’s® Condensed soups are great ways to add delicious flavour
- For our iconic condensed Campbell’s soups (Tomato, Cream of Mushroom and Vegetable) you can find a similar flavour option at a reduced sodium level
Gluten-Free
We recognize that gluten-sensitivity is a concern for many Canadians. That’s why we want to make it easy for them to find tasty, affordable and comforting food choices – like gluten-free Campbell’s® soups or Chunky® chilis.
Campbell Canada is continually testing our products in accordance with Health Canada guidelines in order to validate all our gluten-free products. This includes testing of products as well as implementing manufacturing controls that ensure our products meet your dietary needs.
From Soups To Chilis To Beverages, Campbell Canada Offers a variety of Gluten-Free products.
Our Ingredients from A-Z
Here is an alphabetical list of some of the ingredients we use that may not be familiar. We have tried to describe what they are and why we use them in our recipes.
BETA CAROTENE
Beta carotene is found in carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkins and gives them their orange color.
CANOLA AND SOYBEAN
Vegetable oil.
CARAMEL COLOUR
A widely used food colour made by heating sugar. It is also an ingredient in Worcestershire Sauce which we sometimes use to add flavour.
CARRAGEENAN
A common ingredient which is used as a thickener. We use it to keep our chicken meat juicy. It is found in seaweed from which it is extracted for use as a food ingredient.
CHICKEN STOCK
Stock is made from cooking chicken meat and chicken bones in water and then concentrating it by evaporating off some of the liquid. We also use a small amount of dehydrated, or completely dried, chicken stock for added flavour.
CITRIC ACID
Citric acid occurs naturally in citrus fruits and tomatoes. It is commonly used to control the acidity of shelf stable products. The citiric acid is derived from either sugar beet or corn through fermentation.
CORN STARCH OR POTATO STARCH
These ingredients helps to thicken soups and give a consistent texture.
CORN SYRUP SOLIDS
A type of sweetener made from corn.
CREAM
We use fresh cream for its flavour and to give smooth texture.
DEHYDRATED GARLIC
Dried garlic used to add flavour.
DEHYDRATED ONIONS
We used dried onions as a base flavour.
DEHYDRATED WHEY, DRIED WHEY, WHEY POWDER OR MODIFIED MILK INGREDIENTS
Whey is produced during the cheese making process. We used dehydrated, or dried whey to enhance the dairy flavour.
DEXTROSE
Dextrose is a sugar found naturally in fruits and honey. We use dextrose made from cornstarch as a flavouring.
EGG NOODLES
Noodles made with white flour are enriched with five essential nutrients: ferrous sulfate (iron); and four B vitamins: folic acid, niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2) and thiamine mononitrate (B1). Our noodles are made with flour milled from a mix of durum and spring wheat grown in the United States and Canada. This mix of flour gives the noodles a robust texture.
ENZYME MODIFIED CHEESE
We use cheese which has been specially processed using enzymes to increase the flavour. Most of the enzyme modified cheese we use is made in Wisconsin. It also contains rennet, an enzyme which is essential to making the cheese hard. The rennet we use is derived from animals.
ENZYMES
Enzymes are a special kind of protein used to help reactions in food. These are essential in many types of food-making processes including cheese-making. Examples of enzymes we use in some of our recipes are rennet and phospholipase.
GARLIC
Garlic that has been dried is used to add flavour.
GLUTAMIC ACID
A naturally-occurring amino acid found in animals and plants such as tomatoes and mushrooms. It is sometimes an ingredient in flavour enhancers.
GLUTEN-FREE
Gluten is a protein found in rye, barley and wheat (including atta, bulgur, couscous, durum, einkorn, emmer, farina, kamut, seitan, semolina, spelt, triticale). Due to the potential mixing of grains during harvest, storage, transportation, etc., Campbell has decided to treat oats similar to gluten containing grains. Campbell Gluten-Free products are validated through an extensive on-going test program, which includes the testing of products and placement of manufacturing controls to insure our Gluten-Free products are and remain Gluten-Free.
GLUCOSE FRUCTOSE
A liquid sweetener made from corn starch, also known as high-fructose corn syrup. It is nutritionally the same as sugar, and similar in composition to table sugar.
HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN
Plant protein from soybean that has been broken down into amino acids. These amino acids enhance the natural flavours of food with a taste known as “umami”.
