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Makers behind Cream of Wheat to review using Black chef imagery

B&G Foods of New Jersey said it doesn't want to "inadvertently contribute to systemic racism."
Target/TODAY
/ Source: NBC News

The makers of the breakfast porridge Cream of Wheat are conducting "an immediate review" of the brand's packaging, which prominently features a smiling Black chef.

The move by B&G Foods, which is based in Parsippany, New Jersey, comes on the heels of Quaker Oats announcing that its Aunt Jemima will soon be rebranded and Mars Inc. saying the company's Uncle Ben's rice would be changing its name.

B&G Foods said in a statement Wednesday that it was "initiating an immediate review of the Cream of Wheat brand packaging."

"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 a company statement.

The statement continued, "B&G Foods unequivocally stands against prejudice and injustice of any kind."

Unlike Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's, Cream of Wheat does not detail an official history about its logo on its website.

Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, numerous organizations and industries — including the food industry — have been undergoing vigorous self-examinations of their roles in propping up institutional racism.