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The Campbell's Company has entered into a strategic co-branding partnership with better-for-you pasta manufacturer Banza to launch its first-ever gluten-free condensed chicken noodle soup.

The commercial rollout represents a major milestone for the Campbell's brand, marking the first time in its history that its signature chicken noodle soup formulation has been modified for gluten-free diets. The product combines Campbell's traditional recipe with a custom-developed chickpea penne pasta, designed to meet the rigorous physical demands of canned food processing.

The launch is entering digital retail channels immediately on Amazon, with physical grocery distribution scheduled to scale nationwide over the coming months.

Technical Formulation

In commercial food processing, replicating the delicate texture of wheat-based noodles in a hot, canned liquid environment presents significant technical challenges. Traditional gluten-free pastas, particularly those derived from rice, corn, or legumes, tend to degrade, lose their structural integrity, or become mushy when subjected to high-temperature retorting and prolonged exposure to acidic broths.

To resolve these processing hurdles, the research and development teams at Campbell's and Banza co-developed a specialised variety of Banza's chickpea penne.

The physical structure of the chickpea-based pasta has been adjusted to ensure high water-binding stability and mechanical strength. This processing alignment ensures that the penne absorbs the savoury broth without breaking down, maintaining a firm, elastic texture throughout its shelf life and after final preparation by the consumer.

Ingredient Sourcing and Product Specifications

To align with modern clean-label standards and meet the expectations of wellness-focused shoppers, the joint formulation is manufactured without artificial preservatives, synthetic colours, or chemical flavourings.

The poultry utilised in the recipe consists entirely of chicken raised without antibiotics, sourced directly from USDA-approved domestic farms.

The product is packaged to support fast home and workplace preparation, and its core specifications include:

🥣 Condensed Format – Sized in a standard condensed format, carrying a suggested retail price of $1.99 per can.

🌾 Chickpea Penne – Formulated with custom-developed Banza chickpea penne to replace traditional wheat-based noodles.

🐔 Antibiotic-Free Poultry – Prepared with chicken meat raised without antibiotics ever, sourced from USDA-approved U.S. suppliers.

📋 Clean Label Verification – Certified gluten-free and manufactured to meet strict food safety and ingredient transparency standards.

The pricing of the new product positions it within Campbell's premium convenience tier, reflecting the higher raw material costs associated with organic or alternative legume-based ingredients compared to conventional commodity wheat.

Portfolio Premiumisation

The launch of the co-branded soup comes during a period of sustained volume growth for the gluten-free sector, which is projected to reach a global valuation of $14 billion by 2032.

According to joint industry research, approximately 30 per cent of the United States population actively seeks out gluten-free options during their weekly grocery runs. Furthermore, the domestic gluten-free food and beverage market is projected to expand at a 9.8 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2026 to 2033, driven by rising consumer awareness of metabolic and digestive health.

The partnership enables Campbell's to lower the trial barrier for health-conscious consumers who may have historically avoided the condensed soup aisle due to dietary restrictions. The initiative follows Campbell's previous successful entries into the allergen-free segment, which included the 2023 rollout of gluten-free condensed Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken soups formulated with rice flour.

For Banza, which operates as the leading better-for-you pasta brand in the United States with active distribution in more than 26,000 stores, the collaboration provides a high-visibility platform to expand its plant-based nutrition message to mainstream consumer demographics.