INVERT SUGAR
A mixture of two sugars, dextrose and fructose. This is sometimes used to make brown sugar.
LACTIC ACID
A common acid found in dairy foods such as milk.
LECITHIN
Helps smoothly blend ingredients together. The technical term for this is ’emulsify’. We use lecithin made from soybeans or sunflower seeds. The specific source of the lecithin is always listed.
LOCUST BEAN GUM
Used to give some of our foods a smooth, thick texture. This ingredient is made from the seeds of the Carob tree, which grows mostly in the Mediterranean region. It is also sometimes called carob bean gum.
MALIC ACID
Occurs naturally in fruits, especially apples, and is responsible for their tart taste.
MALTODEXTRIN
A type of carbohydrate made from corn or potatoes. It is used to create even and consistent flavour in our food. Maltodextrin itself has little taste, but it attaches itself to flavours and evenly spreads them through the product so every mouthful tastes good. The maltodextrin we use is made from corn unless stated otherwise.
MODIFIED STARCH
Used as a thickener to give a smooth texture and consistency, just as you might use cornstarch at home.
MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG)
MSG is made by fermenting cane or beet molasses and is used to enhance the food’s savoury flavour. Glutamatic acid is a naturally occurring amino acid.
NATURAL FLAVOURS
A common term for flavours which give products their distinctive tastes. Natural flavours, oils or extracts can be derived from a wide range of foods – beef, chicken, seafood, fruits, vegetables and herbs. If a natural flavour contains one of the ten priority allergens we include this in the ingredients list on the product label.
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
The Canada Organic Logo is your guarantee that the products are grown according to the Organic Product Regulations which were developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. This includes the production of high quality food using sustainable management practices, which avoid damage to the environment, and ensure the ethical treatment of livestock. All the organic ingredients we use are from certified organic farms and producers and our soups are made in certified facilities.
ORGANIC AND NON-GMO
If a product is certified organic it means it is made with ingredients that are grown without the use of genetic engineering. Any product that is certified organic under the Organic Products Regulations cannot use ingredients derived from genetic engineering.
SALT SUBSTITUTE (POTASSIUM CHLORIDE)
A type of salt we use to reduce the amount of table salt (sodium chloride) in our recipes.
SODIUM PHOSPHATE
A type of salt that allows mixtures of ingredients to blend easily or “emulsify”. It is also used to maintain the texture and flavour of the meat and cheese in our recipes as they are cooking. Some types of sodium phosphate are used as leavening or rising agents in baked products.
SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE
Made from soy bean flour after the sugar portion has been removed. We use this protein to enhance the texture of the food we make and also help make our cream soups thicker.
SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE
Made from soybeans and almost entirely protein. Is used to help keep the chicken tender during cooking.
SUGAR
The sugar we use is from sugar cane grown mainly in the Caribbean and processed in Canada.
TOMATO PUREE
Our tomatoes are mainly grown in California by family farmers, many who have grown for us for generations. The ripe tomatoes are harvested and transported directly to our plants to be washed, peeled and pureed. There are four tomatoes in each can of Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup.
TURMERIC
Is a bright yellow spice often used in Indian cuisine. We use it to add colour to some of our soups and sauces.
VEGETABLE OIL
The oils we use may come from corn, canola and/or soybean as we use different oils depending on the season and availability. No matter which oil is used, we ensure the taste of the product doesn’t change. The oils we use are considered “good oils” as they contain high amounts of unsaturated fats.
WATER
We use water in many of our products to achieve the right flavour concentration.
WHEAT FLOUR
Used to thicken the soup. We use flour milled from wheat grown in the U.S. and Canada. White flour enriched with five essential nutrients: ferrous sulfate (iron); and four B vitamins: folic acid, niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2) and thiamine mononitrate (B1).
WHEY POWDER
Enhances the creamy flavour.
WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE
Made from whey, a by-product of cheese making, and used to enhance the texture of our food.
XANTHAN GUM
Xanthan Gum is used to blend our spices and ingredients to give a consistent flavour and appearance. It’s made by fermenting corn sugar, wheat or soy.
YEAST EXTRACT
A natural flavour derived from yeast which adds a savoury taste.
YEAST EXTRACT AND AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT
Flavour enhancers derived from yeast and used to add a savoury flavour to our products.