Campbell: Broth sales get bump from more cooking

NEW YORK (AP) - When people take an interest in cooking, broth sales apparently get a bump.

Campbell Soup has been struggling to boost sluggish sales of its famous condensed and ready-to-eat canned soups. But there is a bright spot in its U.S. soup division: broth.

In a call with analysts on Friday, Campbell CEO Denise Morrison noted that the growth in broths is being driven by "an increase in homemade soup behavior" and people cooking more with broth in general.

For the first half of the company's fiscal year, broth sales are up 10 percent, while sales of condensed and ready-to-eat soups such as Chunky are down.

To tap into people's growing interest in cooking, Campbell has been introducing new products designed to help reduce work in the kitchen.