#B&G Foods to remove black Cream of Wheat chef from packaging

B&G Foods said Thursday it would drop an image of a black chef from the packaging of its Cream of Wheat cereal mix, the latest company to make changes to branding widely considered as racially insensitive.

Companies including Mars and PepsiCo are changing names and branding of some of their products that are rooted in racist imagery amid a wider national debate over racial inequality in the United States.

“For years, the image of an African-American chef appeared on our Cream of Wheat packaging. While research indicates the image may be based upon an actual Chicago chef named Frank White, it reminds some consumers of earlier depictions they find offensive,” B&G Foods said in a statement.

The condiments and sauce maker is expected to roll out new packaging in the first quarter of 2021, it said.

On Wednesday, Mars said it was changing the name and branding of its Uncle Ben’s rice products, while PepsiCo said in June that it would rename and change the brand image of its Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup.