Cream of Wheat launches ‘immediate review’ of brand’s packaging

B&G Foods, the maker of Cream of Wheat, announced Thursday that it would be reviewing the packaging of the longtime breakfast brand, the latest food company to do so after Quaker announced earlier in the week that it was retiring its Aunt Jemima logo because of its racist origins.

Since 1893, Cream of Wheat’s logo has featured a smiling black chef, not dissimilar to the Aunt Jemima logo, which featured a smiling black woman.

“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,” B&G said in a statement. “B&G Foods unequivocally stands against prejudice and injustice of any kind.”

On Wednesday, Quaker announced that Aunt Jemima would be replaced with a new name and logo. 

Later in the day, Mars and Conagra announced that they would be changing the logos of Uncle Ben’s rice and Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup, respectively.

“The Mrs. Butterworth’s brand, including its syrup packaging, is intended to evoke the images of a loving grandmother. We stand in solidarity with our Black and Brown communities and we can see that our packaging may be interpreted in a way that is wholly inconsistent with our values,” Conagra said in a statement. “We understand that our actions help play an important role in eliminating racial bias and as a result, we have begun a complete brand and packaging review on Mrs. Butterworth’s.”