CAMDEN, N.J. — If your lunch still consists of a bowl of Campbell’s tomato soup and a grilled-cheese sandwich, chances are you grew up using a typewriter.
Generations of Americans have moved on from Campbell’s condensed chicken-noodle and tomato soups in search of heartier varieties with more sophisticated flavors.
Campbell Soup Co. last year began a quest that led executives to a diverse group of cities including Portland, Ore., and London to figure out how to make soups that appeal to younger, finicky customers.
The new soups come in plastic pouches that heat up in a microwave in less than 3 minutes.
The remake could be a do-or-die task for Campbell. Overall canned-soup consumption is down 13 percent over the past decade, according to the research firm Euromonitor International, as fresh soups have become more widely available at supermarkets and restaurants.
