For Campbell’s, green bean casserole is an iconic money-maker that also ties it to the past

Peggy Lowe Nov 19, 2018
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Americans' changing eating habits have had an effect on the Thanksgiving staple. Alex Wong/Getty Images

For Campbell’s, green bean casserole is an iconic money-maker that also ties it to the past

Peggy Lowe Nov 19, 2018
Americans' changing eating habits have had an effect on the Thanksgiving staple. Alex Wong/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Dorcas Reilly was a home economist for Campbell’s when she concocted the iconic green bean casserole as a way for the company to sell more canned cream of mushroom soup. Reilly passed away last month, at a time when Campbell’s has been struggling. Green bean casserole has become a Thanksgiving staple and is a reliable seller for Campbell’s – 25 million cans in November 2017 alone. But Campbell’s interim CEO has said that it’s been a challenging year for the company, partly because consumers are seeking fresh food, not canned.

This story was produced by the Marketplace hub at KCUR in Kansas City, Missouri.

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