NJ Company Considers Removing 'Chef' From Its Cream Of Wheat Logo

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Following announcements that Quaker Oats will retire its Aunt Jemima brand, that Mars will "evolve" its Uncle Ben's brand in response to claims of racist advertising imagery, and a "complete brand and packaging review" on Mrs. Butterworth has begun, Parsippany based B&G Foods will be looking into the chef imagery on their Cream of Wheat product.

"We are initiating an immediate review of the Cream of Wheat brand packaging," the company said in a statement Thursday. "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."

According to Business Insider, since the 1880s, the chef, Rastus, has been widely considered a pejorative term associated with black men. Through advertisements from the first part of the 20th Century, the smiling chef is depicted as childlike and uneducated.

B&G Foods noted they unequivocally stand against prejudice and injustice of any kind.

The review is similar to the move made by Conagra by dedicating themselves to reviewing the Mrs. Butterworth's brand.

Mrs. Butterworth was reportedly modeled after black actress Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen, who played Prissy in the 1939 film "Gone with the Wind," according to the Columbia Tribune. In the film, the actress depicted a slave content with being in service to whites, playing into a common stereotype used to justify slavery and the racial apartheid of Jim Crow.

Ferris State University's Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia has this to say: "From slavery through the Jim Crow era, the mammy image served the political, social, and economic interests of mainstream white America. During slavery, the mammy caricature was posited as proof that blacks — in this case, black women — were contented, even happy, as slaves. Her wide grin, hearty laughter, and loyal servitude were offered as evidence of the supposed humanity of the institution of slavery."

Conagra said that wasn't the company's intent.

More concrete action was taken by Quaker Oats, who decided to retire the 131-year-old Aunt Jemima brand, saying the company recognizes the character's origins are "based on a racial stereotype."

Just hours later, the owner of the Uncle Ben's brand of rice says the brand will "evolve" in response to concerns about racial stereotyping. Quaker, which is owned by PepsiCo, said it's overhauled pancake mix and syrup will hit shelves by the fourth quarter of 2020. The company will announce the new name at a later date.

Caroline Sherman, a spokeswoman for Mars, which owns Uncle Ben's, says the company is listening to the voices of consumers, especially in the black community, and recognizes that now is the right time to evolve the brand, including its visual identity.

Land O'Lakes announced earlier this year that it would no longer use the Native American woman who had graced its packages of butter, cheese and other products since the late 1920s.

This story contains reporting by J. Ryne Danielson.

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