The makers of Cream of Wheat said Wednesday that they will conduct “an immediate review” of the brand’s packaging, which currently includes a smiling black chef.
What’s going on:
B&G Foods has decided to reexamine its packaging as other brands look to change their logos and brand packaging, too.
On Wednesday, Quaker Oats announced it would end the Aunt Jemima brand name for its syrup. Similarly, Mars Inc. said it planned to change the name of Uncle Ben’s rice.
B&G said: “We are initiating an immediate review of the Cream of Wheat brand packaging.”
B&G said: “We understand there are concerns regarding the chef image, and we are committed to evaluating our packaging and will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism.”
Cream of What has a bit of history with racist figures on their brands, according to CNN.
Scholars say White’s image replaced Cream of Wheat’s original black mascot, Rastus, a racist caricature of black Americans that commonly appeared in blackface minstrel shows from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rastus was depicted as a dim-witted former slave who spoke broken English in early Cream of Wheat ads. Today, the name Rastus is regarded as a racial slur.