Alphabet Soup

Aug 1

The pasta development pipeline was, in fact, a bridge

In the 1920s, Camden, New Jersey-based Campbell Soup Company ran into texture and bite-quality issues when developing pasta for their famed Alphabet Soup. But solutions were to be found across the bridge, at Philadelphia Macaroni Company.

To withstand the demands of canning and long-term storage required thick letters made from semolina—a difficult request for the time. An innovative reconfiguration of our processing equipment increased the drying dwell time to 16 hours. This not only created a noodle that could withstand canning but also one with exceptional mouthfeel.

From Alphabet Soup formed a successful multi-generation relationship. Over the decades, our relationship continued to tackle challenges ranging from quicker manufacturing needs to changing soup-delivery methods and packaging through the development of engineered pasta. But through each challenge, as was always the case, the desired and consistent customer experience was always to be found just over the bridge.